An Afternoon Out With my Inner 8-Year-Old

Today I had my first major adventure since arriving in Pennsylvania! I'll Quentin Tarantino it and tell it in reverse just for maximum effect.

Even though it was pouring when I left Easton, PA, I could not resist driving over the Delaware River into New Jersey. I really wanted to add another state to my places-I've-been list, even if it meant suffering through my nerves over a grated bridge and seeing NJ through my windshield wipers.

I had just walked back to my car in the pouring rain. However drenched, I managed to snap this photo to display just how thrilling my afternoon adventure had been.

Leaving the factory I walked through groups of families; screaming children and pissy parents who were at wits end with the amount of fun and stimulation captured inside one building.

The creative stations were plentiful—all busy, dirty and totally exciting to me. I had to resist my temptation to knock little Timmy and Jimmy off the kiddie sized stools to play with the modeling clay and experience the quick drying finger paint.



Here you could color with any.color.imaginable. as long as you didn't take or eat the crayons. This was almost too much for me. Also there wern't any seats open so I took to snapping a photo of the random children instead.

There was a really cool room outfitted like a street with a concrete floor and chalk strewn about. Sidewalk chalk is so 1990 though, so I paid more attention to the opposite glow art wall that reminded me of my wishing for an overhead projector days. Oh wait. I still want an overhead projector.

I really enjoyed the glass hallway built into the middle of the first creative station. They had window markers available for everyone to doodle on the glass panes. I was ultra thrilled to leave my mark here; please let me believe they won't ever wash my creation off. It's a little tough to read, so click on the picture to make it bigger.

My favorite of all the creative stations was the Wonder Marker station. Don't judge me, but I did try it. I waited until little Katie finished coloring her Cars coloring page, however I did not move when Stevie and his snot soaked brother came over looking for a seat.

By far the most awesome part of the entire experience was the demonstration a little white-haired man gave on making the crayons and markers. He poured the liquid wax over the huge mold right in front of us, showed us how to dump the dried crayons out and also explained how the ink gets inside of markers. Fascinating.
Oh and they gave everyone (even the 22 year old that went through the factory solo) three tokens to put in the marker, crayon and molding clay machines to retrieve freebies! In the main hallway they had some history on the brand including displays of the first crayons and markers ever made.
Next door was the gift shop that I wandered into first by accident. It was well worth it though because I got to see the world's biggest crayon!!!!

I loved the Crayola Factory!!! Yes, the amount of stares I received for running around like a child, but without a child, surpassed the number on the ticker they had for the amount of Crayola crayons that have ever been made, BUT I DON'T CARE!

It was by far the coolest museum I've ever been in, I have snow men made out of modeling clay, a macaroni and cheese colored crayon and a Crayola Factory lime green marker to prove it.

Here is a photo of me in front of the crayon/marker making demonstration. The lady that took it was nice enough to not give me the crazy eye for being there alone.