Twizzlers Landmark Summer Roadtrip – Day 3

There’s nothing like arriving somewhere and realizing immediately that you want to come back. That’s how I felt the first time I visited Walt Disney World as an adult, and that’s the feeling I got when I was checking in tonight to the Hershey Lodge.  But more about that soon!  First, I have to tell you how we ended up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, after two days in Philadelphia.

We began our day this morning by bidding Philly farewell, being sure to hand out Twizzlers on our way to the curious tourists outside of our hotel.  We headed west towards central Pennsylvania to visit both the factory where Twizzlers are made and the home of Twizzlers’ parent company, Hershey.

We decided that day three called for a lazier pace, so we took our time driving through places like Gap and Paradise, giggling uncontrollably at the sign for the Paradise Motel (there was vacancy!) and the Paradise Quickee Mart.  We kept our eyes peeled for great little places to buy antiques, but instead ended up stopping by a Pottery Barn Outlet.  Nothing like an unexpected shopping trip to complete any roadtrip.

Along the winding path from Philadelphia to the western side of Lancaster, we stopped by my brother’s home to spend a couple hours with his two kids.  Our boys are only eight months apart, so they enjoyed riding around the cul-de-sac, expertly avoiding the Twizzlermobile, while we handed out Twizzlers to curious and grateful neighbors.  My brother will now forever be that guy at the end of the court whose sister gives out candy.  Nice.

Our next stop was the Y&S Candy Factory where most Twizzlers are made (there is a smaller plant in Memphis as well).  This factory is not open to the public, but we were allowed a super special tour thanks to the folks at The Hershey Company.  While my son was not thrilled with the hair net, the hard hat, or the vacuuming of his entire body (seriously, folks, your Twizzlers are CLEAN), he quickly got over it when he was allowed to taste some of the new sweet & sour Twizzlers as well as the reformulated chocolate Twizzlers (my favorite!) made with real Hershey’s chocolate.  And if you’ve ever doubted if there’s really chocolate mixed in there, I’m here to tell you that I saw the chocolate pieces with my own eyes.

Ever wonder what Twizzlers look like when they’re being made? Wonder no more…

After touring the Twizzlers factory, we headed north to Hershey to spend the night at the Hershey Lodge (thank you to The Hershey Company for the generous accommodations and tickets during this portion of our roadtrip!).  Having grown up less than an hour from Hersheypark, I’ve never before had a reason to stay overnight in this area.  I have heard amazing things about the Lodge, however, so was anxious to get here. The kids were thrilled to find that the pool was heated and teeming with other happy kids.  And now we’ve come full circle to arriving at the Lodge and realizing immediately that I’d like to come back here again with the extended family to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the impressive facilities.

Tomorrow we hit the park and make our own candy bars at Chocolate World.  Just one day left on our Twizzlers Landmark Summer Roadtrip!

Disclosure: Travel accommodations and expenses were paid for as a part of this sponsored opportunity with Twizzlers. Thank you to The Hershey Company for also providing complimentary park tickets during the final leg of our trip. All opinions are my own. That scowl is my son’s.  And those delicious looking Twizzlers are mine, all mine I say!!!!

Leave a Reply

7 Comments

  • Sara @Doodle741

    I am LOVING your trip!! I wish I were there with you – but since I can’t be, I will enjoy your posts every step of the way!! 😀

  • tiffany ard

    Chocolate twizzlers? Why haven’t i ever heard of these? I am sure your nephew is the most popular kid on the block now! 🙂

  • @lovinmomma8

    how very fun!! 🙂 Enjoy making your candy bars! and your last day of your roadtrip…

  • I’m loving your trip. It has definitely sparked me to take the kiddies on a summer roadtrip in the coming months.

  • What a kick!! Factory tours are always so amzing! I wish someone down my way was touring. I’d love to see a bright red Twizzler van driving about!! ;D

  • Looks like you all are having fun. I didn’t realize you were in a logo’d car – how fun! Neat to go to the factory too!

  • Paula Caudill

    Looks like so much fun, enjoy the candy making tomorrow 🙂