7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Hershey and Harrisburg

Last weekend, my 10-year-old son and I joined 17 other publishers and one of each of their children on a fun adventure to the Hershey/Harrisburg area.  We played, we laughed, we learned about history, science, and geology, and we all made some new friends.  

The Hershey/Harrisburg area offers so many family-friendly destinations like an amusement park, museums, outdoor adventure, and fascinating history.  The drive from our area is a quick 2 hours and well worth the trip.  Here are a few of the places we experienced on our trip.  

Adventure Sports in Hershey is a family-owned and operated business that offers seven attractions to keep the family excited and happy.  There are go-karts, bumper boats, miniature golf,  batting cages, outdoor laser tag, an arcade, and an escape room.  There is plenty of shaded areas spread across ten acres of beautiful waterfalls, flowers, and trees with many picnic tables and a pavilion. A great place to plan group events and birthday parties.  Down the road a bit is a lighted 20-acre driving range with 24 practice stations.  My son and I enjoyed racing on the go-karts and soaking each other on the bumper boats.  We also had a friendly competition in miniature golf.  

Braden's thoughts on Adventures Sports: I liked the go-karts the best and found out I stink at miniature golf.  Soaking my mom and friends on the bumper boats was awesome!  

Did you know Adventures Sports has the only outdoor laser tag in Pennsylvania? 

We all learned a lot about geology on The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat.  The kids had an educational voyage as teachers taught them all about the formation of mountains, the river, the Susquehannock Indians, wildlife, and even used Oreos to explain tectonic plates.  Afterward, they were released to the rest of the boat on a scavenger hunt with binoculars and laminated pictures of things to find, enjoying nature as we made our way down the Susquehanna River.  The interior of the riverboat is air-conditioned and is adorned with mahogany woodwork, brass and copper, stained-glass ceilings, and mirrored walls.  Sailing since 1988, it uses only two 6-foot paddle wheels for both propulsion and steering.  The staff members were very nice and knowledgable.  The boat was very clean and well-maintained.  It was nice to know there were bathrooms on board when traveling with kids.  It is also handicap accessible.  

Braden's thoughts on The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat:  I like learning all about the river and mountains and looking for things along the river with my new friend, Lucas. I liked that we were able to eat our Oreo after we were done with them.  

Did you know that The Pride weighs almost 100 tons!

One word: Stunning!  Both inside and out, the PA Capitol is absolutely gorgeous.  The centerpiece is a spectacular 272-foot dome inspired by Michelangelo.  A marbled grand staircase and a three-tiered gallery with eight large murals of Pennsylvania's history.  Moravian tiles with close to 400 mosaic illustrations cover the first floor.  You could sit for hours just taking it all in.  Take a free tour and visit the Senate Chamber, the House of Representatives Chamber, and the Supreme Court and you'll view more magnificent art, stained glass windows, glass chandeliers, and 24-karat gold leaf embellishments.  There are also beautiful statues and bronze doors.  President Theodore Roosevelt declared it "the handsomest building I ever saw." The kids enjoying trying to stump our tour guide with questions she couldn't answer after 20 years of working at the Capitol.  For those studying American History, this would be a great place to take the class on a field trip.  

Braden's thoughts on the PA Capitol: It was cool to see all the gold.  

Did you know the PA Capitol belongs to all PA residents?  

Explore science, enjoy hands-on STEM experiments, and get blown away by a hurricane at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts.  My son and I enjoyed building wooden cars and racing them down the track to see who built the better, faster car.  We also had a good laugh when recreated hurricane winds plastered my son's fluffy hair to his head.  We spent a lot of time using different objects and setting up multiple frames to make a movie.  The Whitaker Center also has live performances, a digital cinema screen, and an art gallery and gift shop.  

Braden's thoughts the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts: Climbing the mountains was my favorite part.  Creating a tornado was neat and the wind from the hurricane pushing my hair down was so funny.  

Did you know the Whitaker Center offers musical theater camps?  This July and August, they will be performing Willy Wonka Jr. and Disney's Frozen Jr.  

I remember going to Hersheypark every year as a child.  When we arrived, we would always take a tour of Hershey's Chocolate World before heading into the park.  Oh, the aroma!  It's still just as sweet and delicious as I remember it and I was so excited to take my son so he could experience the fun and thrill of all the lights, sounds, smells, and rides.  Hersheypark is now really two parks and a zoo all in one. Along with the amusement park is an entire water park called The Boardwalk and ZooAmerica is a year-round 11-acre zoo home to more than 200 animals.  The park offers a wide variety of rides, shows, food, and games for all ages to enjoy.  My 10-year-old son and I really loved The Great Bear and Laff Trakk roller coasters. We also enjoyed a new ride called Reese's Cupfusion where we transformed into agents and helped protect the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Factory as we shot at both fixed and motion-based targets.  Hersheypark is always adding new attractions.  Coming in 2020 is Hershey's Chocolatetown where guest will be able to play, eat, shop, and gather.  My son and I had so much fun and we can't wait to go back later this summer with the rest of the family.  

Braden's thoughts on Hersheypark:  I think Hersheypark was fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!  I liked all the rides and cannot pick a favorite.  I am still surprised that I won a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Plush from the Claw Machine.  

Did you know you can request a free wristband for your children with your cell phone number on it in case they get lost?  Awesome! 

Monday morning, we made our way down the peaceful Swatara Creek on a guided tour in a kayak from Cocoa Kayak Rentals of Hershey.  We saw sunbathing turtles, a Great Blue Heron, deer, and other wildlife.  Bald Eagles can sometimes be seen along the creek as well.  Our guide was extremely knowledgable and educated us on both the history of the creek and his own experiences along the way.  Cocoa Kayaks also offers unguided tours and will drop you off and pick you up at various access points along the creek.  Swatara Creek is a beautiful, tree-lined creek that runs parallel to the historic Union Canal.  

Braden's thought on Cocoa Kayak Rentals of Hershey:  It was fun and I am happy that we didn't tip over because I didn't feel like getting soaked.  Next time, I want to be in a single person kayak!

Did you know the Swatara Creek has 60 miles of navigable water and runs through four counties? 

If you are looking for a little outdoor adventure, Roundtop Mountain Resorts is the place to go!  You will zip, bump, slide, and roll your way to fun.  My son and I experienced a few firsts at this stop.  We were so excited to try ziplining so that's where we headed first.  It was a little scary to take the leap, but the staff was very encouraging and explained what to expect throughout the entire experience.  There are rock walls, ramps, ropes, and other fun obstacles you can enjoy on your way back up to the zip line platform.  You can take a Vertical Trek Zipline Tour that starts at the top of the mountain and takes you all the way to the bottom.  You'll experience many challenge course elements and 10 zip lines up to 400 feet long and up to 40 feet high.  Next, we raced through the maze and went through an obstacle course.  Even though it was a chilly day, we were ready to cool off after all of our climbing.  So we headed to the OGO Ball.  OGO Balls are 11-foot diameter inflatable balls with a 6-foot ball suspended in the middle.  We climbed inside and sat in 5 gallons of water while a staff member zipped us in.  Then they pushed us down a hill!  The water kept us body surfing down the hill so we felt like we were on a waterslide.  So much fun!  Since he was already wet, my son went down one of the waterslides next.  They also have bumper boats and paintball and a gorgeous lodge where you can sit and enjoy delicious food.  This was one of our favorite stops and we will definitely go back in the future.  

Braden's thoughts on Roundtop Mountain Resorts:  It was very fun zip lining and climbing on all the obstacles.  The OGO Ball was a little creepy because it felt like it was going really fast, but it was a lot of fun.  

Did you know in the winter, they also offer snow tubing and skiing?

During our visit to Hershey and Harrisburg, we stayed at the gorgeous Best Western Premier in Harrisburg which is ranked #3 of 52 hotels in Harrisburg by TripAdvisor 2018.  The rooms were clean and fresh with free Wi-fi, refrigerator, coffee maker, and microwave.  There is a refreshing heated indoor pool, fitness center, game room, computer center, a free coffee and tea bar, and an on-site full-service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.  The staff was extremely friendly, pleasant, and helpful.  The lobby is absolutely gorgeous with plenty of seating to interact with other hotel guests.  

Having one on one time with my son, meeting and learning from other Macaroni Kid Publishers, and watching my son make friends with the other children was everything I could have asked for. We had a great time and tried so many new things on our adventure.  A special thank you to Rick Dunlap, Public Relations Director from Visit Hershey & Harrisburg for planning such an amazing trip for our group of Macaroni Kid Publishers and our kids.  There are so many other attractions in the Hershey/Harrisburg area to explore and enjoy.  With school almost over, it's time to start planning your trip.  We'll definitely be making the short 2-hour drive again soon.  

Visit Hershey and Harrisburg hosted a large group of Macaroni Kid publishers for a four-day press trip. Accommodations, meals, and activities were complimentary. No other compensation was received in consideration of this article and all opinions are that of the author.