Great Lakes Options (6)

Candyland

There's more to chocolate than meets the mouth. "Candy Chats," which take place daily at Pennsylvania's Hershey Museum through Sept. 3, give visitors an insider's look at how the Hershey bars and kisses are made. Best of all, there are plenty of sweet treats available to sample. The museum, located at 170 W. Hersheypark Drive in Hershey, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors and $3 for children ages 3 to 15. Call (717) 534-3439.

When cows' dung flies

The you-know-what's gonna fly in Wisconsin on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 when the town of Sauk Prairie (located 30 miles northwest of Madison) hosts the state's 27th-annual Cow Chip Throw. The festivities include a Friday night Corporate Cow Chip Challenge led by local businesses and a Tournament of Chips Parade at noon on Saturday, featuring floats made of dried manure (last year's theme was "Moolennium"; this year, it's "Survivor"). The main event begins at 2 p.m when more than 200 contestants will go the distance with pie-sized "discuses" measuring 6 inches to 24 inches in diameter. Can they break the men's and women's records of 248 feet and 151 feet, 2 inches, respectively? Close to 50,000 spectators from around the country are expected to be on hand to cheer them on. For more information, call (608) 643-4317.

Three-hour tours

Lighthouses look impressive from the shore, but they're even more awesome up close. During August, Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry Service, headquartered in Mackinaw City, Mich., is offering a variety of three-hour Lighthouse Cruises along the coast of Lake Michigan. Routes pass 20 structures, including the candy-striped White Shoal light, built in 1910 and one of the most recognizable structures on the Great Lakes; and the St. Helena light (1873), with its restored keeper's house and tower. Costs range from $45.50 to $145 per person. Call (231) 436-5023 for reservations.