A Sweet Day in Hershey, Pennsylvania

It all started when Milton Hershey went into a caramel business.
One day there was a big order from England.  They wanted ALOT of caramels.
But what England did was cover the caramels with chocolate.  When kids bought the candy, they ate
all the chocolate around it and spit out the caramels.  And soon Mr. Hershey went bankrupt.
Hershey started again.  But this time with more chocolate.  But still he went broke.
His motto was "to try and try again".  And the third time it worked!
He finally built his own successful chocolate factory.
Before he died he gave all of his billions to make a school for orphans, built a hospital, a city and the huge ChocolateWorld like I visited today!

Idaho was really cool we  went on top of the biggest single sand dune in  northern America! we were allowed to go scorpion hunting but we didn't. we went to all sorts of camp grounds! Now we are in Idaho and we saw the Shoshone falls ! At the falls I got a eagle slingshot. We stopped off at  a camp ground and I found some rocks that I could sling! Today when we went for a walk with the family I found some cool rocks at a beautiful bridge but when I went down to pick some up I realised there was a snake! He had a forked tongue!I told Mom and Dad that I saw a snake and they immediately went to look at it!!I thought they were crazy! So after the shock we went back to the RV and now we are leaving to Preston! 

Back in Florida

We arrived a few days ago in Florida, right where we started. We have been staying at our cousin's house. While we were there we went to the mueseum and learned about the human body. Also we had our Nana and Poppyseed stay with us. We watched slide shows of our Bahamas trip and we ate a lovely bunt cake.

P.S. I helped make it of course. Anyway our flight back to New Zealand is soon and I can't wait to see all my friends again. I had a wonderful time in the Bahamas and in Florida but now I am ready for a new adventure.

Nassau, Bahamas

This blog entry is dedicated to our dear friends and crew of the catamaran, "Rio Dulce" - Dick, Maryanne, Brady, AnneMarie and Brian.
Because of your incredible generosity (or lack of good judgement *grin*) we have made lasting friendships and memories here in the Bahamas.
Rip it up in Georgetown!!!
See you down under!
The crew of "Ohana" - Paul, Becky, Madison and Kelsey

"The Time Capsule"

Norman's Cay, Exumas

Today we put together special letters to our future and sealed them into an old bottle. Norman's Cay has a beautiful white sandy beach with a really cool twisty tree on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
We climbed the sharp rocks, dug a big hole under some palmetto palms and buried our "treasure". One day we'll come back and dig it up. Mabye with our own kids!
We brought our GPS along to plot our exact position, and of course, a shovel.
Afterwards, we bodysurfed some awesome waves.
Toodles for now,
Mermaid Maddie

Georgetown, Bahamas

Hi everybody!

Madison here! 3 years ago we celebrated Kelsey's birthday here on the beach. We are back again swinging in the trees, playing beach volleyball and having one heck of a good time.

Today the weather turned u-g-l-y and we had to stay on the boat all day. Ugh!

BUT, we made the most of it by baking pretzels and sipping hot cocoa. After our lessons I played chess and hide and seek with Kelsey.

That's all for now, but catch up with me next week in Nassau before we head back to the states.

Toodles!

Staniel Cay

Well the internet connections have been so bad here that Madison has not been able to update her blog. I'll give a quick update since the tin foil antenna strapped to my sunburned head seems to be working!

We've spent the last couple of days in Staniel Cay in the central Exumas. The highlight has been diving the Thunderball Cave with the girls on a daily basis. Maddie and Kelsey are both snorkling fools now and jump into almost anything. Madison got her nerve up to exit the cave through a narrow little tunnel as well. I was so proud of her.

Beck fed the sargent majors from the dink while we all swam around. Talk about a feeding frenzy! Kelsey finally got nibbled so that put an end to those festivities. Hope she'll go back in the water!

Today we start heading south slowly. No internet for a few days. I'll miss sitting around the restaurant with all the other laptop junkies saying "you on yet?" Sigh.