Wednesday, February 2, 2011

2011 AHL All Star Game in Hershey, PA

 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2011

We started off the day at ZooAmerica…Imported Photos 01413 Imported Photos 01417 Imported Photos 01421 Imported Photos 01430 Imported Photos 01440 Imported Photos 01444

Then we headed over to Chocolate World where we had lunch and made our own candy bars.  You pick your base (milk, dark, or white chocolate), then you pick up to 3 add-ins (the ones available when we were there were pretzels, chocolate chips, vanilla chips, crispy rice, cookie bits, and toffee), finally you design your own packaging.  Kevin chose a dark chocolate base with pretzels, cookie bits, and chocolate chips.  I chose a milk chocolate base with chocolate chips, cookie bits, and vanilla chips.  We both added candy sprinkles on top.Imported Photos 01448 Imported Photos 01447 Imported Photos 01558 Imported Photos 01556 Imported Photos 01557

Then we headed off to dinner at The Bear’s Den, which is the restaurant that is devoted to the Hershey Bears AHL team.  It’s filled with memorabilia from the team past and present.  The food was so great we ate dinner there every night…Imported Photos 01406Imported Photos 01407 Imported Photos 01401 Imported Photos 01402 

Then we were off to the Skills Competition.  This year they divided the teams into the western conference vs. the eastern conference.   Luke Adam was the Pirate’s player that was selected. We were supposed to have another player there too, but he was injured.  Below, Luke Adam is competing in the shooting accuracy competition…Imported Photos 01477 Imported Photos 01478 Imported Photos 01481

Coco is the Hershey Bears’ mascot.  Kaitlyn was scared of him.Imported Photos 01483

MONDAY, JANUARY 31

Kevin surprised me by taking Kaitlyn to the hotel pool and sending me off to the spa at The Hershey Hotel.  He had booked me for a whipped chocolate bath and a chocolate massage.  I left smelling like a yummy candy bar.

When we met up again afterwards, we headed back to Chocolate World.  Kaitlyn loved the ride telling us all about how chocolate was made.  It has a song that is almost as annoying as “It’s a Small World”.  We also took a chocolate tasting class.  Kaitlyn loved the Dessert Creation Studio.  We got the fondue and Kaitlyn got to paint with melted white chocolate that was colored with food coloring…Imported Photos 01485 Imported Photos 01488 Imported Photos 01487 Imported Photos 01492  Imported Photos 01490 Imported Photos 01489

Then we went to The Hershey Story Museum.  Kaitlyn really got into the interactive displays…Imported Photos 01499  Imported Photos 01493 Imported Photos 01495 Imported Photos 01496 Imported Photos 01498

Photos around town…

The Hershey factoryImported Photos 01412 Imported Photos 01423 Imported Photos 01409Imported Photos 01543

Gotta love the Hershey Kiss street lights…Imported Photos 01501  Imported Photos 01503Imported Photos 01505 Imported Photos 01506Imported Photos 01504

Finally, we were off to the All-Star Game…Imported Photos 01472 Imported Photos 01512 Imported Photos 01516 

One of the Pirate’s mascots, Salty Pete.  Kaitlyn turned around and not realizing he was there just about jumped out of her skin.  She screamed loud enough that everyone in our section looked at her.Imported Photos 01520

One of the highlights of the game is watching all the mascots have their own hockey game during intermission…Imported Photos 01522 Imported Photos 01523

Coco, the Hershey mascot, just “beat up” Tux, the mascot for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins.Imported Photos 01528 Imported Photos 01534

After the game… The Eastern Conference won…Imported Photos 01541

Kaitlyn completely passed out after the game…Imported Photos 01542 

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

Unfortunately, we had to head home.  First, though we made a stop in Hoboken, NJ.  I am a big fan of the show Cake Boss on TLC, so we swung by Carlo’s Bakery where the show is filmed.  We didn’t see Buddy or any of the family, but we did get a bunch of yummy treats, including the cake below…Imported Photos 01546 Imported Photos 01547 Imported Photos 01554