Beautiful Farms and Barns in the Hershey Area

When we're looking for something to do that doesn't cost a lot of money, we like to jump into the car and take a little road trip. My wife and I are big fans of checking out various barns and farms in the south central Pennsylvania area. After all, agriculture is a huge commodity in our great state and once your outside the city limits, you'll find miles upon miles of farmland.

A few weeks ago we spent our Sunday afternoon driving on several of the different back roads that lead in and out of Hershey Pennsylvania. It's a beautiful drive, especially during the late spring and early fall seasons. If you're interested in seeing fall foliage, take the drive in early to mid-October.

One of the things you always want to remember is that these farms and barns are on private property. You can NOT go onto their property to photograph them without permission. You can pull over alongside the road, get out of your vehicle (if it's a safe pullover spot) and take photographs. Please respect their privacy and do NOT photograph house numbers, street names or mailboxes!

We enjoy looking at the older barns, although some of the more modern ones are cool to see too. In addition to the barns, we like looking at the silos, out-buildings and of course...the old farmhouses too! If we're really lucky, we can see cows, horses, goats, pigs. sheep and chickens grazing around. When we head out on these little "road trips" we take a pair of binoculars, so that we can see from a distance. If you plan on photographing them, take your telephoto lens too!

Some of the farms that you see will have signs hanging out front near their driveways that welcomes guests to come onto their property to buy fresh produce, dairy products, eggs, meats and other goodies. We love purchasing these type's of food items from our local farmers who work hard for their money. If you have the opportunity, always try to support your local community and their businesses.

The barn that you see in the third photograph is an old barn that was totally remodeled. It's now a business - Crossroads Antique Mall and sits in Hershey. I absolutely love the shape and size of this barn and I do enjoy visiting the antiques mall a few times every year to shop for products & gifts.

Finally, the farm that's featured in the photograph above is actually located in the suburbs of Harrisburg, about a 15 minute drive from downtown Hershey. It's the farmhouse, barn, silo and surrounding farmlands that make up Strites' Orchards and Farmer's Market in Harrisburg.  Right across the road from the property is a big building that houses their year-round farmer's market where you can buy fresh produce, milk, eggs, cheese, bakery items, honey and more!

Well, there you have it! Something fun that my wife and I enjoy doing when we're looking for something to do on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon that doesn't cost a lot of money. Pennsylvania has some of the oldest, largest and most-beautiful farmlands in the entire country. At least, in my opinion.

Chubby Checker Musical Icons of the Wildwoods Wall Mural

When I think of Doo Wop music, I think of the Wildwoods. Every where you go in Wildwood you'll see Doo Wop architecture, neon signs and you'll hear that famous Doo Wop music playing. Heck, you'll even find a Doo Wop Museum located near the Wildwoods Convention Center that is free to visit.

We try to visit the Wildwood Island at least three times every year. Every time we're down...we seek out some of the beautiful wall murals and street art that you can find all around the city. Almost every block or two has some kind of mural or street art piece that you can see.

Several years ago the Wildwoods started to honor some of the famous Doo Wop musical artists from the 1950's and 60's. The first mural featured Bobby Rydell and can be found up on the Wildwoods Boardwalk, painted on the side of a building. You can read all about it by visiting our original post here on the travel blog.

The second Musical Icons Wall Mural to be added was the mural featuring Bill Haley and his Comets in 2014. According to the information I found online, it was selected to commemorate the 60th anniversary of their hit song, "Rock Around the Clock" which was first performed live in the Wildwoods in 1954. You'll find this mural on the side of a building located at Oak and Pacific Avenues. You can check out our previous post to learn more about it and to see some photos.

A few weeks ago we were down in Wildwood and finally spotted the third Musical Icons Wall Mural and this one features Chubby Checker. I really love this one and it highlights one of his most famous songs...The Twist. The mural actually depicts Chubby Checker doing his famous Twist (dance).

If you would like to view the third wall mural you'll have to head downtown on Pacific Avenue and you'll find it painted on the side of a building. There is a parking lot right in front of the mural that you can pull into, so that you can photograph it. I recommend going early in the morning if you plan on taking photos, before the cars park in the lot for the day.

The wall mural was painted by the artist S. Daly on Labor Day in the year 2015. This is the same artist who did the Bobby Rydell wall mural back in 2014. These murals are absolutely beautiful to look at and I really hope that the artist will consider adding a few more to the Wildwoods Musical Icons series.

Fans of outdoor wall murals and coastal-style street art would love visiting the Wildwoods Island. Over the years we've documented over 30 different murals and outdoor street art designs here on the blog. What's really cool is that every time we visit the area...we spot old ones that we've never seen before and new ones that were recently added. Wildwood is definitely a great place to visit!

Perry County Memorial Wall Honors Fallen Soldiers

The Perry County Memorial Wall is located along routes 11/15 in Marysville, Pennsylvania. If you're unfamiliar with the area, you'll find it located right across the street from Blue Mountain Outfitters and can clearly been seen as you drive along the heavily traveled routes 11/15.

This beautiful war memorial wall honors fallen heroes from Perry County starting with World War I through current times. It's a great way to remind all of us that freedom isn't free and it comes with a heavy price. These men and women sacrificed their lives for our country. What a great way to honor them and their families.

When visiting you'll find free off-street parking nearby and you can walk the Memorial Wall. Its open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You'll notice that it covers all branches of service and covers World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. It lists the soldier's rank, name and date of their passing. This is to remember all of those Perry County soldiers that were KIA (killed in action).

There is a beautiful bronze monument (statue) in front of the Memorial Wall of a soldier giving his fallen comrade his final salute. I really recommend that you stand in front of the monument to get the full effect and meaning of this beautiful site. The first time that I visited...it brought tears to my eyes.

You can learn more about the Perry County Memorial Wall and the women behind creating it and how it all got started by visiting their website online or by connecting with them on Facebook. They're currently accepting donations and you can check out their buy-a-brick and buy-a-paver donation programs.

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