4 hrs, 14 kms
 
The plan for today is to do a loop around the eastern suburbs of Harrisburg . Hershey is pretty far away, but I figure it really needs to be a part of this Superhike because it's such a unique and special town. So from Middletown, I head northeast through the countryside towards Hershey.
Actually, technically Hershey isn't a town, though... nope, believe it or not, it does not have "borough" status, (which, by my rules makes a town a town in Pennsylvania). This is pretty absurd considering that Hershey is the center of entertainment, medical care, big events--in fact, it even has an American Hockey League team! How can you have a professional hockey team and not be a town?
 
Anyways... I'm definitely still counting Hershey as a town. When I'm still a couple miles away, I'm greeted by a welcoming sight: a bike trail right through the fields! I almost think I'm in Switzerland for a minute!
 
Yep, Hershey definitely has its act together.
 
Nearing town, there's a long line of parked cars by the road. The reason? Another American tradition: fishing. Yep. There's a tiny little lake that's packed with people fishing all around the perimeter . I guess it must be the first day of the season or something. It seems to be a family event with kids, parents and grandparents sitting by the water waiting for the fish to bite.
 
Once again, I have to give a "thumbs up" to this. In many other countries a pond this size would've been fished to death a long time ago. But here, since people respect the times when their allowed to fish, get their proper licenses, and the money from these licenses is used to keep the pond stocked with fish, this continues to be a sustainable hobby.  
 
If only American society could care about sustainability in other aspects of life (land development, transportation, federal deficit etc) as much as they care for their fishing ponds.
And then, I reach Hershey proper, where the rumble and the screams from the nearby Hersheypark can be heard around the center of the town. Nearby, a busload of senior citizens crowd into a theatre at 12 o'clock noon...  
 
Yep... not your typical American Main Street.