Kraynak’s Easter Bunny Lane, located at 2525 East State St Hermitage, PA 16148, is a fantastic place for both young and old. Featuring a 300 foot display of wonderful decorations and animatronic figures which are updated every year. Everything is represented from fun to faith based. This year the entire display is sure to be a hit, although I was also a bit partial to the Sesame Street / Star Wars themed room. Something about Big Bird in a Chewbaca outfit just made me chuckle. Kraynak’s has been in operation since 1949 and has entertained many generations with Christmasland and Easter Bunny Lane. The Easter display will be open until the Monday after Easter from 9am-9pm Monday -Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday. If you have small preschool age children the best time to go is during the day when the lines are short. The store itself hosts an impressive toy section as well as a place to purchase many of the decorations used in the holiday display. Admission to this attraction is free, but I will admit there has not been too many occasions that I ever left empty handed. Since I was 10 years old this was a holiday tradition that I looked forward to.
Just a short drive down the road is Daffins, home of the Chocolate Kingdom. Yes, you read that correctly- a CHOCOLATE Kingdom! (Located at 496 East State Street Sharon, Pa 16146) The Daffin family has been making chocolate since 1903 and their expertise shows. This fabulous array of the art of chocolatier boasts several large and impressive sculptures including two castles, a ferris wheel, elephants and a 400 pound chocolate turtle. This display is open year round Monday - Saturday 9am to 8pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Once again this exhibit is free but you will leave inspired and hungry for a sweet treat which is easily provided in the 20,000 square foot store filled with, you guessed it, chocolate and other delicious candies. Whether you want a signature Peter Rabbit chocolate bunny, a truffle, or a chocolate covered pretzel one of their 600 different creations is sure to hit the spot.
On a more serious note, there is another stop in Hermitage (right next to Kraynak’s in fact) that I would like to suggest. The Avenue of the 444 Flags located at 2619 East State St Hermitage, Pa 16148. By itself it is an impressive display of patriotism and well worth a drive through. For those of us who remember, it is a chance to teach our youth of the true cost of freedom. On February 11, 1980 the first 100 flags were raised, marking the 100th day that 52 Americans were held hostage by Iranians led by Ayatollah Khomeini after the US Embassy is Tehran was overrun. Every day the hostages were held captive regardless of the weather another flag was added to the driveway into the cemetery. On January 20th, 1981 the 444th and final flag was added and the hostages were released. A monument was erected in honor of the servicemen who were casualties of a failed rescue attempt on April 25th, 1980 and is located near the end of the driveway with an eternal flame. In the middle of the 444 flags stand the War on Terror memorial. Consisting of 12 glass panels with more than 7,000 names in chronological order of death. It was erected to remember those service men and women who were killed in the ongoing war on terror. This monument is updated as soon as possible after each new death of an American soldier. Kids will be naturally curious about the flags and the panels, so take this as an opportunity to teach. More information can be found about each of the memorials at www.americascemetery.com
As always I hope this article inspires you to take a day trip and remember in the words of the great J.R.R. Tolkien “not all those who wander are lost”
