This blog will be a bit different from my usual blogs. It is only a weekend, but I felt I should do it because it may help others when planning a trip to Hershey.

We started a tradition on our first anniversary that we have tried to maintain over the years . On our anniversary (or near) we would go to a luxury hotel, even if it was for only one night. We have hit it more than we have missed it. For our 10th, it was just dinner because we had just arrived in New Jersey 2 days before. On our 20th (Alaska), 25th (The Med) and 30th (French Polynesia), we were on cruises. This year we chose Hershey.

We were going to go the weekend after our anniversary, but upon discovering that we both had Friday, July 3 off and the price wasn't any more, we decided to go before rather than after. We chose the Hershey Lodge over the Hotel because it was cheaper, although still expensive. In hindsight, I wish now we had just sprung for the best and gone to the hotel, but I am getting ahead of myself.

It was a gorgeous day and we left in good time. Hershey is only a little over 2 hours drive time for us, so it was an easy drive. We stopped at Starbucks on the way and shared a Mocha Frappuccino (no whipped cream) and arrived in Hershey a little after 12. We decided to go to the Parkside Hotel (NO Vacancy-ever!) for lunch . This bar and grill is right across the street from Hershey Park and very close to Zoo America. We sat outside on the porch because it was such a beautiful day. Keith had the buffalo chicken wrap (hot-spicy, not temperature) and I had a side salad and Maryland Crab Soup. It was a bit spicy, but I managed to eat it all. We shared an order of onion rings. The food was good and the staff friendly.

After lunch we headed over to the Hershey Outlets. Although not massive, they did have a few things we were looking for and it was nice to walk for a while. By the time we were through there, it was 3:00 and we decided to try and see if we could check into our room, even though check-in time was 4.

The Hershey Lodge isn't in the same area as the Park, Zoo, Hotel or Outlets. Opened in 1967 as a Motor Lodge, it grew to be the largest convention resort between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. By 1998, it was and still is the Largest Convention Resort in the state of Pennsylvania. It is across town, which really isn't saying much since nothing is more than an 8 minute drive from point A to point B . It has indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, mini golf, basketball courts and the standard activities that any resort has to keep kids occupied. We arrived and were directed to either the check in self-parking or valet. We chose self-parking and went inside.

The Lobby is kind of dark and was crowded, which wasn't surprising since it was check-in. I later read that it is always crowded. There was a line for check in, which moved quickly. Once at the registration desk, check in was easy and painless. The staffer who helped us was professional, polite and explained everything well. Entry into the Hershey Story and Gardens is complimentary for a Lodge quest, so we received our tickets for those venues as well a 2 Hershey bars. There is also a shuttle to take you to Hershey Park, if you want to use it to avoid the $15 parking fee at the Park. We were given a map and told how to find our room. We were given a King room in York Peppermint Patty (all wings are named for Hershey’s products.)

We followed her directions and went to our room . We had both an exterior and interior door. We discovered by driving around the building, we could park in a lot closer to our room than the one the desk staffer indicated. I wish now I had taken a picture of the room, but it was just underwhelming. It was clean, but, for the price, it wasn't luxury at all. It wasn't any different than say a Hilton or Sheraton. Maybe it was my fault for assuming that it was, based on the price. The few pictures on the web made it look that way. There was no luggage rack- just a bench at the foot of the bed that really only fit one suitcase. We had 2 small ones, so one went under the counter in the bathroom. The closet was narrow. There were no glasses in the bathroom, just PLASTIC cups. Seriously? Plastic? The bathroom was nice in that the shower and toilet were in a separate area. The towels were fine and the shampoo, conditioner and bar soap were chocolate infused. There appeared not to be a hair dryer, which every upscale hotel (and even some mid-range) hotels have. One was listed on the website under amenities . Good thing I brought my own. I eventually found it in a drawer under the TV. Gee, why didn't I think to look there in the first place? (That was sarcasm. All they had to do was put a little placard on the bathroom counter giving the location.) We went for a walk around the place. The place is big and sprawled out. The bar and restaurant area is lovely--it looks like a lodge with wood beams, leather seating and fireplaces. There is a gift shop with lots of Hershey products.

After walking around, we went back to our room and relaxed a bit. Every conversation in hall could be heard clearly in our room. I just hoped it would quiet down at night. We decided we were going to just order room service for breakfast so we wouldn't have to fight the crowds at breakfast.

After we relaxed for a bit, we headed over to Cullari Vineyards and Winery, which is a small, boutique winery. The tasting room isn’t at the vineyard, but at a standalone building in Hershey. One weekdays, you can sample 3 wines for $1 and can sample up to 9 wines . They have everything from white to red, to fruit and even a chocolate wine. We didn’t like any of the whites, but there was a dry red, Spectacullari , that we purchased one bottle of to have on hand.

Once we were finished, it was perfect timing for our dinner reservation at Devon Seafood, located in the Hershey Press Building. Their fresh fish selections vary, as they are never sure what they can get. Everything is shipped fresh from the boat within 24 hours of catching. Keith started with 3 Blue Point Oysters ( I’ll pass, thank you, unless you want to deep fry them) and then had the 1 ¼ pound Alaskan King Crabs legs for his entrée. You get a choice of 2 sides, so he had grilled asparagus and a mesquite grilled half artichoke. I had the Lobster Bisque to start and then the Greenbone (New Zealand Butterfish) with asparagus and Parmesan Yukon Gold Potatoes. Everything was wonderful and the service was friendly, yet unobtrusive. We had no room for dessert.

After dinner, we went back to our room and caught up on emails. It did quiet down after 10:00, so that wasn’t an issue.