40th Birthday Weekend Getaway

Apparently your 40th birthday is a big deal. For weekssssss my husband told me to give him ideas on what I wanted to do. This man is THE best. I am particular, so while he wanted to plan a surprise party for me, he knew I would be WAY happier doing the planning myself. And he wasn't wrong.

Originally I wanted to do nothing. I mean, not nothing. Sushi, something outdoors, my inner circle of friends/family, baklava and carrot cake. I think my birthdays are typically nontraditional celebrations. Last year we spent my birthday riding an Amtrak train, in our own private room, sipping kombucha and watching the views from Florida to Virginia. And two years ago we spent my birthday on our family's farm, digging & prepping a space for my bees. And both were EPIC. That's me. I like doing whatever that moment says will be fun. But Jeff convinced me to up the excitement for my 40th. Okkkk fine. And since we didn't want to risk flying (a long story about adoption paperwork) it needed to be something local.

Hershey, PA sounded fun to me. I had been to the amusement park as a kid, and even an adult for a super fun bachlorette party, but I wanted to indulge at the spa! I remember seeing they offered chocolate massages. In my brain someone would be rubbing a very fancy chocolate bar on me and midway through the massage I would pause to lick my arm and say- wow this IS good chocolate. Sounds weird and opulent. Exactly what I envision a 40th birthday celebration should be- weird and opulent. So after researching a bit, we decided that was the plan: The Hotel Hershey for 2 nights. And if you are like me and love quality food, exploring, and treating yourself.... you'll love this adventure too. And yes, we brought our one year old. And it was even more fun with him. So here's what we did:

Thursday afternoon we left Frederick, MD. We didn't pack much. Two days worth of clothes, nothing fancy- jeans, leggings, hoodies, bathing suits. And a pack-and-play for Reece. Took us maybe 30mins and we were out the door! Hershey, PA is only a 90min drive, even in traffic. Time to celebrate the big 4-0! The first stop:

The Hotel Hershey

We arrived at The Hershey Hotel around 4:30pm. Apparently Jeff let them know it was my birthday and I was handed the most MASSIVE chocolate bar, wrapped in a custom sleeve wishing Marcy a very happy 40th birthday. If you know me, you know I am huge on customer service. I live for attention to detail and custom flare. Great first experience. I was feeling special already.

Next we checked into our room. Jeff did all the booking and he splurged on a cottage. Normally we don't care about the room. We aren't in it much anyway. But this was an awesome upgrade from our norm. And perfect for us and really relaxing. Not to mention Reece loved it too.

The room had plenty of space, separate soaking bathtub & rainfall shower, a large enough fridge for bottles and snacks, and a gas fireplace.

So what was 1st? Dinner. Now we have two preferred methods of finding a restaurant. One, ask a local or two, Yelp. Since we hadn't chatted with anyone yet, Yelp was it.

Simply Greek

This was an easy pick! Who doesn't love Greek food AND this place has the full FIVE STARS with 143 reviews! It's like no one was EVER mad going here. So sign us up. It did NOT disappoint. The BIGGEST portions for the same price as my Chipotle order... and while Chipotle is a fan fav in our house, this was WAY better!

So dinner around 6pm which was living wild for us. Reece is usually asleep by 5pm. So we were partying late night. Dinner was quick so we were back to the hotel by 7pm and everyone was asleep by 7:30pm. I'm not even mad about this. Quite the opposite. Oooolala a shit ton of sleep was coming for us.

Friday started at 6am. Yes. We all, Reece included, slept for 10+hours. I guess we were all tired and now feeling refreshed. So we quickly dressed and were out the door at 7am to do what I now call "fancy breakfast". The hotel has several places on the property ranging in price and convenience. We choose "The Circular" for their upscale buffet which had plenty of options for all of us. Waffle bar, omelet bar, all the chocolate pastries (It's Hershey town you best believe chocolate is the star in everything), bagels, oatmeal, bacon, cereals, yogurts. You name it. The service and food were worth the price (which is why we went twice). Not that cost effective but for a celebration I vote YES. The restaurant is a masterpiece of its own with beautiful views of their gardens. So stunning. And it was so wonderful to be treated really well, especially with a little one.

Breakfast at The Circular

Next up, exploring the hotel. We had an hour before someone was going to melt a chocolate bar all over my body at the spa. So exploring we went. The place is STUNNING and kind of a maze. We had fun walking around checking it out. We came to the conclusion this place must be packed in the summer. There is an outdoor pool with water-slide, bocce, tennis & basketball courts, hiking trials, flower gardens and more. But there was something AWESOME about it being cold and less busy. It felt like the hotel was there for just us. And everything here is over the top gorgeous. The hotel halls are lined with beautiful old pictures from the hotels beginning days back in the 1920s. They have done an amazing job keeping the old school beauty but making it feel new.

We ended our walk at the spa. The massage reservation requests you arrive ONE hour before your appointment. Seems excessive, but sure, I'll play along. So bye Jeff and Reece, see you in two hours.

Oooo baby was I happy I went early. The spa's amenities were amazing! And I used that hour to get in the relaxation mindset. They start you off in the locker room to change. They provide a safe place to lock up your stuff, as well as an ultra soft and comfy robe/sandals.

1st off- the steam room. Who doesn't love a steam room. I live in 3 layers of clothes because I am always cold. So YES, steam room me please! And NO one was in there. Silly people, why wouldn't you want to relax in there before your massage. IDK. I loved it. It was then a private steam room just for me. It had grapefruit essential oils infused into the room so it smelled amazing too.

Next up- I took the longest shower of my life. Everyone should do this- You are not at home. No "To Do" list. No calls to make. Nowhere to be for an HOUR. And no hot water tank limiting the hotness. It was just HOT HOT water...... until my heart said- onward. The spa also provides ANYthing you need. Cocoa infused shampoos/conditioner/body wash, razors, mouthwash, clean hair brushes, hair products, etc... and if it's not there, they will get it for you. I had a personal attendant who checked in on me. She was adorable. I wanted her to be my friend outside the spa. Anyway... I took advantage of it allllll of this.

Last but not least, I took my fresh and hot bod (literally hot from all the heat pre-gaming for the massage) to the quiet room to wait for my massage therapist. Ok I didn't go into the "quiet room". That meant silence. If you know me, I don't love doing that. I went to the "whisper room". These spa knew how people want to pregame for a massage at Hershey. Hot chocolate, coffee, chocolate pastries, tea, snacks, a fireplace, gorgeous views... I mean they make it impossible to not feel relaxed. Oh and did I mention it was snowing? Stop it with the Hallmark card moment.

I had some tea, enjoyed the views and was feeling GREAT. Everyone there was feeling the same so lots of smiles and kind energy flowing in this room. I was feeling so excited for chocolate bar massage heaven coming in near minuets.

Ok... so here's my let down. My assumption of what a chocolate massage would look like was NOT what they envisioned. It might have been in the massage description online that I didn't read. So no blame on them. 100% me and my style to wing life. So no actual chocolate bars were being melted and used as lotion. Darn. Also way less messy. Not even sure how I would have left the room, after the massage, covered in hard chocolate, if that was the case.... Anyway, the massage therapist was lovely. She read the room well. I wasn't in for a chat yet, really wanted to focus on being in the moment and relaxed. So I was able to refrain from talking for.... about 30mins. But after that I wanted to hear her story and chat. So we did. People are fascinating and if you give people the physical and emotional space to share, they will share all kinds of wonderful things. My lady was truly lovely. She even shared some of her favorite local places she thought were MUST tries.

Now let me be honest and say the massage was nice but nothing special. And it was definitely not worth the price based on the actual hands-on massage time. But... the experience IS worth the price. I left so relaxed, refreshed, and deeply present. That was worth the price tag. Oh and the chocolate massage.... it was coco infused products. So I kind of smelled like chocolate. I guess that was a second best option.

Now the spa was one of the biggest draws for the weekend, but it wasn't the only fun activity. And definitely not Reece's favorite activity. No no...that's swimming in his opinion. So after the spa, I met back up with Jeff and Reece, made a quick stop at the room to change, and we went straight to the indoor pool. The indoor pool isn't anything fancy but it has a swim lane, deep/shallow areas, hot tub and little splash pad area. Reece was in heaven.

It only took 30mins.... ok fine we stayed an hour because we were having so much fun. But then Reece was TIRED.... and we were ready for a late lunch. No need for Yelp this time around. I had some great recommendations from my massage therapist, who was a Hershey local that loves craft beers and good food. It's like she was meant for us. While I don't care for beers, or alcohol, I love that Jeff likes to try new stuff. And if a place has great food, well that's a win-win for us both. This place was definitely a win-win.

Englewood Brewery

I mean, the place was BEAUTIFUL! Both outside and inside. My pictures do it no justice. The architecture and interior design was just gorgeous... and newly built. So no wonder they are often a wedding venue. They also host live music/concerts which makes the place super popular. Not to mention they have a wood-fire pizza oven. So you know we had to try it.

Yum. Good pizza. A solid 8. Super yum with a lot of unique flavor combinations you can choose from. I was happy. Jeff was happier. The beer was a 9 by his standards. He doesn't give high ratings like that often. So take it for what its worth. Then after sleeping through lunch, Reece was the happiest watching the chef make pizza's and toss them in the oven.

After a late lunch we decided to next visit the Hershey Gardens. Our hotel reservation included the gardens so we had 2 free tickets. My mom loved butterfly gardens. So this felt very special, especially to be part of my 40th birthday celebration.

Hershey Gardens

Reece hated it. Ok "hate" is a strong and slightly exaggerated words. He just wasn't quite sure of them.

This place was cool. Reece warmed up to the butterflies....kind of. I guess if anything, he learned to be brave. There were hundreds of butterflies. And an exhibit (you can see it in the background of the picture below) of chrysalises. You can actually watch butterflies emerge.

The entire visit took about an hour to see the butterflies, talk with the curators, and walk through the gift shop. What we learned, and continued to learn all weekend: Milton Hershey was an insanely giving person. He cared most about his community and that his employees enjoy their lives outside of work. What an innovator and unique perspective to have back in the 1920s! Hershey chocolate isn't my favorite chocolate by far, but this mentality is. It made me love Hershey so much more. So after some quick butterfly fun..... time for the next activity.

We decided to head over to Hershey's Chocolate World.

Hershey's Chocolate World

This place is one big chocolate store. And I'm not mad about this at all. We we spent a good amount of time just wondering around and checking it out. They have all the traditional and unique Hershey treats. There are tours and chocolate bar making sessions you can buy tickets to do. They also have a restaurant, which was PACKED and an 1.5hr wait (even in the off season). Also we weren't hungry, just curious. We would definitely want to try this place next time.

The Chocolatier Restaurant

They also have a really cute, Disney-like ride that explains Hershey's chocolate making process. Obviously we did this! Funny enough I had done the ride before at my girlfriend's bachelorette party. But this time NO line! So nice to go during the off season! Anyway, after exploring and buying a bunch of chocolate, it was time to go. Reece was fading. Ok, lets be honest, so were we!

By the time we got back to the hotel, the snow was really coming down. It had been flurrying all day, which was really beautiful and special. But now it was sticking an coming down in thick flakes. Reece had never seen snow until this. Interestingly enough, it snowed the day we came home from Florida last year (also on my birthday), but Reece was 8 weeks old and we spent .08 seconds going from the car into the house enjoying it. So this was his 1st real experience with snow. The picture captures it perfectly. He loved the cold soft flakes landing on his face. What a special 40th birthday memory.

After the excitement of all of the day's adventures, and the recent excitement seeing snow, Reece was WAY past ready for bed. He went to sleep fast. We then flipped on the fireplace, jumped into bed and turned on a movie.

We were then asleep by 8:30pm. Hell yes! This was a very different from how my younger years were spent celebrating.

Saturday morning looked a lot like Friday. Up at 6am and back to fancy breakfast at 7am. We had the same waiter, who was lovely and remembered our preferences. We were seated at another beautiful table by a different window for a different garden view. No pictures taken. Just delicious food, coffee, views, and conversation.

Next, Reece demanded swimming. So back to the pool to play! It was nearly empty at 9am which was nice for us.

We didn't stay long. We knew we wanted to visit The Hershey Story, check out the zoo and get lunch before leaving by 3pm. So onward to the museum.

The Hershey Story Museum

The museum was fun, and I'm not a huge fan of museums. Mainly because I don't love reading 9120203 placards and looking at static old pictures. But this museum did a great job of having interactive kiosks (with captions), interesting exhibits, and showcasing Hershey's belongings. Not to mention it was fascinating to learn about the purpose and mission Milton Hershey felt so strongly called to live. He was a man of service to others. And for me that is inspiring and something our family connects strongly to.

There was lots to see and it was easy to maneuver. They have a coffee shop with food, chocolate lab to make your own custom chocolate bars, gift shop for more chocolate purchases and even an area to do drinkable chocolate tastings.

After feeling like we learned something meaningful and interesting, it was time to visit the zoo. It is literally across the street. So we bundled up and walked over.

Not sure who had more fun at the zoo, us parents or Reece. Just kidding we know who had more fun. It is all North American animals. So we saw wolves and owls and otters and bears. Us adults had way more fun than Reece. Also he was totally pooped so he slept for most of it. Who cares. We had fun! And learned from stuff too.

You know what's also right in the area too? Another brewery/restaurant for us to try. And also on our massage therapists recommendation list. So perfect timing because we were ready for lunch.

Iron Hill Brewery

The restaurant was popping! The hostess told us it was a 25mins wait, but 5mins later we were seated. Poor boy was still tired. What an eventful few days. So many things to learn and discover. And at the restaurant we discovered he doesn't like water with lime.

But thank goodness broccoli saved the day.

Jeff enjoyed tasting their IPAs. Soild 7 here. This place was delicious (ooo they had sweet potato fries, so you know I had some), convenient, and accommodating for a young one. So we stuffed our faces and decided to hit the road. Leaving at 2pm got us home by 3:30pm. This was perfectly timed to get Reece, and us, back home and into our evening routine!

And boy did he.

This was a great 2 night adventure. It felt like the perfect start to my 40th year. My heart was full, refreshed and alive. What I didn't know before about Hershey really resonated with my own personal purpose. My mom always instilled that how you make people feel will be how you are remembered. And I think Hershey was perfectly accurate with the quote below, "One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy..." I truly hope when people think/experience me it ignites joy, enthusiasm, and happiness. So what a wonderful way to start the most meaningful part of my 40th birthday celebration which was inspired by this trip: REFLECTION. But that's for next week ;).