Pennsylvania -
Main fountain garden, Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania
Regions
• Coal Region
• Cumberland Valley
• Delaware Valley
• Lehigh Valley
• Northern Tier
• Northwest Region
• Pennsylvania Dutch Country
• Laurel Highlands
• The Poconos
• Susquehanna Valley
• Western Pennsylvania
Get Around
By car
In addition to the Interstate highways that enter Pennsylvania and travel throughout:
• The Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) is a toll freeway that is the main east-west route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with state capital Harrisburg along the way. Take note of the four tunnels through Appalachian ridges.
• The Turnpike's "Northeast Extension" (I-476, also toll) reaches north from Philadelphia to Allentown and Scranton. Another tunnel is found along it.
• U.S. Route 322 travels diagonally from the Philadelphia area to just below Erie. Many portions have been converted to freeway, but numerous small towns still lie directly on the way.
• U.S. Route 22 is an alternative, more mountainous path west through Altoona and Johnstown to Pittsburgh.
• U.S. Route 6 is a long, rural, scenic drive across Pennsylvania's "Northern Tier". Go west from the northern Poconos through the valley of Scranton and its suburbs, follow the Susquehanna River through the "Endless Mountains", spend three hours through state and national forest land, and end near Lake Erie.
• U.S Route 30, also named the Lincoln Highway, is a section of the first coast-to-coast paved road in the United States. The highway is especially nice in the central part of Pennsylvania where it passes agricultural areas and is the main street of many small historic towns. Many of these towns have attempted to capitalize on their location on the Lincoln Highway by preserving original structures and opening them as visitors' centers.
• There also exists a wide network of state highways and municipal roads that reach into the mostly forested and farmed rural areas. The more mountainous of these areas should be traversed with caution by visitors as they can be drastically winding, narrow, or steep (or all three!) in parts.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a geographically diverse state with a Great Lake on one shore and a major seaport on the other. The climate of Pennsylvania is pleasant, with cold, often snowy winters, mild to hot, humid summers, and gorgeous green springtimes, and most notably, spectacular displays of colorful autumn foliage.
Pennsylvania hosts a number of vital cities, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia houses the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, two major national historical landmarks. The interior of the state has a number of subcultures worth exploring, including the famous Amish countryside, a religious community based in Christian Anabaptist dogma.
Pennsylvania is also home to a diverse group of people, with ethnic enclaves of black, Hispanic, and Southeast Asian populations in its major cities.
Climate
Pennsylvania's climate varies by region with it being colder in the elevation of the north and warmer in the southeast where summers are typically warmer and humid with temperatures averaging 76 degrees and winters are mild. In the northwest, The Lake Plains have a mild climate as they are in close proximity to Lake Erie.
The spring and summer seasons produce the greatest rainfall. Snow is usually present in the winter months throughout the state.
Get In
By car
Interstate highways lead most traffic into the state. Clockwise from east:
• from Boston: I-84 W.
• from New York City to Scranton, Allentown, Philadelphia: I-80 W, I-78 W, I-95 S.
• from Washington and Baltimore to Philadelphia, Harrisburg: I-95 N, I-83 N.
• from the Appalachian Mountains to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh: I-81 N, I-79 N.
• from St. Louis and Indianapolis: I-70 E.
• from Chicago: I-80 E.
• from Cleveland to Erie: I-90 E.
• from Toronto: I-90 W.
• from Montreal: I-81 S.
• Also, U.S. Routes 219, 15, and 220 (soon to be I-99) all enter the state at alternative points from both the north and south.
State-operated Welcome Centers and Comfort Facilities are located just inside the borders at all major crossings into Pennsylvania.
By train
Amtrak serves Pennsylvania with major stops at Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh. Philadelphia is a stop on the Northeast Corridor.
By air
• The two major airports in Pennsylvania are Philadelphia International (booking code PHL) and Pittsburgh International (booking code PIT). Philadelphia is a major hub for US Airways and Pittsburgh is an large focus city for the same carrier. Both are served by all major carriers and have low fare service by Southwest and AirTran Airways. Philadelphia is also one of the Northeast's major international termini.
• Regional airports in Pennsylvania include Lehigh Valley, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. All of these airports are served by US Airways, US Airways Express, Delta, Northwest and Continental. Erie is slightly bigger. Lehigh Valley has low-fare service by Lehigh Valley Air and TMA, and Harrisburg has service by TMA as well (TMA suspended flights in 2005).
Attractions
• The Philadelphia Zoo was the country's first zoo. Other notable zoos include Claws 'n Paws, Erie Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo, and ZOOAMERICA.
• Crayola Factory in Easton
• The state boasts some of the finest museums in the country. One of the unique museums is the Houdini Museum, the only building in the world devoted to the legendary magician. It is also home to the National Aviary, located in Pittsburgh.
• The Jimmy Stewart Museum
• All 121 state parks in Pennsylvania feature free admission.
• Pennsylvania offers a number of notable amusement parks, including Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Dutch Wonderland, DelGrosso Amusement Park , Hershey Park, Idlewild Park, Kennywood, Knoebels, Lakemont Park, Sandcastle Waterpark, Sesame Place, Great Wolf Lodge and Waldameer Park.
• There are also notable music festivals that take place in PA. These include Musikfest, Creation Festival, and Purple Door.
• Pennsylvania is a great state for sportsmen and sportswomen. There are nearly 1 million licensed hunters. Whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits, squirrel, turkey, and grouse are common game species.
• Archbald Pothole State Park where you'll find the world's largest glacial pothole.
• Visit Amish Country for a guided tour
• America's Oldest Brewery is located in Pottsville
• Bushkill Falls waterfalls
• Hershey's Chocolate World and Hershey Park in the Chocolate Capital of the U.S. - Hershey, PA
• Mount Davis - 3,213 ft. - highest point in Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon - Tioga County
• Pocono Mountains
Stay Safe
As with most locations in the United States, a major cause of injury and death in Pennsylvania comes from automobile accidents. Drivers can be down-right hostile on some of the more notorious urban freeways, such as the Schuykill (Sure Kill) Expressway in Philadelphia, the 376 in Pittsburgh and on the Interstate 95 corridor in the southeast section of the state.
During periods of hunting season, persons entering the woods are advised by the PA Game Commission to wear "blaze orange".
Quick Facts
• The official state toy is the slinky.
• Philadelphia became home to the first computer in 1946.
• The longest stone arch bridge in the world is the Rockville Bridge located in Harrisburg.
• Indiana County is the Christmas Tree capital of the world.
• Philadelphia was once the capital of the U.S
Adapted from WikiTravel under the Wiki License
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