Travelsmartplanet

Every other shop in Bruges, it seems, is a chocolate shop – 50 or so but who’s counting?  Bruges, known for its medievalness, has a playful side when it comes to tourist museums, with one for chocolate and another for fries. The chocolate museum started out as a private collection of everything to do with the history and making of chocolate.

You will learn that milk chocolate is 45% sugar, and that when chocolate made its way to Europe by the Spanish explorers, it was a drink with a secret recipe for making it – til the 1800’s. The process of conching was invented around then, which made it possible to create hardened chocolate for eating. You can see the cups they drank it in, and they sure were super-sized. Fries with that?

www.choco-story.be

Chips (fries) were  created in the US in 1852 in Saratoga, NY all because of a dissatisfied customer. When he complained to George Crum about his potato, Mr Crum sliced it into little pieces to annoy him. Instead he loved it! French fries were possibly misnamed during WWII when American soldiers, hearing Belgians eating fries and talking French, thought they were French food.

Potatoes around the world are covered too – see if you can find the pink and purple ones. If all this fry talk has gotten you a bit hungry, don’t worry, there’s a fries shop in the basement where you can have them with the traditional mayonnaise or pickle sauce, mustard or curry ketchup.

www.frietmuseum.be

Tags: Chocolate, conching, customer, french fries, George Crum, mayonnaise, medieval, Museum, potato, Saratoga, soldier, WWII

Started in 1907, Hershey, PA might have been built with chocolate, but these days you’ll find a walk-through zoo, a forest drive with animated light displays, Dickens very much alive, and even a chocolate fondue wrap at the spa. And what can be more delicious than hotels which have bowls of Hershey kisses wherever you turn?

Christmas in Chocolate Town – the Musical

All through this month (December) at Hershey Lodge there is a dinner musical revue, “Christmas in Chocolate Town”, which starts with carolling and then covers everyone’s favorite holiday songs. After punch, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and a yummy dessert (ya think it might have chocolate in it?), the lights go down and the magic begins.

Charles Dickens Returns

If that dinner doesn’t excite you, then how about one including the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens! He performs a one-man show on December 6th and 7th while you enjoy an elegant four-course dinner.

Chocolate Spa at The Hotel Hershey

For a chocolate lover, this is the ultimate holiday treat – chocolate themed spa experiences (Peppermint Pattie Scrub and Chocolate Fondue Wrap anyone?) including lunch in a Moroccan themed restaurant.
Peppermint Pattie Spa Treatment

photo: Hersheypark

Alligator lounging around the zoo
photo: Hersheypark

North American Wildlife Park

Attached to Hersheypark by a walking bridge is ZooAmerica. This is an 11-acre walk-through zoo with more than 200 animals representing over 75 species, displayed in their natural habitats. The zoo is open all year round.

Hershey Sweet Lights

Evenings starting at 5 pm, all the way to New Year’s Day, you don’t even have to get out of your car to enjoy two miles of wooded trails that have been elaborately decoratedwith over 600 animated sparklingly lit displays.

See if you can find the Rudolph characters hidden among the lights. Remember to tune your radio to their private station to listen to holiday music as you drive.

Driving through the woods

photo: Hersheypark

Holiday Packages

Holiday Packages include a Chocolate Spa Getaway, breakfast with Santa, Cottage Party, and a family New Year’s Eve Party. You’ll find something to do every day.You’ll find something to do every day.

To see more articles and tips about having fun while travelling the world, subscribe here at my Examiner web site.