Summer Sweets

We had several sweet adventures during our week in Pennsylvania this month.  As usual, Hershey's Chocolate World was #1 on the kids' wish list, and they are old pros on the ride by now.  L&L guided us straight to the milkshake and souvenir area after we rode through the chocolate factory tour, and we always love this sweet outing:

 

We also tried something new, and participated in the Turkey Hill Experience.  This fun, educational attraction consists of interactive exhibits which chronicle the dairy culture that is such an important part of life in central Pennsylvania.  We experienced what it is like to be a farmer and Turkey Hill ice cream maker, and even created our own ice cream flavors in the Taste Lab!

First, Leah milked the mechanical cow and the children "drove" the vintage dairy truck:

 

 

Next, we watched a short video detailing the ice cream making process while we tasted yummy samples:

The kids learned about homogenization and pasteurization, and then played games to freeze the mix, fill the cartons, and measure out the perfect batch of ice cream:  

 

 

 

We made special reservations to participate in the Taste Lab, and this was such a fun experience:

 

Each participant started with their own pint of vanilla ice cream.  We added extracts, inclusions, and toppings, and developed our own, unique ice cream flavors: 

 

 

 

There were lots of activities in PA to keep us busy all week.  In addition to our sweet excursions, we also went gem mining at Indian Echo caverns, which was Luke's special request.  Both kids enjoyed searching for stones at Gem Mill Junction, and became experts at sluicing with Mimi and Grandpa's help: 

Leah at Indian Echo Caverns.

Our little sweets were great helpers at Mimi's house, too, as they collected walnuts in her backyard.  A little side note: When at a grandparent's house, you are often rewarded for chores/helping, and once the kids realized that they were going to make 5 cents for each walnut, they were eager to gather them daily!

 

There was craft time, painting, musical entertainment, and even a Luau Party to entertain us at Mimi's house, and the kids had a ball:

Proud Artists.

If only I could add the audio here...



Ready for Mimi's Luau Party.

 

We spent several afternoons at Grandpa's pool, too, which was the perfect way to tire out our sweet little guys.  We love our annual summer getaway in PA!

Tweetsie Railroad

 

We had such a fun family day a couple of weeks ago when we had a "Wild West" adventure at Tweetsie Railroad.  Tweetsie is an amusement park which is located in the mountains of western North Carolina, and we felt like we were transported to another time as we explored the shops on Main Street:  

 

 

Our cowboy/cowgirl!

 

Luke put Daddy in jail!

 

Within the park, there are many attractions, including shows, rides, and activities.  We took the chair lift to Miner's Mountain where we panned for gold, rode some kiddie rides, and watched a magic show:

 

 

Next we participated in Tweetsie's Wild West Train Adventure, and rode a historic steam locomotive around the mountain.  Our journey was interrupted by a Cowboy vs. Indian battle and a bank robbery in the frontier town, and we were all entertained by the performers:  

 

A fun, unexpected part of our day was a live rescue dog show, full of agility and tricks.  Partway through the show, Luke and Leah (and Mark) were selected to be judges, and were called to the center of the ring to grade the dogs' jumps and scores.  The kids loved their celebrity status and this was a highlight of the day!

After lunch, we went to the County Fair (the area of "big kid rides" at Tweetsie Railroad).  We started off nice and easy, with the Turnpike Cruisers.  Mark often tells me that he is "too tall" for amusement park rides, and I didn't believe him until I saw these pictures:

Poor Daddy's knees!

 

Fierce Faces.

 

Mommy was chosen as the default parent on the remainder of the rides due to Daddy's "height handicap", and things got interesting on the Tweetsie Twister:

 

 

The kids absolutely loved all of the spinning, and whirling, and dizziness.  The giggled with delight as I held on to them for dear life. 

 

Next was some kind of terrible circular ride.  L & L unfortunately figured out that if they spun the center disk on this one, that we would spin faster... and faster... and faster.  This is the "before" picture:  (I didn't let Mark take an "after" photo due to the lovely shade of green that I turned)

 

 I made everyone pause briefly so that we could attend another show (and I could stop "spinning"), and Leah was called up on stage to dance the CanCan with the costumed dancers, which was adorable:

 

The kiddos convinced me to then go on the Tilt-A-Whirl (which I would like to state for the record was my favorite ride as a child), and at this point in the day, things just started becoming a blur... (My eyes may be closed under the sunglasses and my children may be hysterically laughing at me).  I used to be fun... No, really.   

 

We couldn't have picked a better day to go to Tweetsie Railroad.  It was 95+ degrees at home in Greensboro, but was rainy and cool on the mountain, so there were NO crowds and we didn't have to wait in any lines!  We had a fantastic day, and it was a great adventure for our family!