About

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Mission Statement


The mission of PA Bucket List to inspire and guide those interested in exploring the natural and man-made wonders of Pennsylvania.


About Rusty Glessner

I’m Rusty Glessner – creator of PA Bucket List.

Rusty Glessner at Rusty Falls in the Loyalsock State Forest, Sullivan County, PA.
Rusty Glessner – writer, photographer, and webmaster at PA Bucket List.

Prior to launching PA Bucket List in 2019, I enjoyed a successful career as a real estate photographer in State College, PA.

Commercial real estate promo photo by Rusty Glessner.
Apartment complex promotional photo by Rusty Glessner.

That’s not to say that I wasn’t involved in travel/landscape photography, as many of my images found their way onto the covers of some of PA’s most prominent magazines and travel guides, long before I caught the “blogging bug”.

September/October 2015 Pennsylvania Magazine with cover photo by Rusty Glessner.
Pennsylvania Magazine September/October 2015 – photo by Rusty Glessner.

Still, travel/landscape photography was something I was doing “just for fun”.

July/August 2017 Pennsylvania Magazine with cover photo by Rusty Glessner.
Pennsylvania Magazine July/August 2017 – photo by Rusty Glessner.

Sometime around 2018, I took a look around the “blogosphere” and realized that most of the Pennsylvania travel blogs were either poorly written, poorly photographed, or both.

2019 Central PA Visitors Guide, with cover photo by Rusty Glessner.
Central PA Visitors Guide – photo by Rusty Glessner.

Thinking I could do better, I bought a domain name, taught myself how to build a website, and PA Bucket List was born!

Pa Parks and Forests Awards Banquet program, with cover photo by Rusty Glessner.
PA Parks and Forests awards banquet program – photo by Rusty Glessner.

Since publishing my first article in February 2019, PA Bucket List has become the #1 Pennsylvania-themed travel blog, with nearly 5 million unique website visitors per year, over 300,000 social media followers, and mentions/features in numerous media outlets.

Publications that have featured or mentioned PA Bucket List.
PA Bucket List has been mentioned/featured in numerous media outlets, including the ones pictured above.

As a result of my commitment to creating photo-rich content combined with practical, first-hand information, I’m proud to now be recognized as a foremost expert on the best things to see and do in Pennsylvania!

2024 Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests Recreational Guide, with cover photo by Rusty Glessner.
2024 Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests Recreational Guide – cover photo by Rusty Glessner.

So from the home office in State College, which I share with my wife Janice, my daughter Hailee, and two spoiled kitties – I want to thank you for making PA Bucket List the #1 Pennsylvania-themed travel blog on the internet!

Zena and Merlin.
Zena (L) and Merlin (R) thank you for your support.

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Pennsylvania’s Best Travel Blog!