Kutztown - Day 1 - Wednesday

Today was a laid-back day. We pulled out of the KOA campground (near Elizabeth, PA) at 11:00 and were settled in Kutztown, PA, by 1:00 pm. Not a long drive by anyone’s standards (80+miles) but we knew we needed to find a spot for the Labor Day weekend and be close to Margaret’s destination. So here we are. I told the lady at the campground that we wanted 6 days; she said the 7th day was free, so we will be here through next Tuesday (Sept 2).

Our drive up took us through Hershey, PA – yes, home of Hershey chocolate; and also home to Hershey Park (amusement park with lots of rides). It was interesting that route PA 743 threaded its way through the amusement park, including several stop signs. As a result we got to see (and hear the screams) of the various roller coasters.

The first picture was taken through the RV windshield – not the best photo op, but you take what they give you. Every light standard along Chocolate Blvd was topped with a chocolate kiss – both aluminum wrapped and unwrapped chocolate kisses. The observation tower was also adorned with chocolate kisses.

There were a variety of roller coasters: corkscrews, vertical hairpins, and a set of double roller-coasters – constructed of WOOD! Since the traffic was crawling, we had a chance to take some photos and listen to the screams as they went by. Not sure I’d want to ride any of these, but they were visually interesting.

Tomorrow, Margaret is heading into Reading to work on her genealogy and research the local history. Her father grew up in this area and she is anxious to wrap up some loose ends by contacting local historians.

The local area is different than where we’ve been the last few days. The best news was that we are less than ½ mile from a local winery! I visited them this afternoon while Margaret was napping. The Pinnacle winery has won a few medals in California wine tastings, so I was encouraged to buy a case of varied wines. Since we will be here a week, it will give us a chance to taste all their wines – possibly buying more bottles for “storage” and the long trip home.

Other than the noise of the near-by Interstate I-78, we are in a quiet, top of the hill RV park. Quite picturesque and yet different that our previous 5 nights. Tropical storm / depression FAY has finally tracked us down; we expect rain tonight and tomorrow, but nothing more serious. The twilight was long and cool, the steak delicious. And the local wine – Pinnacle Winery Vertas 2005 – was quite good; may have to buy some more.