You don't have to travel far to find incredible family fun this summer! The Hershey/Harrisburg region has more than enough options for family entertainment to last you all year long!
My daughter and I recently enjoyed some quality time together with other Macaroni Kid moms and kids exploring some of the well-known (Hersheypark, anyone?!?) and maybe not as well-known (Roundtop Mountain) spots that we are lucky to have within a short distance from home.
History and Science in Harrisburg
One of the things I've always wondered about in this area is the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat Cruise. Our trip featured their "river school" program which included lessons about how the river and mountains were formed, the parts of a boat, and more science lessons. Did you know a Double Stuff OREO is perfect for simulating Earth's tectonic plates? The kids thought it was the yummiest lesson of the day! The return portion of the 75-minute cruise featured a fun scavenger hunt with kids looking for sights along the City Island and downtown Harrisburg shorelines.
I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth the ride was (even with the river running high from heavy rain), how nice the boat was (the galley is beautiful and air-conditioned), and how many different types of rides the Pride offers. Discover their full lineup of Pirate & Princess Cruises, murder mysteries, wine and cheese, and more at http://harrisburgriverboat.com/.
While you're on City Island, enjoy lunch or an ice cream treat at Cafe Huey, located right next to the dock. Paninis, burgers, french fries (their portions are generous!), sandwiches, and more. There's even a shaded pavilion where you can enjoy your food and a view of the river.
Continue your educational adventure in downtown Harrisburg with a stop at the Pennsylvania State Capitol. Did you know it's known as one of the most ornate capital buildings in the country? And... tours are FREE! My third grader just finished studying the branches of government at school and enjoyed seeing where state laws are made and major court cases are heard. Plan your tour here.
Just a five-minute walk from the Capitol, you'll find the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. Hands-on fun, including a hurricane chamber, a carnival of health exhibit, and daily STEM activities. Now through September 8, 2019, they are hosting a traveling TinkerToy exhibit. Whether it was challenging my daughter in the carnival games, watching her create her own animation, or braving hurricane winds together, it was amazing to watch the learning taking place! The Whitaker Center also has an IMAX movie with daily screenings available. Explore more at https://www.whitakercenter.org/.
Find more photos from our visit to downtown Harrisburg & City Island here.
Eat and Play in Hershey
We are lucky to live so close to the fabulous Hershey, Pennsylvania. The highlights of this visit included discovering the new Unwrapped attraction at Hershey's Chocolate World. A completely redesigned chocolate tasting journey, Unwrapped is an entertaining and educational show that the whole family will enjoy! You can spend the day by adding the 4-D chocolate movie, creating your own candy bar, and riding the factory tour ride. Every visit of ours at Chocolate World ends with their famous milkshakes and a stop at the Bake Shoppe for cookies or cupcakes (or sometimes both!).
Right next to Chocolate World, you'll find the famous Hersheypark–home to more than a dozen rollercoasters, kiddie rides, the Boardwalk water attractions, and so much more! New this year is Reese's Cupfusion, an interactive gaming ride.
As much as we love Chocolate World and Hersheypark, our favorite stop in Hershey over the weekend was Adventure Sports in Hershey. We enjoyed mini golf on a beautiful course with a waterfall under trees that provided nice shade on a warm day. My daughter even scored three holes-in-one in one round! After golf, we laughed as we soaked each other on the bumper boats and then raced on the go-karts. Adventure Sports also has an outdoor laser tag game (one of the only ones in the area), batting cages, escape room, and arcade that we will be trying out on our next visit. This is a perfect spot to enjoy with cousins or friends in a big group, too! See more photos of our trip to Adventure Sports here.
Reach New Heights at Roundtop Mountain Adventures
While we loved so much of our weekend getaway, the number one spot for us was Roundtop Mountain Adventures. Located at the popular Roundtop Ski Resort, it's summer adventure season offers zip lining (something neither of us have ever done before), a giant slip-and-slide, unique OGO balls (they're from New Zealand!), and several other attractions. We started with the Tree House Zips, which was fun and the perfect starting point for beginners, before my daughter (a total adrenaline junkie with no fear!) moved over to the newer dual zip line which was longer and higher.
After exploring their Cedar Maze and testing out the bumper boats, we changed into swimsuits and headed to cool off. The giant slip-and-slide was as much fun as it sounds. You ride in a tube (similar to a lazy river or water slide) and off you go. With multiple lanes, you can race against each other! The OGO balls are also at the top of the water area and are a great way to beat the heat as they are filled with water and have you sliding away as you roll down the hill (note, while the ball rolls down the hill, you do not go upside down).
For the more adventurous outdoor lovers, Roundtop also offers a Vertical Trek that includes even more zip lines, climbing, and hiking. The vertical trek is available for ages 10 and older and you can find more details on their website. Also great to know is that only active participants have to pay admission, so if only the kids are going to play, or you want take the grandparents along, spectators can watch all the fun for FREE!
We are so happy we decided to extend our trip and include Roundtop in our visit. Take a look at our video to see the fun for yourself.
Stay Over!
Take your summer staycation fun to the next level by treating the family to a hotel stay for a night or two!
The Best Western Premier, located just a short drive from Harrisburg and Hershey, was a beautiful hotel with a spacious guest room and fabulous heated indoor pool (as awesome as it sounds!). Amenities in our room included a king-size bed, pull-out sofa, refrigerator, and microwave. The bathroom was sparkling with a tiled shower and sliding glass doors (my daughter loved the magnifying mirror attached to the wall). The hotel also includes its own restaurant which offers a delicious breakfast buffet each morning as well as lunch, dinner, and cocktails throughout the day.
Other Spots to Explore
For more details on things to do and places to stay or eat around the Hershey and Harrisburg region, check out visithersheyharrisburg.org.
Disclosure: My daughter and I were guests of Visit Hershey Harrisburg and hosted at the hotel and area attractions for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
