Discover Appalachia by National Geographic:    http://www.nationalgeographic.com/appalachia/

Letchworth State Park (New York)  and Glen Iris Inn:  http://www.glenirisinn.com/    and   http://www.letchworthadventure.com/
Three sets of beautiful water falls, and a dinner and inn facility that is available at  very reasonable
prices. A good place for anniversaries or retreat-get-away; quiet, isolated, beautiful, comfortable).
This place is about 4.5 hours north of State College.

Lewisburg Packwood House Museum (including Edith Fetherson's paintings): http://www.packwoodhousemuseum.com/

National  Watch and Clock Museum (Columbia, PA): http://www.nawcc.org/museum/museum.htm

Riverside Inn, Cambridge Springs (thanks to Bill Verity): http://www.theriversideinn.com/
Bill says that this is a real neat place, full of antiques,  with reasonable rates and a dinner theatre.

Wennawoods Publishing (17tha nd 18th Century Journey accross the Eastern Frontier:  http://www.wennawoods.com/

Williamsport Arts Center:  http://www.pct.edu/commarts/
Scott A Smith's Tour of Wellsboro, PA area
Wini and Tony's Favorite Pennsylvania Attractions

Family Travel Guide:  http://www.familytravelguides.com/

TRAILS

Keystone Trails:  http://www.kta-hike.org/
Rails to Trails Pennsylvania:  http://www.RailTrails.org/PA/
TrailLink Trail Search:  http://www.traillink.com/
Trails.com:  http://www.trails.com/explore/FindArea.asp?State=PA

Tioga County Parks, Lakes, and Trails:  http://www.visittiogapa.com/

Wellsboro Web pages
   Friends of Wellsboro:  http://www.wellsboropa.com/friends.html
  Wellsboro on the Internet:  http://wellsboropa.com/
  Penn Wells Hotel & Lodge:  http://www.pennwells.com/
       62 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901, phone:  570-724-2111
       (A good deal for both lodging and dinner)
  Pine Creek Outfitters:  http://www.pinecrk.com/
  Blue Moon Inn:  http://www.stpr.org/stpr99/wellsboro.html
     (A beautiful first-class Bed and Breakfast; also see above for others)

Scott A Smith's Tour of Wellsboro, PA area

o Trivia about Wellsboro that you might use to impress friends/family:
  -> county seat of Tioga County
  -> home of the annual Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival (early June)
  -> home of the Field family, whose most famous family member, Cyrus
          Field, was credited with laying the first trans-Atlantic cable
          in the mid-1800s (Cyrus, by the way, was a relative of my
          grandmother, Sadie Field Roberts)
  -> home of the first public, fiber optic telephone system in the world

o Places to stay in Wellsboro:
  -> Penn Wells Motor Lodge - a modern facility (relative to the rest
          of the area) with a swimming pool, sauna, & exercise room
  -> Penn Wells Hotel - an old hotel with comfortable, renovated rooms
          and full access to the pool, sauna, & exercise equipment at the
          Penn Wells Motor Lodge
  -> there are a couple of Bed-n-Breakfasts in town, but I don't know much
          about these - the one at 56 West Avenue looks real nice though.
          The Blue Moon, is quite plush and reportedly great breakfasts.
          No kids there though.

o Places to eat in Wellsboro:
  -> The famous Wellsboro Diner - try it for either breakfast or lunch - a
          quaint diner car that has been widely publicized as one of PA's
          unique diners.
  -> The Penn Wells Hotel - reasonable prices - great Sunday Brunch - also
          a good Saturday night smorgasbord and Friday Night fish fry/broil.
  -> Dinner and a Movie theatre next (right) to Penn Wells Hotel.
     Choice of four movies and dinner for $16 each.
  -> There's a Chinese Restraunt right in town, not too far from the Diner.
  -> The Antler's Inn (ok, it's not really in Wellsboro, but it's not much
          more than 20 miles away) - The Antler's Inn is located between
          Ansonia and Gaines, close to Pine Creek on PA Route #6 - doesn't
          open until 4:00 p.m., but has an excellent dinner menu - say 'hi'
          to Ron, the proprietor, for me - if Ron's not there, say 'hi' to
          his mother, Orpha, for me.
  -> Cedar Run Inn (once again, not in Wellsboro, but then again, not too
          far away either) - this is a great Bed-n-Breakfast along Pine Creek
          in the extremely small village of Cedar Run - absolutely great
          evening dinners - small dining room, so reservations are highly
          recommended - it is in the middle of nowhere & not exactly easy
          traveling to get to - located about 25 miles southwest of Wellsboro -
          check your map for directions - if you can't visit the Cedar Run Inn
          this time around, try it for a weekend get-away (if you like
          seclusion from the rest of the world)

o What to see in Wellsboro:
    -> I recommend taking Scott's Walking Tour of Wellsboro
     o       start at the Penn Wells Hotel - turn right when coming out of
             the hotel and go up Main Street (doesn't every small town
             have a Main Street?)
     o       check out the gas lights up the entire median strip of the town
     o       the main business district is only 3 blocks long, then . . .
     o       you'll pass the old Chamber of Commerce on the right - stop
             in and get some more literature about the area
     o       then comes the old County Courthouse on the right - check
             the old spelling of Court (Covrt ??)
     o       some large homes line this street as you continue up Main St
     o       just past the large, white Greenfree Library, you'll see a dark
             colored house on the corner - the door of this house was
             presented as a gift to the original owner by President
             Lincoln in the 1800s
     o       another block up, on the right, is the West End Market - stop
             in for some good hand-dipped ice cream (not sure if they still
             have ice cream since new ownership took over
     o       continue briefly around the corner onto West Avenue - just
             far enough to see the 3rd home on the left (5 West Avenue) -
             this is the home where I spent the first 18 years of my life!
     o       turn around and go back down the other side of Main Street
     o       when you get back to the area near the Courthouse, walk
             around the square block area affectionately known as
             'The Green' - in the middle of 'The Green' is a nice water
             splashed statue of Wynken, Blynken, & Nod (one of only two
             in the world)
     o       continue down Main Street to the other end of the business
             district where you'll see the Wellsboro Diner on the corner -
             just past The Diner, you'll see The Cellar Door, a nice shop
             that some folks seem to really like
     o       tour ends here - hope you can find your way back to the
             starting point

o  How about things to see outside Wellsboro:
    -> don't miss Pine Creek - get out your map and find your way to
       Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon - there are two lookouts over the
       canyon (1000 feet deep) - one on each side of the gorge
    -> Leonard Harrison State Park on one side - several nice views of the
            canyon and a nice hiking trail to the base of the canyon (recently
            renovated for easier walking) - warning:   it goes down 1000 feet
            and there's no escalator to bring you back up!
    -> when looking over this side of the canyon, you can see a small
            cottage across the creek at the base - this cottage was once
           owned by PA Governor Stone
    -> if you go to the Leonard Harrison side, check out AnimalLand, about
            3 miles before reaching Harrison Park - if you go in the AnimalLand
            Gift Shop, say 'hi' to my first cousin, Janet Bodine, proprietor -
            also you'll want to check out the Boar's Head statue on the wall -
            this boar was killed during World War II in Germany by my Uncle
            Arden Smith - the largest boar killed in Germany that year -
            I'll tell you about the bloody ceremony when you have some time
    -> on the other side of the canyon is Colton Point - a pretty drive up
            through the woods to get there - absolutely no commercial
            ventures up this side - just park land
    -> there are other sites on Pine Creek, but these are much more difficult
            to get to (e.g., Owassi Rapids - only rapid in the spring!; a foot
            bridge across Pine Creek - it's closed now - privately owned;
            the railroad bed along the canyon - recently converted into
            recreational use as part of the PA Rails-to-Trails program - at last
            check, it was 'paved' (actually crushed stone) from Ansonia to just
            south of Blackwell - no motorized vehicles allowed - open to
            hiking & biking

Wini and Tony's Favorite Pennsylvania Attractions by Wini Wolff and Tony Medwid

Our 12 Favorite Things to See and Do in Pennsylvania

Now that we’ve visited all 67 counties in the state, we wanted to come up with a list of our top 5 or 10 Pennsylvania attractions.  After recalling all the sights that we’ve seen, we ended up with 12 things that were most memorable for us.  So if you’re looking for things to see and do in Pennsylvania, here are our suggestions (in no particular order).

Capitol Building
Dauphin County, Harrisburg
The Capitol Building dome was modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and rises 272 feet into the air.  Inside, the rotunda is magnificent.  While standing on the tile floor which depicts different scenes and themes from Pennsylvania life, let your eyes travel up the grand staircase, circling around either side, right up to the elaborate ceiling and rotunda dome.  Wander around the ornate legislative and judicial chambers and check out the impressive wall murals.  It’s a remarkable building.

Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania
Tioga County
Pine Creek wends its way through a mountain gorge cut by glaciers 20,000 years ago.  Approached from either east or west, you can enjoy spectacular views of the verdant Tioga State Forest and the canyon 1,450 feet below.  Park your car at the top, hike down to the bottom of the canyon (half hour or so) and dip your toes in babbling Pine Creek.  There’s a bike trail along the creek for walking or riding.  Enjoy a picnic lunch or camp for a few days.  It’s lush, peaceful and beautiful.

Railroaders Museum
Cambria County, Altoona
The town of Altoona was created as a railroad town to repair locomotives which broke down making their way across the Allegheny Mountains.  Later it became the center for building all of Pennsylvania Railroad’s new train cars.  Once railroad companies found ways to traverse the mountains, the railroad industry flourished, playing an important and central role in Pennsylvania’s history.  In Altoona in the early 1900s, 17,000 people worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad, at that time the world’s largest corporation.  The Railroaders Museum plays tribute to this history and to the thousands of immigrants on whose back the railroad was built.  This outstanding museum brings Pennsylvania railroad history to life with creative and interactive displays.

Horseshoe Curve
Cambria County, near Altoona
In the early days of our county, settlement and commerce were largely restricted to the eastern seaboard because it was impossible for trains (filled with people and goods) to move westward over the Appalachian Mountains (in Pennsylvania, known as the Allegheny Mountains).  In the 1850s an ingenious idea was attempted -- instead of going up one side of the mountain and down the other, the hand-hewn Horseshoe Curve works it way around from one mountainside to the next in a gradual grade, allowing locomotives to traverse the mountain ridge.  As the train bends its way around the curve, passengers in the front car are able to see all the way back to the caboose.  The track is still used today and it’s a sight to see.

Johnstown Flood Region
Blair County
In 1889, after 3 days of torrential rain, the Little Conemaugh River and reservoir broke through the earthen South Fork Dam.  Water went barreling down the river, traveling 14 miles to Johnstown, picking up tons of debris along the way (trees, entire houses, railroad cars).  The wall of water and debris crashed down on the city of Johnstown and wreaked incredible devastation, killing more than 2,200 people.  Begin your visit upstream at the visitors’ center on the hillside at South Fork Dam, from where you can still discern the outline of the reservoir and see the crumbled dam.  It’s haunting.  Then head down to Johnstown to visit the Flood Museum and view the site where the river slammed down against the town.

Fallingwater
Fayette County
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright built his most famous house in 1939 for the wealthy Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh department store fame, straddling a stream and waterfall in the Laurel Highlands.  The pictures you’ve seen don’t begin to evoke the feeling one gets when standing on the terrace in Fallingwater’s beautiful surroundings.  Even without a background in architecture, one can easily appreciate what an amazing building this is.  The house blends perfectly with the landscape in Zen-like simplicity.  Not sure we’d want to live there, but it is an incredible place to visit.

Historic Philadelphia
Philadelphia County (the only county in PA without a county courthouse)
Growing up in this region, it was easy for us to take Philadelphia for granted.  But this is where the country began.  Take the tour you’ve never taken (or have only taken for granted).  Visit the historic district -- Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross’s House, Elfreth’s Ally, Society Hill.  And don’t miss the new National Constitution Center.  With its impressive interactive displays, you could spend the better part of a day here.  Not far from the historic area is City Hall, the largest masonry municipal building in the world (14 acres of floor space).  Go up the tower (at 548 feet, the tallest structure in the world without a steel frame) to the base of William Penn for a panoramic view of the city.

Gettysburg Battlefield
Adams County
Gettysburg is an historic site of mythic proportions.  The natural beauty of the region belies its horrific history, making it quite a place to visit.  Check out the Visitors’ Center, take the driving tour, walk across the field where Pickett led his fateful charge, and wander through the rows and rows of white headstones in the cemetery.  End the day with a stroll through the town of Gettysburg -- a lively little town with lots of shops and plenty of restaurants.

Lackawana Coal Mine Tour
Lackawana County, near Scranton
Put on your hard hat and descend 1,900 feet on a tram car into a real coal mine.  58ºF year round, oxygen is piped in from the top and circulated with fans.  In the old days, miners would take a canary down into the mines with them.  If the canary keeled over, it was a sign that oxygen was running low and it was time to get out -- fast.  It’s hard to believe that so many men and boys did this backbreaking, dangerous work -- blasting with dynamite in confined areas, sometime crawling around in lodes only 18 inches high.  Today, the mine is lighted with electricity but it used to be lighted only with candles.  And when the lights go out -- it’s unbelievably dark.

Kinzua Bridge
McKean County
Built in 1882, the bridge is 2,100 feet long and 301 feet off the ground, a gorgeous old wooden railroad bridge spanning the Kinzua River.  If you’re brave, you can walk across but watch your step.  If you’re afraid of heights, don’t look down -- you can see through the railroad ties to the Kinzua way below.  While walking across the bridge we met a fellow who said that he and his friends used to hang out and drink on the bridge in high school, dangling their feet over the side before there were railings.  Yikes!  Tour trains still go across the bridge.  Gorgeous.

Drake Oil Well
Venango County, Titusville
In 1859 the first successful oil well was dug by Edwin Drake, and the petroleum industry was born -- right here in Pennsylvania.  (Ahh, now those names like Quaker State and Pennzoil make sense.)  Oil was sent in barrels down the Allegheny River to Oil City.  Today at the museum, next to the 7,000-acre Oil Creek State Park, you can see working replicas of the machinery and equipment used in 1859 and one of the largest derricks used in Pennsylvania.

Presque Isle State Park
Erie County
Presque Isle State Park is a peninsula that juts out from the city of Erie.  Surrounded by Lake Erie, the park offers picnic and recreation areas, sandy beaches, shady wooded areas, monuments, and beautiful vistas.  Take a picnic, hang out on the beach, swim, ride your bike, bird watch, spend the day.
 

Three Great Road Trips from Philadelphia

Northern Tier –Weekend Trip
The counties comprising the northern tier of Pennsylvania are absolutely gorgeous and incredibly rural.  Make a weekend trip of it.  Base yourself in Wellsboro, a charming, energetic little town.  If you want to stay in town (we did) there are two or three motels right on the main street.  From there you can drive west to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, Allegheny National Forest, Kinzua Bridge, Kinzua Dam and the PA Lumber Museum.  On your way to Wellsboro, stop off at the Little League Museum in Williamsport.

Altoona-Johnstown – Weekend Trip
“Altoona and Johnstown?  You’re kidding, right?”  No, we’re not.  It’s a great road trip.  After traveling through some beautiful counties to get there, there’s lots to see and do once you arrive, especially if you are into railroads.  (And everybody likes trains, right?)  Start in Altoona at the excellent Railroaders Museum.  Through innovative life-size displays, it’s easy to imagine life in Altoona in the 1800s for thousands of German, Irish, and Italian immigrant families.  Continuing with the railroad theme, visit the marvelous Horseshoe Curve, Gallitzin Tunnels and Allegheny Portage Railroad.  From Altoona, head west to nearby Johnstown and check out the entire site of the 1889 flood.  The Laurel Highlands region -- in which Altoona and Johnstown are situated -- offers many great places to hike, canoe, swim, fish, or whatever else you care to do outdoors.  Stay in a motel in Altoona or rent a cozy little cabin at Canoe Creek State Park.

Pittsburgh – Weekend Trip
Whatever sooty, smoggy images you may have of Pittsburgh are long out of date.  Pittsburgh is a beautiful, clean, modern city, happily situated among rolling hills at the meeting of three rivers.  The Golden Triangle offers a terrific view of the three rivers, numerous bridges, two beautiful new balls parks (Heinz Field and PNC Park) and the Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines (cable cars transport passengers up and down the mountainside).  The downtown area has been gentrified, with gleaming modern structures right alongside refurbished industrial-era buildings.  The enormous old palatial courthouse stands within blocks of the ultra-modern US Steel skyscraper and its bustling city plaza.  Lucky for Pittsburgh, it’s home to several philanthropic billionaire families (Carnegie, Heinz, Mellon, Westinghouse) who have given endowments and land for libraries, museums and universities (e.g., Carnegie-Mellon University, Carnegie Museum, and Heinz History Center).  In the mid-80s, Pittsburgh was voted the most livable city in the US -- and its easy to see why.  Take off a Friday or Monday and make it a long weekend in Pittsburgh.