This week we are virtual Road Trippin’ across the Northeast! The Atlantic coast portion of the Northeast is known for its lobsters and clams. Dairy products, eggs and greenhouse and nursery products are the biggest agricultural products for the whole region, but each state has a specialty.
Maine supplies Atlantic salmon, New Hampshire grows Christmas trees, Vermont is famous for its maple products, and Massachusetts has cranberries and scallops. Rhode Island grows sweet corn, Connecticut provides hard clams and oysters, New York grows apples, New Jersey raises horses and mules, and Pennsylvania grows mushrooms.
The first stop on our tour of the Northeast is in the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania. The moment you see the streetlights shaped like chocolate kisses, you know you are nearing Hershey’s Chocolate World. The smell of warm chocolate greets you when you walk through the front doors. You can take a ride through the story of how a cocoa bean becomes Hershey’s chocolate or become a chocolate factory worker and create your own candy bar. It makes a delicious vacation stop!
Next we’re going up to Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States. The second- fastest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth was recorded on Mount Washington: 231 miles per hour. The day we visited Mount Washington, we were in short-sleeved T-shirts at the base, jackets halfway up, and big coats at the top. The summit was covered in snow, and the wind howled around us. It was one of the most exciting stops on our tour!
It’s a short drive over to Vermont for a yummy stop at the Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour. You can find any current flavor you can think of inside the museum gift shop. The most interesting part of the area is the Flavor Graveyard. All the flavors that are retired have a gravestone with a description and lifespan listed. How could they get rid of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and Coffee, Coffee, BuzzBuzzBuzz?
Our last stop on the tour of the Northeast is Niagara Falls on the border of New York and Canada. Niagara Falls is comprised of three waterfalls – American Falls and Bridal Falls on the U.S. side and Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. When you stand on the viewing platforms beside the falls, you can feel the power of the roaring water flowing over the edge. During peak flow, over 700,000 gallons of water per second pour over Niagara Falls.
The most exciting way to experience Niagara Falls is by riding the Maid of the Mist tour boat right up to the bottom of the falls. When you see them handing out raincoats to everyone, you know you’ll be up close and personal with the spray from the falls. Niagara Falls is another American natural wonder that you definitely need to visit.
There is much more to do and see in the Northeast. You can watch our Road Trippin’ Across the USA! – The Northeast! Video on the Dade County 4-H Facebook page or on our Dade County GA 4-H YouTube channel. A new video is posted each Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern.
