Pennsylvania

Emily, Tyson and Justin at Gettysburg How Ryan spent most of our Audio tour!



Our first stop in Pennsylvania was Hershey. We spent two days at the amusement park there and then one day at Chocolate world. The kids got to ride lots of fun rides and the lines weren't too long. They even had a few rides for Ryan to go on. He liked all of them except the tea cups, they went a little fast for him. Jeff and I got to take turns going on the Fahrenheit with Emily. This roller coaster has the steepest drop in the US or world, I'm not sure which one. It was a really fun ride. It was scary and fast, but not jerky so you didn't come off with a headache like so many roller coasters.

At Chocolate world we got to see a 4-D movie on Chocolate. That is the reason for the glasses in the picture. We also got to go to Chocolate Tasting 101 where we learned all about chocolate and the proper way to taste it. It was quite interesting. We also went on a tour of how chocolate is made, and the kids got to work in a small chocolate factory where Hershey Kisses were made. Hershey, PA was a big hit for everyone in the Cluff Family!

After three days in Hershey we were off to Gettysburg where we spent one full day and two nights. We got to see all of the battlefields that were used during the civil war. We took an audio tour, which means you buy a CD and listen to it as you drive to all of the points. This was the perfect way to do it with young kids. We were able to go at our own pace and we didn't have to worry about Ryan or Abby disturbing anyone else. Ryan having been sleep deprived during our three days in Hershey spent most of the four hour tour asleep. Jeff and I would take turns getting out and looking at the different points along the way.

Our last day and a half we spent in Philadelphia where we got to see all of the historical things Philadelphia is famous for, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It rained the whole day we were here, but it didn't slow us down at all. We went on the "Quacker" for a tour of the city from land and water, but because of the lightning our water part didn't last very long. It was Tyson's birthday the day we were in Philadelphia so he got to choose the things we were going to do. The one thing they wanted to do that we didn't get to do is go to the US Mint. We didn't even think of it only being open on week days, and we were there on a Sunday. We flew home Monday afternoon, but before we left we drove out to Valley Forge and did another CD audio tour. This one only lasted about 1 1/2 hours, but it was very interesting.

Our vacation was not relaxing, but it was jam packed with fun! We all had a wonderful time and I don't think we will ever forget it!