rose's blog

Pennsylvania’s roots run deep into its soil and cover many layers, dozens of facets, and take on a variety of forms. From lumber to apples, Pennsylvania has been leading many of the planet’s richest industries by reaping the rewards of a lush land abundant with natural resources. But besides its industry and inventiveness, Pennsylvania also has made its mark to create and build, to design and then bring forth. From tunnels and mines, we took metal and built the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the St. Louis Arch.

Get your hands dirty this spring; it’s mud sale season in Lancaster County and that means bargain goods, rare quilts, and authentic Amish hand-crafts are all only a bid away. If you haven’t been to these auction events, you’ve been overlooking one of the most exciting and unique traditions of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

The Cumberland Valley has become a mecca for auto enthusiasts from all over the world.  Carlisle Events has been a staple in the automotive community for over four decades offering car enthusiasts a series of events to find automotive parts, memorabilia and collector vehicles. The annual collector car, truck and motorcycle events are held at the 150-acre Carlisle Fairgrounds and play host to thousands of collector and classic automotive enthusiasts to buy, sell and celebrate all things automotive.

Since 1966, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has grown to a five-day celebration of all things art: ceramics, paper, metal, photography, blown glass, painting, and more. Celebrating its 51st year, the Festival of the Arts will be held Thursday, July 13 through Sunday July 16, 2017 on the streets of downtown State College and is known as one of the nation's best juried fine art and craft show. The award winning Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition will open on Thursday from 10:00am to 8:00pm through Saturday and Noon to 5:00pm on Sunday.

 Finally, winter has taken its last few breaths and there isn’t a better way to celebrate the coming of spring than at the Philadelphia Flower Show this March. From March 11-19, the region’s best horticulturists and floral designers will be showcasing their beautiful landscapes, designs, and gardening skills at the Philadelphia Convention Center. This year’s theme, Holland: Flowering the World, is a celebration of the heritage, eco-design, and sustainability of the Netherlands through recreations of its iconic windmills, canals, bridges, and tulips.

Winter isn’t over yet, all three of the region’s top ski resorts are just waiting for you to take a snow day. Liberty, Whitetail, and Roundtop are all located in the capital area of Central Pennsylvania, bringing thousands visitors from all over the state and Baltimore. The three ski resorts, managed by a group called Snow Time, Inc., each have their own unique features and are fun for the whole family as well as make a great location for a more active date with that special someone.

Only in the heart of Central Pennsylvania will you find a delightful selection of reds and whites to please your palate. The wineries of the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail welcome you every week of the year to tour and taste premium wines, picnic, take photos of the vineyards, and talk with the wine makers.

Set your own route for a fun and relaxing trip and take home bottles full of memories. The thirteen family-owned wineries include:

The featured exhibit this February is one of the twelve surviving copies of the Bill of Rights, making the National Constitution Center the first museum in the state of Pennsylvania to display the historic document to the public. The featured exhibit is called Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights and it also displays a copy of the Constitution’s first printing.

Until a 1920s geological survey proved otherwise, the massive mountain dome of Blue Knob was thought to be the highest point in Pennsylvania. Today, the mountaintop still holds the title as the highest skiable peak in the state and its ski slopes, snowmobile routes, and eighteen miles of hiking trails summon people from all over the Mid-Atlantic. With an annual snowfall of twelve feet, this ski mountain paradise won’t disappoint anyone interested in winter sports.

"I think that if ever a mortal heard the word of God 

it would be in a garden at the cool of the day."
- F. Frankfort Moore

Visit the Brandywine Creek Valley this season for the famous Longwood Garden Christmas display, a festive demonstration of lights, music, and holiday cheer. As one of the premier displays of outdoor and indoor exotic plants in the United States, Longwood Gardens has a dazzling collection of over six thousand seasonal plants illuminated with lights to celebrate Christmas this year until January 8th.