The Keystone State
I must say, at the time of this writing, Pennsylvania has the coolest travel and tourism Web site. The look of the Home page is such that it gives the site an overall feeling of fun. It's modern. It's hip. They even have their own Blog, The Savvy Grouse, as well as a Flickr site, Facebook page and Twitter account. Really, check it out.
With that said, there are seven regions within Pennsylvania according to their Department of Natural Resources. The hipsters at VisitPA subdivided a couple of the regions, making it look like there are twelve. But fewer is better for my purposes, so I'll stick with the seven regions, which are:
Dutch Country Roads: This region includes Harrisburg, the state capitol, as well as Gettysburg and Chambersburg in the west and Lancaster in the east.
Pittsburgh and Its Countryside: This region's biggest claim to fame is the city of Pittsburgh. Johnstown is also in this region, but just barely. It also includes the Laurel Highlands. Now I know I said I wouldn't subdivide regions, but "Laurel Highlands" is a pretty well-known moniker for the area. Skiiers will know this area for the Seven Springs Mountain Resort.
Alleghenies and Her Valleys: This region cuts an irregular swath from the Maryland line just east of Cumberland to east of I-70 up into and through the middle of the state in an easterly direction all of the way to and just beyond Bloomsburg.
Pennsylvania Wilds: This region encompasses north central Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia and the Countryside: Philadelphia is of course the biggest city in this region. Allentown is here as well. Its eastern border is adjacent to New Jersey.
Northeast Pennsylvania Mountains: This region, which covers the northeastern corner of the state, includes the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Hazelton as well as all of the Pocono Mountains.
Great Lakes Region: This region in the northwestern corner of the state includes the city of Erie and is adjacent to the lake of the same name.
As previously mentioned, Pennsylvania's tourism Web site is an excellent and fun source of information. You can get detailed county maps from the PA Department of Highways.
As this Web site expands, I'll be adding more Pennsylvania information. If there's something you'd like to see, if you have a question, or if you have a story to share, drop me a line. I'll respond as quickly as possible. If you're writing in the middle of a nice day, though, chances are good I'm either out riding and/or taking more pictures. So be patient. I'll get back to you eventually. I promise. You can always reach me at webmasterSPACE@SPACEappalachiantours.com (remember to remove the "SPACE" before and after the @ sign).
