The Forebay at the Hershey Lodge is a cozy yet classy restaurant that’s perfect for a special evening out. The menu serves up creative comfort food that changes seasonally, and the wood and leather decor certainly adds to the comforting vibe.
And, as you might expect, chocolate appears throughout the menu to provide further opportunities for indulgence.
One of the things we looked forward to the most when traveling north was viewing animals in Alaska.
From aquatic life to mountain dwellers, Alaska has an abundance of wildlife that is often one of the top bucket list goals for those visiting the state.
We were quite fortunate to see almost all manner of wildlife during our cruise and visit to Denali National Park, and in this one we are sharing a few of our favorite shots of the animals!
In 2018 we hopped aboard the Norwegian Jewel for an Alaskan cruise that was many years in the making (about five by our count). We were making this trip with our families for a big adventure that included a DIY add-on to Denali National Park and spanned well over two weeks.
As with most cruises we go on, we pick our ships based on the itinerary and dates first, and then hope for the best with the on-board amenities and offerings second.
Our northbound itinerary on the Norwegian Jewel fell into this setup. We knew the ship was dated at the time of booking, and our experiences on-board confirm this, but for the right itinerary we were still more than happy with what we got.
I am a frequent traveler to the Finger Lakes- in recent years at least.
Part of this is because I now live within a manageable five hour drive, and the other part is that I’ve developed a love for many of the exceptional vineyards that call the region home (notably Boundary Breaks, Hermann J Wiemer, and Heron Hill to name a few- must visit Finger Lakes wineries in my opinion).
But one problem I’ve always had when visiting is figuring out where to stay.
The reason for this is because the area known as the Finger Lakes is large. It is so large, in fact, that to drive from the furthest west lake to the furthest east lake in one direction you’re looking at a two hour drive time (not to mention bypassing every lake in between). Or if you want to stay in larger cities like Rochester, Syracuse, or Corning (for the Corning Museum of Glass) you’re looking at 30-60 minutes of driving before you even begin to see water.
Going even further, if you pick any lake (especially larger ones like Seneca or Cayuga) you will have an hour driving just to go from tip to tip as well- all before stopping at all the vineyards, breweries, and distilleries along the way.
It is because of this that picking a good hotel location is so important when visiting. After my stay at Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel as a guest of the property, I can safely say that I’ve found my spot for the foreseeable future.