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I've been having this idea nudging me for a couple of days now. So I have been through a lot of states and lived in a few. But what I know or remember of a state I'll post, then anyone that has lived there or visited could make their post about a state.

I've been thinking a lot about Pennsylvania as I was traveling in that part of the country a lot the Spring and Summer of 1976, The bi-centennial year. I remember that the state was divided up into 13 or more historic sections. And if you visited 10 or 12 of those sections in a year, you received a specially minted 1776-1976 coin. I did the number of areas in less that two weeks. (I was married to a traveling sales man living out of car and Holiday Inns.)

I remember seeing State College and thinking what a beautiful town it was. And Allentown, Lancaster, and some of the others. I visited the church basement that the Liberty bell was hidden in during the Revolutionary War. I believe Lancaster had the nations oldest indoor market, and I remember buying one of those huge cuke sized garlic dill pickles and nibbling on it while I walked around town while hubby was in a business meeting.

And the rolling hills were beautiful.

Philadelphia I did not like. It gave me the unsafe feeling. I remember instead of walking around town, that I stayed in a McDonalds's parking lot and even when the school bus of police officers came for lunch I didn't feel any safer. Just a creepy feeling. We also were passing the hotel that had the Legionnaires disease break out the next week. That was creepy in retrospect. And I remember that there was a garbage pick up strike going on, so there were garbage bag hills on the sides of some roads.

But Pittsburg I loved. I felt safe there, and while he was in business meetings I was parked at Ft. Pitt Park area. I walked down to the point where the 4 rivers meet, and read the plaques about them.

I just really liked Pennsylvania.

Now - your turn. What do you know of or have seen of Pennsylvania?
 
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We lived in southern PA for a few years. It was beautiful, rolling green hills, beautiful in the fall, loved the old stone structures that have withstood the times, very close to the Mason Dixon Line. I miss that area for the historical, the architecture, the scenery. Never went to Philly. I didn't like traveling to sightsee in unfamiliar areas because I had a bunch of little kids. We went to Gettysburg a lot because there were places to explore and the rocky area called Devil's Den within the national park.

As a kid, my bff's parents took us up to an area near Johnstown, steep hills, I don't remember much else about that trip.

There was a lovely little white country house near the road that had a stream that ran right underneath the house and came out the other side! Wish I could see that again. In another area were a few stone homes a few miles from one another, same style, from same type of stones, very old, felt like English countryside. So many old, beautiful, well preserved historic homes in Pennsylvania. Some of my ancestry was settled in PA from NY until they migrated to VA.
One summer the temps hit 113°+ in our area of PA. Maybe 1991. I was pregnant and we had no central air until later that day...we got a big AC window unit.
Have you ever come across an accident right after it happened and not realized that was what had happened? (Car had left the road, crashed through part of a stone wall fence and into a barn). Or seen a guy go sliding down the road past your window because he was thrown from his motorcycle? Or heard a crash then lots of sirens because you were four doors down from the community fire dept.? That one was the worst and happened less than a quarter mile from the house, across the road from the other one at the barn.
Another time one of the old homes up just a short ways was crashed into. I had forgotten all of these. Kind of weird so many accidents in that short stretch of road with no other hazards.
 
I lived in Williamsport for about a year and been through the whole state many times. It's full of smaller cities/towns that are very nice. Friends went to Carnegie-Mellon, so I visited Pittsburgh a lot. Who's bright idea was it to put a stop sign at the end of the acceleration ramp to the highway?! Getting around Pgh was entertaining at times...lots of bridges and lots of one-way streets. It felt like the city of "you can't get there from here".

York, Harrisburg, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Erie...been all over.
 
I lived/worked in the Phila area for a couple years. Didn't like it. Was transferred to Pittsburgh. Much nicer city. Bought a house in rural W. PA and have lived here for over 30 years. Really like it here.

You do have to like hills in this area. The only thing flat around here is the floor in your house. ;) The hill at the end of our road is so steep, school buses are forbidden to take it.
 
I used to spend a lot of time there on business; mostly in Williamsport and the ABE area. I always liked the area. Didn't like the puddle jumper airplanes you had to take to get some places. You always got buffetted all over the sky, and they were ALWAYS very concerned about weight. Sometimes the last couple of rows of seats were blocked off. True story, about trying to get a seat on a flight that was close to departing. They asked on the phone, " How much do you weigh? " My response. "No thanks. I will catch the next one."

I did have the opportunity to play the Saucon Valley Country Club golf course, a spectacular championship venue. At least for a few hours I got to see how the other half lives. It is a very pretty state. My daughter skis there in the Poconos in Winter. Lots of history. I have never spent any time in Philadelphia. Just passed through the airport. Not one of my favorites.
 
It’s my next door neighbor. Mostly never went further than Lancaster. Many a trip out there and all along the Delaware Water Gap.

As a kid, we drove through it to get to a family friend’s farm in Ohio. Spent three summers there. Took forever to get through that state.
 
I've only traveled through PA on a train. From what I've seen on the news, there is a lot of crime there, but I think that is a growing problem in many places. There is more to PA than the cities.

I've been having this idea nudging me for a couple of days now. So I have been through a lot of states and lived in a few. But what I know or remember of a state I'll post, then anyone that has lived there or visited could make their post about a state.
This is something I have thought about before. Each state could have its own thread and we can discuss the good, the bad and the ugly. Also we could ask questions, and maybe connect with others who live there.

We could also have countries of the world.
 
I was up there in about 1970 and what I saw then was a lot different than it is now Philadelphia was still a Historic town, the farms were amazing and the barns were massive and beautiful architecturally.

I was in Philadelphia going to the airport walking around once during a garbage strike and it was AWFUL you had to pick your way through the garbage the sanitation workers ripped open the bags and dumped them on the side walks

Beautiful country though.
 
Been there lots of times in various locations. Philadelphia is a scary craphole. Western part has a lot of run down looking farms and burns a lot of stinky trash. I always noticed how the livestock looks good in Virginia and Maryland and then you get to PA and it looks poor. Well, except the Amish farms around Lancaster, but those Amish are sort of a tourist attraction somewhat and not exactly like "our" Amish around here. We do send our livestock to New Holland auction, one of the biggest ones on the east coast and gets decent prices.
One more thing: I always hated their roads, potholes on the interstate that could swallow a truck, and you have to make 15 u turns to go try and find a well hidden liquor store just to buy a bottle of wine ( none at regular stores)
So PA would be a no way for me personally , not my favorite State

LOL lets do FLORIDA next, I have lots to say about that one since I spent most my life there
 

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