NYLON - February 2009 - (Page 80) factory girl: dani and the chocolate factory factory girl dani stahl kisses and tells. photographed by jess lai EVERYONE LOVES KISSES this time of year, and I certainly didn’t want to leave it up to Cupid to determine whether or not I would get my fill, so I opted to pucker up for the edible kind instead. I set out on a pilgrimage to the chocolate mecca, the Hershey’s Chocolate Factory, located in—where else?—Hershey, Pennsylvania. Access to the factory is notoriously difficult, so it was an honor to be granted a proverbial golden ticket. Once I get there, I quickly notice that the entire town smells like chocolate. (This was something I had heard but had to smell to believe.) A century ago, a confectioner named Milton Hershey had a sweet dream (and a sweet tooth): The town was named for Hershey, the company’s founder, not vice versa, and everything here, including the school, is an homage to his candyland fantasy. A Kiss-themed stoplight directs the traffic at the intersection of Cocoa and Chocolate Avenues. Hershey Park originally opened in 1907 as a leisure spot for the company’s employees, but has since expanded to include world-class rides, a zoo, and the newly renovated Hotel Hershey, which includes a spa. Hershey even has an American Hockey League team, the Hershey Bears. But I’m not here for fun and games, so I set off to the headquarters. First up is Hershey’s Great American Chocolate Tour. I particularly like the animatronic cows (got chocolate milk?) that sing about how cocoa beans are 080
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