Visiting the Birthplace of Milton S. Hershey

We're pretty fortunate that we live about 15 minutes from the sweetest place on earth...Hershey in Pennsylvania. For those of you who are not familiar with this area, Hershey is the birthplace of Milton S. Hershey and the Hershey Chocolate Company. He built this lovely little town and then he made it famous with his delicious chocolate candies.

On a recent trip into town we decided to stop by the birthplace of Milton Snavely Hershey who was born in 1857 and died in 1945. When we stopped by, they had the gates up and closed across the driveway that leads down to a very nice house. I believe that house isn't open to the public, hence why the gates were closed.

There is a historical marker that is located at Homestead Lane near Near US Route 322.

Milton S. Hershey

Entrepreneur and philanthropist born here September 13, 1857. Founded Lancaster Caramel Company in 1886 and Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894; introduced milk chocolate in 1900. Developed Hershey as a model town and home of the world's largest chocolate factory. With his wife, Catherine Sweeney, he founded the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and endowed it with his personal fortune.

By: 2003 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

We couldn't obtain any other pictures of the property, but we did get this nice photograph of the fall foliage along Homestead Lane. As you can tell, we visited his birthplace during the Autumn season and if you're driving into the area during the peak of the fall foliage, you'll be treated to beautiful tree lined streets! Hershey is a great place to visit any time of the year, but it's an extra-special treat during the Autumn season!

If you're documenting historical markers around Pennsylvania (like we do), you'll find 8 total historical markers within a 1 mile radius from this one. You can visit, document and photograph all 8 of them within 30 minutes of time! If you're looking for their specific locations, you can visit our HERSHEY posts right here on our blog and/or check out our historical markers board over on Pinterest.

Ben Hardin 1784-1852 Historical Marker in Kentucky

We enjoy taking road trips all across the United States. Sure, we could travel by air like millions of other tourists, but we would miss a lot of our country's beautiful sites, especially those that dot the back roads and countrysides.

A few months ago we took a road trip down to the great state of Kentucky. If you're driving down to Kentucky from south central Pennsylvania, it will take you 10-14 hours depending on the route that you take and the traffic. On the way down it took us approximately 10 hours and on the return trip home, it took us almost 14 hours. You'll want to plan your trip accordingly.

During our little excursions across the country we enjoy stopping and photographing the historical markers that we come across. They provide great information into our country's past history and millions of travelers drive by them and never give them a second thought. We're hoping to draw some attention to these historical markers by documenting them here on our travel blog.

While driving through Kentucky we came across the Ben Hardin, 1784-1852 Grave Historical Marker and wanted to share that information with all of you. Here's the information on the marker:

One of the ablest orators, lawyers, lawmakers in early Ky. Moved to Nelson, now Washington Co., with parents. In 1808, he settled at Bardstown where his career earned him the title "last of race of giants." Member state legislature 9 yrs.; U.S. congressman, 10 yrs.; Ky. Constitutional Convention, 1849. Requested his children to bury him beside his parents.

By: 1980 by Kentucky Historical Society & Kentucky Department of Transportation.

Historical Marker Location: Marker is near Springfield, Kentucky, in Marion County. Marker is on Lebanon Hill Road (Kentucky Route 55) 0.3 miles south of Montgomery Lane, on the right when traveling north.

If you're going to be driving through or visiting the area, you'll want to stop by to read it and/or to photograph it for your documentation. To date, we've photographed and documented close to 200 historical markers up and down the east coast!

Scenic Views of Cape May Harbor in New Jersey

We love to travel and one of the places we love to visit is Cape May in New Jersey. If you've never visited Cape May, you're really missing out! It's located on the most southern tip of the state and has some of the widest and prettiest beaches at the Jersey Shore. This coastal seaside town is bustling with activity year-round.

If you live in central Pennsylvania, it's approximately a 4 to 4 1/2 hour drive, depending on traffic and the route that you take. We like to head to the south Jersey Shore by passing through Lancaster, Chaddsford, Chester and then into Mullica Hill in New Jersey. By taking this particular route, we avoid the expressway through Philly and toll roads along the way.

When we visit Cape May we look forward to spending some time at Cape May Harbor. There are several different marinas that are located within the harbor and you're welcome to visit them. We like walking through them and enjoy sitting on their docks to watch all of the fishing boats and ships come through.

At some of the marinas you can sign-up for a charter fishing trip, rent or buy boats, take a whale watching or dolphin watching cruise, go parasailing, jet skiing and all kinds of other water activities. Even if you're not interested in doing these kind of activities, it's always fun to watch others!

Today we're sharing a few photographs that we took while on a recent vacation down to Cape May. On one particular afternoon we visited the harbor and many of the marinas located within it. Some of the fishing boats that we spotted were absolutely gorgeous and I can only dream that some day...I'll be able to afford one myself.

Anyway, we wanted to share a few photographs with you, so that you could see the Cape May Harbor scene. It's really quite beautiful there and it's a lot of fun to watch the fishing boats and ships come in and out of the harbor. As an added bonus, the locals are quite friendly and don't mind giving visitor's tours and history about the harbor and/or marina. Fun for sure!

Scenic Views of the Historic Gettysburg Battlefield

The Gettysburg Battlefield is part of Gettysburg National Military Park located in Pennsylvania. The national park encompasses many different things, including the battlefield, museums, cyclorama and more.

The battle started on July 1st in 1863 and continued for three long & bloody days. The main battle started on July 1st with Confederate troops attacking Union troops on McPherson Ridge, west of town. The Federal forces held their position until they were over-run and pushed back to Cemetery Hill, south of town.

On July 2nd, the battle lines were drawn and the battles continued. This is the day that General Lee ordered an attack against both Union flanks which practically destroyed Little Round Top and left the field littered with dead and injured soldiers. Their cries could be heard from miles away.

July 3rd was just as bloody as the previous day, when General Lee's artillery opened a 2-hour bombardment of the Federal lines on Cemetery Ridge and Cemetery Hill. The loud bangs from the cannons and guns could be heard for miles. This is the day that 12,000 Confederates crossed open fields toward the Federals and attacked them. This particular attack is called Pickett's Charge. Over 5,000 soldiers died within the first hour of the attack and the Battle of Gettysburg was over.

Above is just a very brief history of what occurred during those three days. I invite you to visit the Gettysburg National Military Park website to learn more, or better yet...plan a visit to Gettysburg to learn about it first hand. This is a great educational attraction for adults and families to enjoy!

We've covered the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum, Monuments Tour, the Cyclorama and many other tourist attractions right here on our travel blog. The purpose for today's feature is just to share a few photos with our readers that we previously didn't share. These photographs feature various views of the Gettysburg Battlefield and the surrounding area.

We wanted to show you bigger views of the Gettysburg Battlefield without focusing in on the hundreds of monuments that you'll see. I think these scenic views give you a good sense at how large the battlefield was. I think one of the best times to view these fields is during the Fall season when the leaves are changing colors and the weather is cooler. Just my 2 cents on that!

I really enjoyed walking around and exploring the area. I was really surprised to see all of the re-created stone and fence lines which are gorgeous to see! It gave me a good sense at what the area might of looked like back during the Civil War.  If you want to learn more about Gettysburg, you'll find a ton of travel features and reviews right here on our blog underneath Pennsylvania.

Note: All photos are clickable. Double click on each one to have it open up in a new browsing window and it will automatically enlarge it's size. This will allow you to see the smaller details while keeping our travel blog mobile reader friendly. Thanks!

Lightning Guider Sleds Historical Marker at Old Sled Works in Duncannon

The Lightning Guider Sleds historical marker sits right in front of the Old Sled Works Antique and Craft Market in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. The building sits on Market Street at the south end of town. If you're looking to document this historical marker, you can pull into the parking lot beside the Old Sled Works and walk across the street to the old building and marker.

I spent most of my childhood living in Duncannon and I remember this old factory very well. When we were kids...we all got our snow sleds from Lightning Guider and they were the best at that particular time. They had metal runners and wooden seats and they would glide nicely down snow-topped hills or across frozen ponds when pulled. I'm sure many of you remember them from your childhood too!

Lightning Guider Sleds

Produced between 1904 and 1988 by the Standard Novelty Works, located here. In 1920 the plant was credited with producing more children's sleds than any other U.S. factory; its capacity was then 1,600 to 1,800 per day. The company also made children's wagons, porch swings, porch gates, and furniture products. Established 1904 by William Wills and P.F. Duncan, the plant was closed in October 1990.

By: 1992 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

In my photograph above you'll see the Duncannon Forest Fire Lookout Tower sitting in the distance (to the right). You can learn more about the Duncannon Forest Fire Lookout Tower by visiting a previous feature that we wrote on that. They've turned it into a tourist attraction and for a small fee, you can climb to the top and get some beautiful views of the Susquehanna River and the surrounding area.

Home of Reverend David Rice and Early Minister Historical Marker

A few months ago we took a road trip down to Kentucky and passed through Greensburg. It's a beautiful area of the country and I really wish we had more time to explore it. We arrived at sunset, so our photographs are grainy due to the time of the day. Sorry about that! Hopefully in the future we can visit again during the daytime hours!

We stumbled upon the Home of Reverend David Rice and the Early Minister Historical Marker located on N. Main Street in Greensburg, Kentucky. Here's the information contained on the historical marker.

Home of Early Minister - Historical Marker

Home of Rev. David Rice, founder of first Presbyterian churches west of Alleghanies, 1784. Born in Va., 1733; moved to Danville, Ky. in 1788 after having founded “Rice’s School,” or Transylvania Seminary near there, 1785. Member, State Constitutional Convention, 1792; urged gradual emancipation. Came here, 1798, forming in this area two churches. Died age 83.

By: 1965 by Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky Department of Highways.

We're not familiar with the history of Kentucky, nor the history of the Presbyterian Church. We got online after our trip and found a website that gives you some great information and history on Reverend David Rice. We invite you to visit their website to learn more about him.

Exploring the Beautiful Luray Caverns in Virginia

The beautiful Luray Caverns are located in Luray, Viriginia and if you live in south central Pennsylvania, it's about a 6 hour leisurely car ride away. If you're looking for the best time to visit, we recommend going down in late October when the middle Atlantic States are experiencing some of their best Fall foliage. It's a spectacular drive!

Luray Caverns are open year-round with guided tours departing every 20 minutes. Your admission price includes your tour of the caverns and entry into the Luray Valley Museum which is located on the property. Admission Rates: Children 6-12 years of age $14.00 and Adults $27.00 per person. No charge for children 5 and under when they're with a paying adult.

The caverns are chock-full of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, some of the biggest and prettiest one's that we've ever seen! I believe they're the biggest cavern and cave complex on the east coast. When you enter the cavern you'll experience well-lit and paved walkways to make walking a lot easier. Some of the caverns have ceilings that are 10-stories high with huge stone formations, and natural wonders at every turn.

One of the prettiest things to see was Dream Lake located within the caverns. It houses the largest body of water in the entire cave complex. With that said, the tour guide stated that at-most...it's only 20" deep. When you're in this section, you'll be astonished at it's beauty, especially with the reflection of the stalactites that are hanging from the ceiling. Their reflection just sparkles and shines across the water.

When visiting, I highly recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for the season. I found it to be a tad chilly (not cold, but chilly) down in the caves, so I was glad that I brought a light-jacket along with me. In addition, you might feel some water drops (dropping down from the ceiling) as you walk along. When taking your tour, please don't touch the inside of the cave and never touch the formations. You don't want to disrupt mother nature by leaving any germs, etc. behind.

We had a great time touring Luray Caverns while passing through Virginia. We had such a wonderful time, that we're already planning to visit again and this time it will be an overnight trip, so that we can experience the other attractions and activities that are in the area. You can learn more about Luray Caverns by visiting their official website online.

A Fun Day Trip to Historic Gettysburg Pennsylvania

During the weekends we enjoy getting our two grandchildren and taking them with us for fun day trips across the great state of Pennsylvania. When looking for things to do, we look for activities that are educational, affordable and of course...fun to do!

A few weeks ago we headed down to historic Gettysburg in Pennsylvania for a fun day trip. Luckily for us, it's only a one hour drive from our home and the kids don't mind the short commute. We arrived in Gettysburg around 10:00 AM and here's how we spent our day.

Soldier's National Cemetery - If you've never visited Soldier's National Cemetery...you really should! There is nearby (free and paid-metered parking) and admission into the cemetery is completely free. You can tour the cemetery by yourself or you can sign up for a guided tour with one of the park's rangers. It's open year-round to visitors.

We recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for the season. You will be doing a lot of walking through the cemetery. You'll see all kinds of different Civil War monuments, historical markers and you'll even see the place where President Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address. We spent 1 hour and 15 minutes visiting here.

Lincoln Train Museum - The Lincoln Train Museum is right down the street, so that's where we headed next. You'll have to pay an admission fee to enter, but there is FREE parking nearby. Once you enter, you'll watch a presentation, receive a tour, see all of the miniature trains in action and you can sit in a train car simulator to learn more about the death & funeral of our beloved president and his son. 

We found the Lincoln Train Museum to be a very interesting place and it's definitely kid-friendly. There are hands-on activities for the entire family to participate in and enjoy. After your done in the museum, you can do a little souvenir shopping in their on-site gift shop. We spent 1 hour and 20 minutes visiting here.

Lunch Break: I packed brown bag lunches for the entire family and we enjoyed them while sitting at the entrance to our next activity.

Gettysburg National Military Park - We obtained a map of the Gettysburg National Military Park and did our own self-guided tour through the park. There are places that you drive through/by to see some of the monuments and there are areas where you'll get out and park to walk.  If you have little one's along with you and plan on walking, you may want to bring along a stroller.

During the driving tour you'll see hundreds of different Civil War monuments, historical markers and all kinds of different things. My husband and older grandchild climbed up all of the stairs in the observation tower and got great views of the battlefield. There are plenty of places along the way to get out of the car, walk around, sit at picnic tables, etc.  We spent 2 hours and 15 minutes visiting here. With that said, we did take our time and allow the kids to run & play along the way.

Dinner: We finished up our day by heading to O'Rorke's Family Eatery on Steinwehr Avenue. If the weather is nice outside, you can choose to dine outside or dine-in. They offer great service, a vast menu of lunch & dinner items and every time we've eaten here, our food has been good. It was nice to sit down as a family and enjoy a nice meal together.

We had a great time taking our grandchildren down to historic Gettysburg in Pennsylvania for a fun family day trip! There are a lot of great activities for your entire family to enjoy and they don't have to cost you a fortune. Furthermore, Gettysburg offers such a unique opportunity to teach your children & grandchildren about the Civil War history of our country in a way that they just can't learn for history books!

Ocean City New Jersey Wall Mural by Artist David Gilhooley

Ocean City in New Jersey is one of the most popular Jersey Shore destinations for travelers who are heading to the beach. Ocean City is a family resort and coastal town. You'll find no bars, pubs, night clubs or liquor stores on the island. It's one of the features that draws millions of families to their beaches every year.

Another great feature to Ocean City is their fun boardwalk! You'll find hundreds of different gift shops, souvenir stores, restaurants, cafes, miniature golf courses, amusement rides and other fun attractions as you stroll up and down the boards. You'll also see the world-famous Ocean City Music Pier that hosts all kinds of different attractions & events throughout the year.

When we travel we like to search out local street art and wall murals, and we've documented many of them here on the travel blog over the years. We're particularly fond of outdoor wall murals that depict sea life and beach life. You can take a peek at some of the ones that we've found during our travels in our Street Art and Wall Murals section right here on the blog.

On a recent weekend getaway down to Ocean City in New Jersey we spotted this huge hand-painted wall mural on the side of a building up on the boardwalk. The entire scene depicts the boardwalk, music pier, amusement rides, shops, the beach and of course...the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. This long mural is located at 720 Boardwalk Avenue. The mural is paint on concrete and was painted by the talented artist David Gilhooley. This is the first mural of his that we've ever seen and trust me, it's gorgeous!

Note: You can double-click on each image in this travel feature. It will open up the photo in a new browsing window and in an enlarged size. This will allow you to see the image up close and personal.

The Brickerville House Specialty Shops and Antiques Market

The Brickerville House Specialty Shops and Antiques Market is ideally located between Lititz and Lancaster Pennsylvania and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the area. You'll find at least 13 specialty stores, a restaurant and a 2-story antique co-op market on the property.

Driving Directions: You'll find them located at the intersection of US Route 322 and Route 501. If you need GPS directions, you'll want to use 2 East 28th Division Highway Lititz, Pennsylvania 17543.

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM
Thursday 10 AM to 7 PM and on Sunday - Only select shops are open. The on-site restaurant and ice cream shop have different hours of operation.

Some of the specialty shops that you'll find are:

Lancaster's Specialty Market - sells local and imported foods and beverages
The Ball & Skein Shop - sells luxury yarns and fibers
Wertz Candies - fine hand-dipped chocolates and candy confections
Touch of Taste - home decor and accessories
Glass Accents - unique and finely-crafted glass works
+ More!

On the day that we visited we enjoyed visiting the majority of the specialty shops that we're open. In the Lancaster's Specialty Market we shopped for some local honey and jam products...along with handmade Whoopie Pies. If you enjoy the food from the local area, this is definitely one place you'll want to visit.

Like most people in the world...we love chocolate, so we had to visit Wertz Candies. Oh my gosh, their peanut butter cup fudge is out-of-this-world delicious! We picked up fudge, licorice and some chocolate coca beans. They have a nice selection of delicious goodies and they're prices were affordable!

We spent over an hour exploring all of the antiques at the Antiques Co-Op Market which is housed in a separate building. It consists of two jam-packed floors and you'll find antiques from all over the world and from numerous local vendors. We saw old quilts, home decor, glassware, collectibles, old toys, jewelry and all sorts of other things.

Right next door you'll find the big green house/building which is Maison Green who sells various flowers and antiques. On the day that we were there, they were close so we couldn't explore what they had to offer. However, The Brickerville House Ice Cream Shop opened up shortly after we arrived and we stopped in and enjoyed some ice cream after we were done shopping. Delicious!

We spent about two and a half hours exploring and shopping at their on-site stores. After you're done you can pick up a bite to eat at the Brickerville House Restaurant or if you want something lighter, head on over to the ice cream shop. If you would like to learn more about the Brickerville House Specialty Shops, you can visit their website online.

Atlantic City Aquarium at Historic Gardner's Basin

When most people think about traveling to Atlantic City in New Jersey, the first thing that they think of is casinos, gambling and the boardwalk. However, there is a whole lot more to Atlantic City and you'll find a lot of family-friendly activities there too!

The Atlantic City Aquarium at Historic Gardner's Basin is a great educational experience for the entire family. You'll find the aquarium located at 800 North New Hampshire Avenue. Free parking is offered on-site for visitors. They're open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There is a lot to see, do and learn during your visit! You'll find marine life exhibits, must-see shows and a touch tank that allows you to get up close and personal with sharks, stingrays and other marine animals. When planning your visit, I recommend allowing at least 2 hours in your schedule.

You'll find numerous exhibits to visit:

Tropical Rainforest
Stingray Touch Tank
Tropical Shark Touch Tank
Live Coral Tank
Reef Predators
Fish of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean
Ocean Oddities
Moray Eels
Clownfish
Moon Jellies
Mid-Atlantic Coastal Zone
Diamondback Terrapin Turtles
Mullica River
Piranha Tank
Birds, Mammals and More!

During the day they host two fun and educational shows...the Stingray Feeding (12 and 3 p.m.) and the Exotic Animal Show (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) show times. If you're interested in the Stingray Feeding, you'll have to buy the food at the front desk. They offer a limited supply, so you'll want to inquire about doing that as soon as you arrive.

You can learn more about the Atlantic City Aquarium at Historic Gardner's Basin in New Jersey, by visiting their official website online. It's a great family-friendly activity to do while visiting Atlantic City or any of the surrounding coastal towns at the Jersey Shore.

Peter Grubb's Upper Hopewell Iron Forge

We enjoy taking day trips all around Pennsylvania and especially enjoy visiting historical sites that are off the beaten path. While driving from Cornwall to Ephrata Pennsylvania we discovered a historical marker that sits right off route 322.

If you're unfamiliar with who Peter Grubb is...he was one of the most famous people in Pennsylvania who was a head iron master. He made Cornwall Iron Furnace famous in the United States and it was one of the biggest iron furnaces in the world. You can learn more about Peter Grubb and his family by visiting Wikipedia online.

Today we wanted to share this historical marker and its information with all of you.

Site of Peter Grubb's Upper Hopewell Iron Forge - erected 1742 operated 1803. This ground is set aside as a Wildlife Sanctuary and a place of rest by Elise W. Bradley in Memory of Richard (Dick) Eugene Connelly 1931-1972. This tablet erected by the Lancaster County Historical Society in 1973.

Like I said, we stumbled upon it by accident while traveling on Route 322 heading towards Lancaster. One of the locals in Cornwall told us about it, so we made a point to stop by to see it and photograph it. I'm so glad that we did!

There is a little pull-in parking lot where you can park. It's a heavily wooded area and there is a small stream nearby. You can get out of your car and walk around to take in the beautiful, natural site. As you can tell from our photographs, we were there during the Fall and the area's fall foliage was peaking and absolutely gorgeous to see!

Touring the Civil War Monuments on Oak Ridge - Gettysburg Battlefield

Over the past year we've been making several visits down to Gettysburg to tour the Gettysburg Battlefield. In my honest opinion, if you really want to study the monuments and memorials, it needs to be done over several days and if possible, on several trips.

Every time we go down there we take along our Official Guidebook from the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. If you're looking for one of the best guidebooks, I highly recommend this one. The ISBN: 978-1-935442-07-3 and it's published by the Gettysburg Foundation and Beckon Books.

On one of our recent trips down to the Gettysburg Battlefield we spent several hours just touring the monuments in Oak Ridge. Today, we're going to share some of what we saw with our readers. They're not in any particular order, but all are found in that section of your battlefield tour. I've included links throughout my post, so that you can learn more about each monument.

The 17th Pennsylvania Calvary Monument is found on Buford Avenue. This is one of our favorite monuments in Oak Ridge. It's made out of granite and stands approximately 12 feet tall. When you see this monument, walk around to the back, so you can see the reverse side.

The 6th New York Cavalry Monument is in our top ten of favorites too! This one is located on Buford Avenue and stands 25 feet tall. The 6th New York Cavalry was commanded at the Battle of Gettysburg by Major William Elliott Beardsley. Check out those horse heads on the side and the "castle-like" top to it. It's quite impressive when you see it.

Located in the Oak Ridge area you'll find an observation tower where you can park your car and get out and walk around. If you're in good physical health, you can climb the two flights of stairs up to the observation deck. Once up there, you can see for miles and miles, on a clear-weather day. You'll find it located very close to Doubleday Avenue.

One of the largest monuments on the entire battlefield is the beautiful "The Eternal Light Peace Memorial" that is located up on Oak Hill. The memorial was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt on July 3rd, 1938. The gas-lit eternal flame burned until 1979 when it was replaced by electricity, but it was restored in 1988. When taking your tour, this is definitely a MUST-SEE!

There is plenty of free parking located at The Eternal Light Peace Memorial and I highly recommend that you park and get out and walk around. You'll find additional monuments, historical markers and cannons sitting on each side of the memorial that you can explore. Standing up here on Oak Hill will give you some incredible views across the farmlands and through some areas of the battlefield.

This is just a few of the beautiful Civil War monuments that you'll see when touring the Oak Ridge area of the Gettysburg Battlefield. You'll learn a lot when touring this area and frankly, you'll get some of the prettiest views of Adams County too!

If you plan on visiting Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and touring the battlefield, you'll find several travel features on Gettysburg right here on our blog. You can check out other area activities to do, find great places to stay and make sure you check out our dining options too!