Hershey's Chocolate World

by Barbara J. Robinson

> We visited Hershey's Chocolate World Visitor Center, Hershey Park, and Zoo America in June, when we took a simulated tour of the Chocolate Factory on the Chocolate Ride. We walked through a tropical jungle where the cocoa beans were harvested. We viewed the chocolate-making process during the ride and received a free sample at the end. We explored the gift shops and restaurants and had ice cream Hershey style.

We viewed the Really Big 3D Show in a 250 seat state-of-the-art theater. The show is featured throughout the day. The show provided a glimpse of the history of Hershey's chocolate and was designed and produced by Landmark Entertainment, the group who designed Universal Studios "Terminator " and "Star Trek 2/3D: The Experience" for Paramount Parks and the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The interactive musical adventure is thirty minutes and costs $4.95 for adults and $3.95 for children. There are discounts for senior groups. Free candy samples made the show even sweeter.

Storm Runner, one of Hershey's smooth coasters
Photo by Barbara J. Robinson

We took in 11 acres of wildlife, included with park admission, of Zoo America, but the most amazing adventure for my husband and daughter was Storm Runner in Hershey Park. It is the first hydraulic launch coaster with inversions. It sped off at 72 miles per hour. I ride a lot of coasters, but I waited on the ground for this one. However, I joined my husband and daughter for the thrills of Great Bear, an inverted coaster. The four inversions, vertical loop, Camelback Twist, and Wing Over gave us the sensation of flying through the air as our feet dangled.

I got lots of great pictures, even some of Hershey Kiss street lights. The streets are named after Hershey candy. I even found out where my favorite Jolly Rancher candy is made. It, too, is a Hershey product though it is not chocolate. My husband had to stock up on his favorite white chocolate Hershey bars with almonds and white Kit Kat bars which are so hard to find, but delicious. Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the sweetest place on earth, just as they say. My husband, Scott, thought Storm Runner and his candy bars made it so. He bought an entire box of his favorite white Hershey and almond bars and stocked up. He bought only one small pack of the new white Kit Kats, and we both love them, so they didn't last long. As for my daughter and I, we found Great Bear and Jolly Ranchers sweeter. She and I share the same taste in coasters, the smooth inverted type that allow our feet to dangle and our spirits to soar as we have the sensation of flying through the sky without being shaken to bits by rougher coasters. She came away with a bag of Jolly Rancher pops, and I settled for the hard candy.

Barbara is the author of Magnolia: A Wilting Flower and The Lord had Something Better in Mind. Member of Florida Writers Association (FWA), Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project (SLWP), and American Christian Romance Writers (ACRW). Books available at favorite online bookstores such as www.amazon.com and www.bn.com. Visit Barbara at http://pages.prodigy.net/bud25/_wsn/page6.html or http://pages.prodigy.net/bud25.