Last week my mom and I came back from our annual mother/daughter trip. Instead of going south we went north so I could see the Vanderbilt mansions in Newport. Our drive was an uneventful one until we got into Connecticut. I do believe the entire state is under construction but because of that I got to make one fabulous stop. I stopped at a rest area because I needed to stretch my legs a bit and they had the most intriguing little shop within the area. I bought some postcards and a little Yankee’s man and happily went to the check out counter. It was there that I spotted it. It was lying on
the counter, all colorful and
glossy. It was an advertisement for the Pez Visitor Center or as I
affectionately call it Pez World. I picked up the advertisement and couldn’t believe my eyes. 3,000 sq
feet of Pez! Mom looked at it and said that it was right down the road
from a planned stop and asked if I wanted to go. Since I was driving
that was pretty much a given. I could barely contain my excitement as
we pulled into the parking lot. I opened my car door and took a deep
breath and there it was. The wonderful smell of Pez (the same kind you
get when you open the package). When you walk into the entrance you
notice several things, the bright, colors, the wall of 750 Pez
dispensers and overhead the Orange County Chopper Pez bike. My
experience got even better. I had coupons (oh yes, I had coupons for
admission) and with the price of admission you get two things, another
coupon for money off your purchase and a lanyard with a huge piece of
cardboard Pez that you get to keep. I will be sporting that next year
at school! 
When you walk in it is Pez overload. There is Pez trivia, thousands
of Pez dispensers from all different years. Mom was astonished to see
that one Pez dispenser sold for $3,000. They have several of the old
Pez making machines on display along with a view of the workroom. They
were packaging Halloween dispensers that day. I also learned that it
takes 3,000 lbs of pressure to produce one piece of Pez. It’s the
diamond of the candy world! It’s hard to say what my favorite part was.
Was it the different dispensers, was it the wall of Star Wars
dispensers, or was it the bucket you could buy for $4.99 and fill it
with your favorite flavors. I was proud of myself for not buying the
Lord of the Rings set but I did buy my mom’s godson a Boston Red Socks
one (being a Yankee’s fan that took a lot out of me). 
One either likes Pez or doesn’t but for me it’s the memories. I used to get a Pez dispenser every year in my Christmas stocking and this was like Christmas in June. What was made it even more special was I got to spend the time with my mom. My wonderful mother who had to put up with the massive sugar high I had from enjoying some of my bucket of Pez that very evening. Thanks Mom! I think we should go back next year!
4 comments:
And it was a sugar high she had!
Pez is kind of new concept for me. I think I came across a dispenser as a child in Germany- a dispenser for sweets seemed a bit of a strange idea unless it has a fool proof security lock to stop your sister snatching yours. I can relate to the smell comment- it is my most acute sense and I store up smells- sweets from childhood are definitely in the memory smell bank.
I's glad you enjoyed your visit and hope you have come down from the sugar high now?
I always bought a few for my kids at Christmas too. I should have saved their dispensers, they might be worth something today.
I think unexpected or unplanned excursions like your visit to Pez world are the most fun! Great that you shared the experience with your mom, too.
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