Bleh. I hate heat. 93 degrees today. 100% humidity. Feels like 104 degrees. Bleh, bleh, bleh. A fitting day to visit hell.
Unfortunately, hell wasn't quite where I thought it would be. In Centralia, PA, there has been an underground mine fire raging for years. It's slowly eating up the town, and is impossible to put out. When I first heard about this, I had visions of ragged holes in the ground with smoke pouring, or at least drifting out. I imagined blackened scorched earth, swallowing houses whole, and trees spontaneously bursting into flames as their roots caught.
It's not really that dramatic. It's still a tragedy, no doubt, but all you can really see is a few sunken areas where the trees are dead and the ground is a bit rubble-y. There where some pretty noxious fumes, and the signs warned of toxic smells. Still, not really hell at all.
I started off the day in the air conditioned heaven of Chocolate World. Mostly it's a really big shop, with every Hershey product you every imagined. They must have had 30 different ways of packaging Reeses. The best (and only free) thing was the Chocolate Ride. A chocolate colored seat on a conveyer twists you through all the different steps of chocolate making, from the beans to the wrappers. You get to see the little pipettes squooging out Kisses, and a mechanized giant Kiss frolics on a mountain of little silvery kisses, while wonderful aromas fill the air. Lovely.
There was also a nostalgic trolley ride, and an Amazing 3-D Movie Adventure, but those weren't free, so not for me. Besides, how could you top the Chocolate Ride? They even snapped your picture, so you could have a nice little souvenir.
Sign of the day was in front of the East Pennsylvania Mennonite Church: "The best thing to do behind your friend's back is to pat it." Awww.
Last week's sign of the day, which I forgot to mention, was also church related. They had a double billing of The Church of the Crucifix and Precious Moments Preschool. Not really amusing, untill you imagine one of those little doe eyed boys playing Jesus on the cross. Oh lord. I think I need to go google and see if that exists!
Enough blasphemy for the day, I'm on my way north to the Great Lakes. Maybe it'll be a tiny bit cooler there. Funny, the thought of a winter in Montana only gets me excited, but 2 days in a Texas summer terrify me. I'm going, though. I can't finish this trip without at least putting a toe in. Even if it kills me.
No freaking free chocolate?? I guess I'll scratch Hershey, PA off my list of vacation spots! Have fun heading to the Great Lakes, and enjoy the miles and miles of cows and pastures, and more cows and pastures, and more . . . .
Posted by: Theresa | June 11, 2004 at 04:51 AM
that chocolate ride sounds awesome. Somehow Precious Moments Preschool is cloying enough to make me sick... just the name...
Posted by: melissa | June 11, 2004 at 06:40 AM
Oh my we could of had you for lunch!!! We live right off Chocolate Ave. Did you drive around town at all?? We have a lovely town!
Posted by: Cindy | June 11, 2004 at 01:22 PM