Pennsylvania punches well above its weight in American history. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both signed in Philadelphia, which served as the nation's first capital. The Battle of Gettysburg turned the tide of the Civil War. And the state's nickname, the Keystone State, reflects its central role among the original thirteen colonies.
But Pennsylvania is far more than a history lesson. The state stretches from the cosmopolitan energy of Philadelphia in the east to the gritty reinvention of Pittsburgh in the west, with 300 miles of forested mountains, fertile farmland, and river valleys in between. The Appalachian ridges run diagonally across the state, creating a landscape of rolling hills, deep gorges, and waterfalls that rewards anyone willing to get off the interstate.
In Lancaster County, the Pennsylvania Dutch -- Amish and Mennonite communities -- still farm with horse-drawn plows and drive buggies along country roads, their way of life largely unchanged since the 18th century. The contrast with Philadelphia's world-class museums and thriving restaurant scene could hardly be sharper.
The Pocono Mountains in the northeast draw hikers and skiers, while the vast Allegheny National Forest in the northwest offers some of the most remote wilderness east of the Mississippi. Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, built over a waterfall in the Laurel Highlands, is one of America's most celebrated buildings. And if you visit Hershey, the whole town smells like chocolate -- even the lampposts are shaped like Hershey Kisses.
