When Rick Dunlap, Public Relations Director for the Visit Hershey & Harrisburg CVB, invited me I wondered what would I do in four days except eat chocolate. I have never been more wrong in my thinking. This is a diary, with photos of one of the most intriguing and interesting press trips ever.
Amtrak Keystone goes from Penn Station NYC thru Philadelphia and ends in Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. It is about a 3½ hour trip. Rick was kind enough to pick me up at the station even though my hotel- Hilton Harrisburg- was only a few blocks away. I had only a few minutes to drop my bag in the room and it was off to Hershey (a 20-minute ride). www.hilton.com/harrisburg
I was about to experience a chocoholic’s dream- Hershey’s Chocolate World. The following are only a sampling of the brands under the Hershey umbrella: Breath Saver mints, Bubble Yum bubble gum. Ice Breakers gum & mints, Jolly Rancher candy, Lancaster soft crème, Twizzlers candy, Good & Plenty, Hershey’s brownies and cookies, Hershey’s syrup, soy fresh soymilk, cocoa, dark & milk chocolate. I had no interest in Hershey Park with its 14 roller coasters, ZooAmerica the 11-acre, walk through the zoo, nor Hershey Gardens (butterflies) all adjacent to Hershey
Chocolate World. www.hershey.com
The history of the Hershey founding and the good work of Milton Hershey can be found at www.hersheystory.org/milton-hershey-history/
The Milton Hershey School should be an inspiration for anyone who believes in good deeds. The Hersheys had no children hence the founding of the school that invited orphans (no longer a requirement) to a fully paid education and living arrangement. The Milton Hershey School Trust owns the Hershey Food Company and the Hershey Entertainment & Resort Company. www.mhskids.org
Our tour began with a 75-minute trolley ride thru town, past the Milton Hershey School, and both the old and new Hershey chocolate plants. Despite the narrator's bad puns, I learned a lot and returned to many of the locations the next two days.
The Make Your Own Chocolate Bar was interesting but waiting for 15 minutes in the end for my custom bar was a drag. Suggestion- have some type of interactive computers available while waiting. The Chocolate Tasting Experience was a waste of time (my opinion) but maybe a good educational experience for those with younger children or grandchildren who could benefit from learning to appreciate chocolate vs gobbling it in one bite. Editors Note- my host and I were both comped for all the above-mentioned activities.
On the way to dinner, we stopped at Cullari Vineyard & Winery tasting room located on Chocolate Avenue. They are the only winery located in Hershey. 30 different varieties of wines are produced including Coco Nostra Chocolate wine. It is a café style tasting room with tables and chairs. www.cullarivineyards.com
Dinner was at Troegs Brewery in Hershey. The self-guided tour shows the craft brewing process. The food & beer were excellent. www.troegers.com
My second day started out with both a bad and a good experience. My king size bed was so comfortable that I slept past my normal wake up time & rushed down to breakfast since I was being picked up once again by Rick Dunlap. I waited 20 minutes for my Belgian waffle with no explanation. My server disappeared. Getting up to leave, I met Restaurant Manager Najib Guerch who solved the problem and became my friend during my four days at the hotel. He is the epitome of the American dream who came here from Morocco speaking no English and started as a dishwasher. The Hilton is lucky to have him there. He conducted my tour of The Hill Society that is a private club that leases space on the main floor. Open Monday-Saturday from 7AM-11PM with its own bar, wine storage facility & cigar humidor, plus tables for meetings both business and personal. www.thehillsociety.com
My first two stops are absolute must-sees in Harrisburg. The National Civil War Museum, which sits above the highest point with nearly a 360-degree view of the city and surrounding mountain ranges. They preserve material, culture and are a source of information for the period 1861-1865 as well as its aftermath. It is praised for being one of the only Civil War museums that tells a balanced story from both the northern and southern perspective. There are interactive displays, video interviews, still photos, etc. www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org
The State Capitol tours are free and definitely a must see. What a magnificent building built between 1902-1906 in the Beaux Arts and Renaissance Revival style. Words cannot do it justice. There are 475 rooms on 4 floors with a grand staircase and a rotunda with paved Moravian tiles. This building always ranks #1 or #2 most beautiful capitals in the country. In 2006 the building became a Historic Landmark. http://www.pacapitol.com
When we arrived at the Broad Street Market I was so hyped up that I asked Rick to skip our scheduled lunch next door at the Millworks Restaurant, Artist Studio & Brewery & let me pick out a small sampling from the 40 vendor exhibitors. Opened in 1860 in the Midtown neighborhood and open Thursday & Friday 7AM-6PM & Saturday 7AM-4PM. The goods are locally grown and organically produced with meats, baked goods, and freshly prepared meals. It is the oldest continuously operated market house in the US. I visited Buddy Boy Winery, Eight Oaks Distillery & Artisan Spirits as well as Urban Churn gourmet ice cream. A bonus was speaking to the Police Chief of Harrisburg, Thomas Carter, who was ordering lunch to take out. www.broadstreetmarket.org
On the corner outside the market sits The Midtown Scholar Bookstore (opened 2001) where I was once again in the right place at the right time & spoke to Mayor Eric Papenfuse who also owns the bookstore. I have visited many of the great independent bookstores in the US, including The Strand & Westside Rare & Used Books (1 block from my apartment) in NYC; Powell Books in Portland & Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle and Midtown are at the top. Nooks and crannies, up and down stairs, narrow aisles. All worth it. www.midtownscholar.com
Our last stop of the day was at Midstate Distillery where I sat with co-owner Brian Myers. The first distillery to open in Harrisburg (2013) since prohibition uses only Pennsylvania grains, water, labor, and bottles. www.midstatedistillery.com
I asked Rick to drop me off at the hotel rather than take me to dinner. I had eaten and drank enough for the day. I took a right out of the hotel and walked along Harrisburg’s Restaurant Row. It started to rain and I walked into the next restaurant for a Chinese meal.
We had to change plans for my last full day. I was originally going to the Jazz & Wine Fest at Fort Hunter Park that opened at 3 PM. The forecast was for rain and Rick was kind enough to book Darrel Showers, the owner of Lost Pint Tours, to take me around for the day in his tour van.
https://www.thelostpint.com/
Darrel was fabulous as I learned about the history of the wine and beer business in the area. We started on City Island with a one-hour Riverboat cruise of the Susquehanna River. The Pride was a stern-driven 30-year-old “authentic” paddlewheel riverboat (no propellers or rudders) that is one of six remaining in the US. The river is quite shallow and truthfully the recorded announcer (only ½ the tour) was not very interesting. Not a must see but it does offer a wonderful view of the capital city skyline. www.harrisburgriverboat.com
I did enjoy looking thru the locked gates (season over) of the Harrisburg Senators, an Easter League team & a Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. FNB Field opened in 1987 with a capacity of almost 6,200 fans. www.milb.com/harrisburg
Darrel then drove me to four wineries. First was The Vineyard at Grandview in NE Lancaster County. The Kennel family (Larry in photo) produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay among their varietals since 2009. www.grandviewwines.com
The Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey is both a winery & craft brewery/cidery located on a 150-year-old farm. www.vineyardathershey.com
Waltz Vineyards are part of the Brookside Stables established in 1903. They produce European style wines from the Vitis Vinifera grape varieties in Lancaster County (opened in 2009). I was lucky that co-owner Kimberly Waltz came by to say hello. www.waltzvineyards.com
Our last stop was at Cassel Vineyards near Hershey Park. They are part of the 135-acre family farm with 5 acres of vines. www.casselvineyards.com
Darrel then drove me to the Wine & Jazz Festival grounds. It was drizzling and I decided just to look rather than walk thru the crowds. He then drove me along the river pointing out many of the buildings and monuments including many of the mansions that are still occupied, often by businesses.
I decided to eat dinner at the Hilton 1700 Degrees Steak House since it was still raining outside. Great choice. Once again Najib Guerch came by to say hello & even poured me a small amount of a classic wine, in addition to my wine choice. Does the man ever rest? www.1700restaurant.com
The hotel was kind enough to drop me at the Amtrak station since the rain was now quite heavy. Easy commute home from a wonderful trip.
Thank you, Rick Dunlap.
For more ideas on how to explore the Hershey & Harrisburg region go to- www.visitHersheyHarrisburg.org
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