Day Trippin’ with Ducks

One of the things on our Summer To-Do list was to spend a day in the town of Lititz.  We usually go with a bunch of moms and an even bigger bunch of kids toward the end of summer but this year…I was offered a job teaching morning kindergarten in a local school district.  I found out last week, I have in-service all this week, and then school begins.  I had one day to squeeze in a trip and couldn’t find a single other person available on such short notice.  I was able to talk my friend Trudy into loaning me two of her boys for the day, so we weren’t completely alone!

First we fed the ducks in the park.  I had been saving up bread in the freezer all year for this!

The kids thought the duck on the rock below was the president of all the ducks.  He does look pretty important, doesn’t he?

Then we headed to the playground where the kids mostly played tag.

Next, we headed for the Sturgis Pretzel Factory, which is about a quarter mile walk along a quaint, sweetly picturesque street.

We made it!

Inside we tried samples of chocolate, cinnamon, and spicy cheese pretzels while we waited for the tour. 

Finally, we were allowed in the first room where we line up along the table to make our own pretzels.

Then Jack and Sammy got to help pretend to put the pretzels in the oven (we don’t get to keep and eat the ones we made).

And after the tour we each received a bag of these, just in time to give us energy for the walk to our next stop:

Next we headed for the Wilbur Chocolate Factory.  This is more of a store and less of a tour, though there is a small candy museum inside, but it’s always our last stop, every year.  Plus, who can resist free samples of Wilbur Buds (like Hershey Kisses, but creamier!)

Back to the park, where we enjoyed some of the candy we bought!

Then we headed to the car where we scraped the duck poop off of our shoes and collapsed into the air conditioning.  I’m so glad we got this day trip in.  It truly is one of our favorite summer traditions!