AFROTREK AND THE CHOCLATE FACTORY

If only there was truly a Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; (you remember the classic kiddy flick starring Gene Wilder as a mad cap chocolatier and remade by Johnny Depp). [sigh] If only...

Take heart, there is. And it's alive and well in Hershey Pennsylvania.

One cannot be a true sweet-aholic without a visit to the sweetest place on Earth-Hershey, PA. There, youíll find Hersheyworld, aka, THE chocolate factory, and Hershey Park. You'll find Hershey bars and Kisses walking around. The Hershey Hotel, Kisses shaped lampposts, Hershey Gardens, Hershey Museum and other stuff dedicated to that sweet, sweet dark nectar we call chocolate.

The neat thing about Hershey is, you won't need to scrounge around for a golden ticket. The tour of Hershey World is free ($5 if you choose to add the 3-D show) and you get a free sample of goodies at the end.

Hershey Park, is very much kid oriented and doesn't have a REALLY gut wrenching coaster, though the new Storm Chaser is decent, but it does have ample rides to keep you there.

Lightning

Cross a pedestrian bridge from Hershey Park to quaint ZooAmerica. It only has 200 or so critters, but it is a natural, comfortable setting geared for kids. After strolling through the zoo, head over to Hershey Gardens near the Hershey Hotel. It contains a huge rose garden, a unique outdoor butterfly house, and other kid friendly displays.

If you have time you might consider visiting the Hershey Museum. They pretty much complete the story of Milton Hershey that Hershey World just can't do. There is also an interesting Native American exhibit of artifacts collected by Milton.

Of course, the best place to stay is the Hershey Hotel. Far better than one might expect, the hotel is a rather luxurious landmark with about 230 rooms. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America and has fairly decent dining (the Circular Dining Room is best). Of course chocolate is everywhere at the hotel as it is everywhere. There is also a better than average 36 hole golf course near the hotel.

Hotel

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The park is open from May to September, on most weekdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and most weekends until 11 p.m. Daily admission is $39.95 for adults, $22.95 for kids aged 3 to 8 and seniors 55 to 69; kids 2 and under are free. Two-day plans start at $56.50 for adults and seniors and $40.50 for seniors and kids 3 to 8. (Tip: You can get into the park free for a few evening hours when you buy your next day's ticket after 7:30 p.m.) Hershey's Chocolate World , just outside the main gate, replaces the factory tour as the place to see how chocolate is made. A ride through the chocolate-making process is free; a 3-D movie in an interactive theater tells Milton Hershey's story in a refreshingly irreverent way and is well worth the $5 ticket ($4 for kids).

Hershey and his wife had a thing for fine hotels, so they built one. The Hotel Hershey is a Mobil four-star luxury hotel within sight of the Ferris wheel, with plush rooms, a stunning Mediterranean-style lobby and spa where the staff will rub all sorts of chocolate on your person for big bucks. At $369 a room in the high season (and with a jacket-required dining room), it's a lot of hotel for a theme park. But the spa, multiple golf courses and beautiful views make it a destination unto itself. For slightly less, the Hershey Lodge is a sprawling complex with comfortable motel-style rooms, three swimming pools and a sports bar. Rooms during summer are $249 a night. Hershey's Highmeadow Campground offers campsites beginning at $35 and rustic cabins from $74.50 a night. All Hershey resorts include free shuttles to the park and entry at 9 a.m., admission to the Hershey Gardens and Museum and access to golf courses. Use Hershey phone and Web site above for all lodgings. There are non-Hershey options: a Days Inn (350 W. Chocolate Ave., 717-534-2162) with rooms starting at $210 and a Comfort Inn (1200 Mae St., 717-566-2050), also at $210.

Hersheypark is in Hershey, Pa., just east of Harrisburg about two hours from Washington. Take I-270 to Route 15 north at Frederick, Md. At Camp Hill, Pa., pick up Route 581 east to Harrisburg, where it becomes I-83 north. At Exit 46B, take Route 322 east to Hershey and follow the signs.