Explore PA gets buggy and more in Philly!

As you may know, I have lived just outside Philly for around 13 years now. And as is the purpose of Explore PA, we like to bring people to new places they may not have seen in the state…and I am almost embarrassed to say, that despite my proximity, much of my Philadelphia experience was brand new to me!

Yes, it’s true. Until the day of our shoot, I had never made it to the Liberty Bell! But I am happy to report that I have remedied the situation with a visit to the Liberty Bell Visitor’s Center where I was able to talk with the friendly and knowledgeable guides about the history of the most famous bell in the land. Although as you may have learned last season on Explore PA, there is a full size replica of the Liberty Bell at the Valley Forge Memorial Chapel known as the Justice Bell. And I see that bell nearly every day as I drive through Valley Forge Park!

Another place I had the pleasure of visiting was the Philadelphia Insectarium…yup, a bug museum! I have to admit I was a wee bit wary of entering a place where the bugs have free reign, but after seeing that each insect was nicely housed in a protective home, I was a bit more relaxed…and strangely interested! In fact, I even mustered the courage to hold a Scorpion!

But perhaps the biggest highlight of this episode was my trip to the Reading Terminal Market to meet the Queen of Macaroni and Cheese – Ms. Delilah Winder. What an absolute delight and honor it was to meet Delilah. She became an instant celebrity when Oprah Winfrey declared hers to be the country’s best Mac & Cheese. And oh was Oprah right! The mac & cheese, not to mention the rest of her Soul Food menu will have you contemplating…” Should I get some more of this to bring home? I know I’ll be craving it later.” And indeed, you’ll be right!
Another very special part of this Explore PA adventure was the fact that my 12 year-old niece, Ryan was able to tag along for the day. It was such a pleasure to have Ryan along and it will always make this show extra special for me!

Explore PA hits the ‘Burgh!

Of all my travels on Explore PA, I was most excited to finally visit the city of Pittsburgh. Since moving to the Chester County area over 13 years ago (yikes!), I have made many friends who originally hailed from Pittsburgh. And when these friends talked about home, I always sensed a great sense of pride for Pittsburgh. Of course, much of that pride surrounds their beloved sports teams, but even as a die-hard Philadelphia fan I can respect what it feels like to love your city.

What I really loved about Pittsburgh was the neighborhoods – in fact, it reminds me a lot of my original hometown of Boston. From the Downtown Cultural District to Little Italy in Bloomfield, Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods give it a small-town feel in the middle of a metropolis.

A few of the places I enjoyed were the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and PPG Aquarium – both were really impressive. But what I enjoyed the most was a behind-the-scenes opportunity to feed Zebra sharks at the PPG Aquarium! It was such a cool experience and likely a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pet and hold a live shark!

Of course, the theme of this particular Explore PA episode was a Pennsylvania Homecoming reunion in Pittsburgh. Specifically, we highlighted the 50th high school reunion of St. Benedict’s Academy. And what a delightful group of ladies and Pittsburghers we were able to meet. The ladies were all graduates of St. Benedicts who had returned to the area for the 50th reunion. I only hope I am as energetic and excited for my 50th high school reunion!
After visiting I can now understand first-hand why someone would be proud to be from Pittsburgh – it has a lot to offer in a nicely packaged city.

Pythons, giant turtles and the Blues…just an ordinary day in Lycoming County!

I suppose when my Producer Heather asked me if I had any fears or phobias it should have raised a big red flag…but instead, I’ll admit, I was intrigued. What could they possibly have me doing in Lycoming County?

Well, I soon had an idea when I received my itinerary for our shoot and I saw that I would be visiting Clyde Peelings’ Reptiland in Allenwood. What an amazing place! There are thousands of reptiles, giant turtles, poisonous frogs, peacocks, emus, and more!
And luckily, reptiles weren’t on my short list of fears or phobias because upon my arrival I was adorned with a 16 foot Python! It was so heavy that there were three people helping to hold it! Reptiland has been an area favorite for years and Clyde himself has appeared with some of his many creatures on The Tonight Show! If you love lizards, crocodiles or snakes, and more, head to Clyde’s – it’s a total treat!

While in Williamsport, I was also guest to a one-man Blues’ show performed by Sean Farley, one of the many talented musicians that performed at the annual Billtown Blues Festival. In fact, Sean’s band “Black-n-Blues” took first place in March at the Billtown Blues Battle of the Bands which makes them a semifinalist in the International Blues Competition held in Memphis Tennessee in 2008. There will be over 100 bands from all around the world competing for first place. As you will hopefully see in the show, Sean is incredibly talented and his music is great…so we’ll be rooting for the band next year! To learn more, check out the band’s, MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/blacknbluesband
All in all, while a 16 foot Python might give some folks the blues…not me, in fact, I had a ball in Lycoming County!

It’s as delicate as a…chainsaw?

I like to consider myself a creative person. Yet, it seems to me that the more Explore PA adventures I enjoy, the more I realize - I’m not that creative at all! And the place where I had this epiphany was at the annual Ridgway Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous.

The Rendezvous is an international festival where true artists join together, collectively pull their chainsaw chains and set about carving the most amazing works of art! It is truly a sight to behold as you witness an entire tree literally become a statue before you, or better yet, a grizzly bear – and the detail is incredible. And, since weather permits, there is also a great collection of ice sculptures.

The annual festival is the pride of Ridgway and certainly a worthwhile trip. In addition to the chainsaw carvers and ice sculptures there is a charity auction, activities, and lots of fun things to do in the local area.

I was lucky enough to be able to purchase two really unique birdhouses at the Rendezvous that are now displayed proudly in my home. And when anyone asks about them I always share the story of this wonderful and creative Explore PA adventure!

It’s an Explore PA first – a show so big it required two episodes!

Yes, it’s true! Our trek along Route 15’s Artist Trail jammed in so many activities that it will take two half hours to share all our exploits!

During our travels along Rt. 15 – The Byway of the Arts – I had the opportunity to visit with many local artists who have made this area such a creative place. In fact, I was able to try my hand at some charcoal sketching while visiting the Perry Council for the Arts; it was also at the Council that I decided to leave the drawing to the experts – yikes, I’m certainly not talented in that regard!

But the creativity of the Rt. 15 area doesn’t just stop with art. It continues in the artistic nature of some everyday things too – like fishing and…motorcycles. If you have never seen a fly fishing fly – then you are missing out on little works of art. At Yellow Breeches Outfitters I was able to not only explore these little works of wonder, but I even got to try my hand at the sport of fly fishing! And while I didn’t catch anything, I certainly caught the fishing “fever” and can see why so many people find it enjoyable to wade in the water for hours on end. If you’re into fishing, a visit to the Yellow Breeches should be on your list – it’s one of the best trout fishing creeks in the country, if not, the world.

And if you’ve ever seen the show West Coast Choppers than you probably know just how artistic a custom-made motorcycle can be. But luckily, you don’t need to travel to California for a chopper of your own – a visit to Sinister Custom Cycles is all you need! In fact, Sinister’s work is so creative that it was recently featured at the Susquehanna Art Museum’s “Motorcycles and Art” exhibit. To see the hands-on creativity that goes into each handmade motorcycle is such a treat. And boy, are those motorcycles powerful…sitting and cranking up a chopper at their shop was totally intimidating…as you’ll see on the show!

If you are into art, the Rt. 15’s area is chock full of museums, artisans, and creativity that certainly have you getting in touch with your creative side.

Exploring the City Electric

Did you know that Scranton is known as “The Electric City?” I sure didn’t, but a trip to the area soon got me up to speed on just why the city has this unique moniker. Turns out that Scranton was the first city in Pennsylvania to have a successful pioneer trolley line way back in 1887. And since that time, the city has shown much pride in its history and visitors are able to learn all about it with a trip to the area.
For this episode, we stayed at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton – a former railroad station converted into a beautiful hotel. The lobby was gorgeous and still held onto to the train station flair – if you are staying in the area, I recommend a “stop” right there! To get the full story on Scranton’s Trolley line history, I made the trip to the Electric City Trolley Museum. Here visitors can climb aboard authentic trolley cars, see a pictorial history of the area, and even catch a ride along the historic Laurel Line. And of course, as with most of my Explore PA adventures, I was a bit out of my element at a wine tasting at the Martini Grill in Scranton. Although I will say, being taught about wine and why you eat certain food with certain wines really opened my eyes and for that I thank Susan Hudanich from Il Vino Novello Co. Susan is a Certified Sommelier who works with local restaurants, like the Martini Grill, to educate customers on fine wine. If you’re like me and don’t think you’re much of a wine connoisseur, a short education about wine might be having you singing a new tune! All in all, my trek to the Electric City was educational, interesting, and very tasty indeed!

Don’t just “Leaf” it to us…Make the trip to the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival!

One of the things I love most about Pennsylvania is the fact that we have four wonderful seasons to enjoy; and my personal favorite is hands-down – fall. That’s why a trip to the Fall Foliage Festival in Bedford was absolutely wonderful! The colors of the foliage are truly spectacular that it’s almost as if Mother Nature had painted the most beautiful canvas as a backdrop for the Bedford Foliage Festival and all of its splendor.

Visitors to the festival can enjoy live music, crafts, and kid’s interactive theater and of course, local treats during the event. It’s truly a slice of Americana to walk downtown Bedford on a brisk fall day – in fact, you may even feel as if you’ve walked into a Norman Rockwell painting.

In addition to the annual festival, the Bedford area had a lot more to offer its visitors including Old Bedford Village, Blue Knob State Park, and Boyer’s Orchards. You can even visit the home of Pennsylvania’s state toy…the Slinky!
If you love the fall as much as I do, grab your camera and your kids and head to Bedford for a wonderfully scenic day in beautiful PA!

All Aboard! Explore PA Highlights Pennsylvania’s Strong Railroad Heritage!

The Mighty Pennsylvania Railroad is another example of our state’s incredible role in the building our country; and what better place to learn about PA’s strong railroad heritage than at the epicenter of it all – the famous Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, PA.

After a ride up the small mountain in scenic Funicular Incline, visitors to the Horseshoe Curve are literally surrounded by locomotives making the “horseshoe” turn. It’s an incredible view and even more impressive engineering feat to imagine the construction of these rails literally on a mountainside.

As you travel around the entire Altoona area, it’s impossible to not to see the strong connection that residents have to PA’s railroad heritage. Whether it’s a diner built from a historic railroad car, or a railroad themed hotel where guests are invited to sit and go “train-spotting” there’s no denying that there is a strong sense of pride in our state’s history.

While we visited the area, we also learned about the Rails to Trails program where abandoned railroad corridors are converted to scenic trails where visitors can hike, bike or ride horses along the beautiful river. It’s a wonderful example of preserving history while offering something new for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
If you’re a Rail Fan or know some little engineers who are loco about locomotives, I say “All aboard for a trip to Altoona!” You won’t be disappointed.