amish intercourse lancaster

When someone says there’s nothing to see in Pennsylvania, thats definitely not true! Here are my 4 favorite destinations in Pennsylvania.

1. Downtown Harrisburg and its bridges

The first thing that caught my eye was the two massive pillars at the entrance to the capital. It was like entering a new portal. I was really surprised that not much people were around that sunday morning and I get to explore the city by foot without any crowd in sight.

The green-roofed Pennsylvania state capitol is eyecatching especially on a sunny day. Try walking around the grounds of the capitol and enjoy the quietness and architecture of the surroundings. Come to think of it, this is a really nice place for those who love sketching and those who want to do photoshoots.

You also might have noticed while entering the city, that there are around four parallel bridges entering downtown Harrisburg to cross the Susquehanna river. The reason for that , I dont really know. But it’s quite unique to what I have been seeing.

Walking along the bank of the river, you will notice art structures and cool painted trash bins placed along the paths. You will also pass by old townhouses and of course, the oldest building in Harrisburg, the Simon Cameron House or John Harris Mansion.

This somewhat sleepy city has its economic woes but you cannot deny the rich history that is still present until today.

2. Amish community in Intercourse- Lancaster , PA

Take a glimpse of Amish living in the 21st century. You will get to see the America’s oldest Amish settlement and the 2nd largest Amish community in the world! They still practice the “century-old” lifestyle until today. The simple lifestyle of riding a horse and buggy, living without electricity, practicing old agriculture techniques, dress up and speaking old german in what they term here as Pennsylvanian Dutch. There were available tour packages to get the full Amish visitor experience but we opted driving around and admiring the simple ways and lifesyle these people have. Take note that entering and stepping into their property is definitely not recommended, but driving through and passing by will be just fine. Also be sure to drive slowly because buggys ( Amish ‘cars’) are common in the road. There are numerous souvenir shops along the road and I definitely encourage you to visit them. Here they sell handmade products crafted by the Amish themselves. Most are kitchenwares, woodcarvings, knitted and sown items and all household items in general. Also, if you get the chance, try their Pennsylvania Dutch Smores. Yummy!

3. Hershey, Pennsylvania. To all chocolate lovers out there! You shouldn’t miss this!!!! You can make your own chocolate at Hershey’s Chocolate World, then do Hershey Park and have fun with the craziest rollercoasters and water rides! It’s a really huge place and so much to do. Before coming here, you better be ready and energized. Chocolate + Rollercoaster will keep your adrenaline to its peak 🙂 There’s so much to do in these two places that sit just side by side to each other so plan your time wisely if you want to maximize your experiece.

4. “Philly” or Philadelphia is where the US Declaration of Independence was signed and where the liberty bell was hung. If you are a movie person, you might also have noticed some scenes where shooted in downtown Philly like that of Nicolas Cage’s and Diane Kruger’s “National Treasure”. Philly is also known for having UPenn or University of Pennsylvania, an ivy league (one of the top universities in the entire United States).

Another thing noteworthy about Philly is their impressive murals ang graffiti scattered around the city. There is a graffiti tour if you are into knowing more about the artisits if you prefer, or just walk or drive around the city and you won’t miss these. According to some, Philly has the most mural arts in the US.

Philly is a small city and can be tourned/ completed as a day trip .

Independence Hall- where the United States Declaration of Independece was signed

The Liberty Bell with its famous crack, was rung in July 1776 during the Declaration of Independence. It is now displayed in the Liberty Bell Center, Philadephia