PA Bucket List

The Cross on the Hill near Benezette in Elk County is both an inspiring roadside attraction and a gorgeous scenic overlook! Erected in 1990, the Cross was envisioned as an interfaith memorial and a place for meditation and spiritual healing. A Prayer Walk was added to the site in 2014, stretching 80 yards from the parking lot along Gray Hill Road...

Clyde Peeling's Reptiland in Union County is a zoo that specializes in exotic reptiles and amphibians from around the world! This AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) accredited zoo houses more than 40 species in naturalized habitats, with a mission to educate people about reptiles while entertaining them at the same time. I've visited this zoo at least a half-dozen times...

Centre County was created on February 13, 1800, from parts of Huntingdon, Lycoming, Mifflin, and Northumberland counties. It was named for its central location in the state, and is probably best known as being the home of Penn State University. From beautiful waterfalls to historic buildings to caverns to museums, here are 21 of the best things to see and do in...

Arts Fest in State College is back in 2022! After a 2 year hiatus due to COVID, Arts Fest returns from Wednesday, July 13 to Sunday, July 17 in downtown State College and on Penn State's campus. Arts Fest covers a 1.5 mile loop through downtown State College and across a portion of Penn State's campus, using portions of South...

Altoona-style pizza may be the most talked-about Pennsylvania culinary invention in the history of social media! And much of the credit for it's continued popularity/notoriety goes to Steve Corklic, owner of 29th Street Pizza Subs & More and flag-bearer for this Blair County delicacy. Recently I had a chance to stop in at Steve's establishment in Altoona, determined to render my...

The 100 Mile Yard Sale in Clearfield, Cameron, Elk, and Centre counties is an event I eagerly look forward to every year. This event is to "pickers", flea market fanatics, and bargain hunters what the Super Bowl is to football fans - part spectacle, part competition, and tons of fun! The 2022 100 Mile Yard Sale takes place on July...

The Pine Creek Declaration of Independence, as it has come to be known, was signed on July 4, 1776 beneath an elm tree on the west bank of present-day Pine Creek in Clinton County. The signers were a group of frontier settlers known as the Fair Play Men, and they signed their own declaration of independence from Great Britain at...

Idlewild Park in Westmoreland County is Pennsylvania's longest-operating amusement park! In fact, many of the beautiful structures at Idlewild are well over 100 years old and still in use to this very day. Located 50 miles east of Pittsburgh along the historic Lincoln Highway (AKA Route 30), a trip to Idlewild has been a summer tradition for me since the early...

Blue Knob in Bedford County is the second highest mountain in Pennsylvania, only 67 feet shorter than Mount Davis in Somerset County. Located at Blue Knob State Park, this was thought to be THE tallest mountain in Pennsylvania until 1921. In the 1950s, the summit was the location of an Air Force radar station, until it was deactivated in 1961. Now the...

If you're looking for a guide to the best Pennsylvania fairs in 2022, you're in the right spot! Growing up as a farm kid in western PA, I've been going to Pennsylvania fairs my entire life, but for those of you less familiar with the concept, I'll give you a brief overview of what to expect at one of these...