Start your vacation underground in the limestone Indian Echo Caverns, carved out by water 440 million years ago. Begin your visit listening to a drumming circle and flute serenade while you wait for the tour itself. Guides are knowledgeable and not immune to adding in a little extra storytelling for the children’s benefit! Your kids will also enjoy prospecting for minerals in the Gem Mill Junction area of the caverns. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes with soles that do not slip, and bring a sweater with you, as the temperature inside the caves is about 52 degrees.
If you are interested in learning more about Pennsylvania wines, then a visit to the Cassel Vineyards should be your next stop. The vineyards and winery are part of a family farm that has been operating since 1903. Cassel grows six varieties of grapes: Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Concord and Niagara. There are comfortable seats outside where you can enjoy a glass of wine or taste a flight, or you can watch what is happening in the production room while you sip. On Friday nights, bring chairs and a snack to go with your wine as you enjoy special Jazz in the Vineyard concerts.
Your children may be clamoring for some attention now, so take them on over to the Challenge Family Fun Center where you can start with a game of miniature golf, followed by a workout at the batting cages or a game of duck-pin bowling. Check out the fun arcade and Skeeball, play some laser tag or drive around in the go-carts and then get some pizza or hamburgers to round out your day.
Head over to nearby Hershey for a quiet afternoon at the Hershey Gardens, which opened in 1937 with Milton Hershey’s request to “create a nice garden of roses.” The Gardens responded with quite a few nice roses: 23 acres of them, in fact, along with seasonal displays of other flowers! There is a special children’s garden, a butterfly house and a plethora of themed gardens that include an herb garden, a rock garden, a Japanese garden, ornamental grasses and more.
If your kids want rides, then stay in Hershey after you have visited the gardens, because Hersheypark is sure to please. It offers 11 roller coasters and over 65 other rides and attractions (including over 20 kiddie rides) in the main section, and nine water attractions over at The Boardwalk. There are also two flumes, one for adults and older kids and one for small children. Hersheypark frequently sends out discount tickets and they may be available during your visit; check at the front desk of your hotel before you head out. And no visit to Hershey can be complete without checking out the chocolate situation. Climb aboard a car at Hershey’s Chocolate World for a free ride through tunnels and past interactive scenes with singing cows and chocolate equipment in action. Then you can take a class on chocolate tasting, ride on a trolley through the history of Hershey and finally design your own dessert.
Stay at one of the great Hummelstown, Pennsylvania hotels listed below for the ultimate in relaxation and convenience while you and your family enjoy all the excitement that the Hershey area offers you. Explore caverns, stroll through gardens, scream on roller coasters and pick out some wines to take home to your hotel room in Hummelstown.