“The Sweetest Place on Earth”-an excursion review
You know, I was rather surprised when my girl told me she wanted to take a trip to Hersheypark in Pennsylvania. Why? Because she doesn’t really like chocolate. Nor does she enjoy roller coasters. So imagine my bewilderment in her choice to go to willingly go to a chocolate themed amusement park in a town dubbed “The Sweetest Place on Earth”. But I suppose she had her reasons and so I obligingly followed her lead into candy country.
I will give my girl credit- she has a knack for finding us excellent places to stay. Our accommodations were aboard a “steamboat” called the Fulton Steamboat Inn in Lancaster, PA, a little less than an hour away. A true steamboat in almost every way (aside from the dangers of turbulent waters and seasickness), the inn had nautical decor and terminology throughout the lobby, halls, and rooms, golden gilded mirrors, and lovely crystal chandeliers about. Jessica thoroughly lamented not having her large Victorian hoop skirt on hand as it would not have looked out of place in such a setting.
Prices vary by day and season but our travel window of early September yielded cheaper pricing of about $130 per night which we considered an extremely good value for such a high quality, themed inn. With its convenient location, a gift shop, restaurant, indoor pool, and koi/duck pond, it checks just about all of the boxes and we would gladly stay here again at any time. (If we do, I will remind Jessica to bring her dress).
As I mentioned, the girl is not chocolate’s biggest fan (which has perplexed all of her kin who are great lovers of the cacao). And anything more intense than a ride for younglings frequently reduces the girl to a puddle of nauseous nerves. Truly, I don’t think she can clearly tell me why she wanted to visit Hersheypark beyond the fact that it sounded like the height of ridiculousness and hilarity to interact with a life size candy bar. And I believe she was also very curious about some of the unique food offerings at some of the restaurants there. So, that is primarily what we did: we walked, we talked, and we ate. Eventually….
Heavy and unexpected rain delayed some of our plans. (Pro tip from Jessica: procure yourself a pair of silicone shoe covers for rainy days. Hers worked beautifully and kept her feet dry as she marched through the park puddles.) By lunchtime, she and I were both quite hungry. Expecting some more unusual options highlighting the chocolate and candy flavors under the Hershey name, we were a bit disappointed to see the typical fare of normal burgers, pizza, and chicken fingers offered (at extremely steep prices which, truthfully, was not unexpected). We were hoping for something a bit more unique and bounced from eatery to eatery only to gaze upon their bland menus and walk away, our soggy eyes downcast and glum. We finally elected to try The Chocolatier Restaurant where the prices were still high but at least there were interesting twists on the familiar favorites.
The “Reese’s Take 5 Chicken Sandwich” ($21) was our selection which promised Reese’s peanut butter and jalapeno caramel grilled chicken with chocolate drizzled house bacon on a pretzel roll and served with a side of fries. Our verdict: a resounding….. “it’s fine.” It was perfectly edible and even tasty at times- the house bacon was incredibly tender and sliced like butter and rivaled the finest filet of Bantha I had ever sampled. But perhaps the entire sandwich was not able to live up to the hype(erspace) we anticipated. Our assessment of the sauce was that the jalapeno was not a harmonious choice with the rest of the flavors. We ordered it on the side and without it, the range of flavors was a bit lacking. Though our kind server did present us with an extra side of regular peanut butter sauce for dipping which helped!
We also found the fries quite dull and considered them to be a missed opportunity for some fun and creative seasonings. Take, for example, this Reese’s seasoning blend the girl tried recently:
3 T peanut butter powder
1 T cocoa powder
1-2 T powdered sugar
Stir together and toss over freshly cooked fries with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of peanut butter sauce. Then add some crumbled Reese’s peanut butter cups on top for good measure. “Fry” it and see if you like it!
To conclude, it was a fine chicken sandwich but nothing we would need again. At least not for that price. The portion was generous and satisfied our 3 stomachs for the rest of the day but we would have preferred a little more boldness and creativity in the flavor choices as well as the restaurant decor. In a place where you can ride in a giant candy cup or see a life size Kit-Kat bar walking around cradling miniature versions of itself in its arms, the fun and creative possibilities are endless!
Our Pennsylvania excursion allowed time for a few side quests including exploring the town of Lititz which quickly became one of the highlights of our whole trip due to the genuinely warm and enthusiastic denizens we met and the delightful food we sampled.
The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, dating back to 1861, was a magnificent discovery. A small exhibit space highlights the history of the Sturgis family, the oldest pretzel baking family in the country, and the gift shop brims with unique pretzel products to purchase and the aroma of freshly baked pretzels which are brought in by the basketful and sold at the counter (incidentally, the scent of the bakery is available in candle form and we gleefully purchased it!) A most welcoming staff conducts tours of the original factory throughout the day where one can learn the history of the iconic pretzel shape and become an official “Pretzel Twister”. (And, yes, I can now claim that title!) Our tour guide, Jodi, was incredibly friendly and accommodating and invited me personally to present my pretzel to the oven.
After wandering the streets and spying on ducks at a nearby stream, more hunger was upon us. We chose a restaurant which had arrested our attention earlier in the day: Brazilian Table. Ah, earthlings, another gem!
Upon entering, we were immediately and enthusiastically greeted by the the chef and owner, Silvia, who has “friends, not customers” and a very palpable passion for serving and making connections. Her keen interest in my background and attention to my comfort alone would have me returning to her establishment. But rest assured, the food was a delight as well! We ended up creating our own sampler of the yuca beef croquette, a chicken croquette, and a pão de queijo (cheese roll). Served warm, the croquettes were doughy but still light on the inside with a pleasing crunch on the exterior and the cheese roll was soft and chewy and a generous portion size. All was pleasantly seasoned and flavorful and very addictive!
The eatery was small but very cozy with plants and greenery tucked around the windows and walls and upbeat Brazilian music playing as we ate. The girl and I had many delightful interactions and conversations there and I was even invited to pose for a few pictures and videos for their social media pages. My ego was much gratified!
As my stomachs swelled with food, my heart swelled with gratitude to be so warmly received by all those we met and connected with in this charming outpost of Lititz. We would return to any of these locations in the blip of a parsec and recommend them most highly to anyone in the area.
I shall conclude my thoughts here and say that while it was in ways and places we did not expect, our adventures in Pennsylvania certainly hit the sweet spot. May sweetness in the form of your choosing be on your horizon and May the Force Be With You, reader!
Written: 9/15/26
The Adventures of The Crumb 