PA Bucket List

Elk County was created on April 18, 1843, from parts of Jefferson, Clearfield and McKean counties. It is named for the eastern elk (now extinct) that historically inhabited the region. Sparsely populated and heavily forested, it is best known for outdoor recreation and the Rocky Mountain elk herd that now thrive there. From beautiful waterfalls to soaring vistas to a nature center...

Historic Hanna's Town, established in 1773, was the first county seat of Westmoreland County, and hosted the first English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains! The Birth of Hanna's Town The town was named for Robert Hanna, a pioneering settler and enterprising businessman, who built a tavern adjacent to Forbes Road in 1769. Forbes Road was the PA Turnpike of its...

If you're looking for some of the best PA rail trails, you're in the right place! During my travels throughout Pennsylvania, I’ve had a chance to ride many exceptional PA rail trails, and I'm going to share a few of my favorites with you here. Pennsylvania is home to more than 2,100 miles of rail trails, the third-most miles of rail...

The Trail of Fallen Heroes in Somerset County is a driving tour that connects four memorials dedicated to the heroes of Flight 93 and the subsequent Global War on Terrorism. When the United States was brutally attacked by radical Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001, one of the first battles in what would become known as the Global War on...

If you're looking for information about the 2023 Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee, you're in the right place! The Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee in Somerset County is a 5 day festival that showcases antique agricultural machinery popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since 1953, the Farmers and Threshermens Jubilee has been held in New Centerville as a way of...

Mountain Craft Days is a three-day outdoor festival featuring more than 125 artisans and entertainers interpreting rural life in western PA in the 18th and 19th centuries. Held on the scenic wooded grounds of the Somerset Historical Center, this festival is an excellent way to learn how the first European settlers in western PA lived, worked, ate, and played. Mountain Craft...

The Nittany Antique Machinery Show is a celebration of America's agricultural history and heritage! Vintage farm equipment collectors and enthusiasts from all over the eastern United States converge on the grounds of historic Penn's Cave every year for this show, to enjoy events like tractor pulls, a flea market, a farm toys show, and equipment demonstrations. And let's not forget food...

September is a fantastic month for exploring Pennsylvania, with fairs, festivals, and ethnic heritage celebrations plentiful across the state! Scroll down to view some of my picks for the best events to attend in Pennsylvania in September, then make plans to hit the road and experience some of them for yourself! 1. The Great Allentown Fair: August 30 – September 4 The...

Historic Bellefonte is both the county seat of Centre County and the "Victorian Jewel" of Pennsylvania! Located 12 miles northeast of State College and Penn State, it is considered one of the best preserved historic towns in the United States. Due to the wealth created by several nearby iron furnaces, Bellefonte became the most influential town between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg in...

Talleyrand Park is one of the crown jewels of historic Bellefonte in Centre County! In a town perhaps best known for its Victorian architecture, its hard to believe that this beautiful greenspace on the banks of Spring Creek almost became the site of a K-Mart in the mid-1970s! Thankfully a group of concerned citizens got involved and formed the all-volunteer Talleyrand...