I Survived Three Mile Island

    Early morning in March of 1979 the greatest fear in the nuclear era almost became a reality. The unit 2 reactor on Three Mile Islands power plant almost suffered a meltdown. After a few panic stricken days and not much word on what was happening, citizens of the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area began to flee. 140,000 citizens evacuated the area due to fears of radiation leakage. Even minute levels of exposure to radiation can cause birth defects and cancer.
    Eventually the plant was deemed safe and no reports of radiation leaks were reported. However after subsequent investigations it was deemed the accident was much worse than originally thought. What transpired in the early hours of that fateful day and the days that followed are sure to always be remembered by those who survived T.M.I. . For more about T.M.I. and the meltdown or other local spots of strange interest go Outta the Way.

Star Barn Middletown, Pennsylvania

Looking for one of the most recognizable barns in North America? Look no further than a small suburb outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The Star Barn is easily recognized by its modern Gothic look, adorned with 5 point stars. The stars symbolize hope and good fortune.

Over the years, the land has been owned by war veterans and even politicians. The area consists of 3.1 acres, including a small pond. The Star Barn will soon be relocated closer to the Hollywood Casino, so get a look at this gem in it's natural place, before it's too late.

Chocolate World - Hershey, PA

Opened in 1973, Hershey's Chocolate World has been entertaining folks for over 35 years now. Originally built as a replacement for the actual plant tour, which became too overwhelming for the factory, the chocolate tour allows you to experience firsthand all that is needed to make the delicious chocolate from the begining stages of cocoa beans, to the finished product rolling off the line.

The tour has gone through numerous changes throughout its years, including a $4.5 million update in 1988 with a robot as your host. The last change occurred in 2006 when several scenes were replaced with singing animatronic cows. Today there are still parts of the ride that have changed very little.

One of the best things about the Chocolate Tour is it's absolutely free. Let's hope Hershey continues on with this tradition and gives many more families the chance to experience this musical ride in Chocolatetown U.S.A.

One World One Heart Winner

Thank you so much for your wonderful response to our One World One Heart giveaway! And thanks to our new followers and fans on facebook!

We have a winner of our pendant and zine giveaway:
3 Sides of Crazy

Thank you! (and stay tuned for another Outta the Way post here today, which includes a fun video!)

One World One Heart

Welcome to Outta the Way!

Here at Outta the Way we take a ride on our magic carpet (a/k/a our car) and go on road trips all over Pennsylvania (and into Maryland.) We love to visit odd, unique and historical places. We are Jim Kohler and Kim Burkhart (also of B.B. Bellezza). We share where we visit here on our blog and in our zine that we put out each month.

Get outta the way! We're going outta the way!

The Giveaway:

We're giving away a copy of Volume 10 of our zine about Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The zine covers 4 places with stories and black and white photos. I know that this is an international event, but I think the stories would be interesting and enjoyable for anyone to read. Places covered in this volume are: the historic Star Barn, Wildwood Park, Three Mile Island, and The Pennsylvania State Hospital.

and

Star Barn Original Photography Glass Tile Pendant
(the Star Barn is featured in Vol. 10 of our zine)

To Enter:

1. Have a blog (it is a blogging event, after all)
2. You can be from anywhere in the world
3. Leave a comment here on this post
4. Make sure your comment has a way for us to get back in touch with you. (either a link to your blog, or your email address)

The winner will receive both the zine and the pendant. The winner will be announced here on February 15th.

Good luck and have fun!