what is there to see and do in Pennsylvania

Gettysburg and nearby is the Harley Factory at York that has tours

As an aside, PA gas taxes are pretty bad. If you can, plan to minimize PA fuel purchases.

Philadelphia. Amish Country. Finding my ancestors: Philadelphia, Amish Country, and following their migration from Lancaster towards Pittsburgh. My brother spent several years worth of summer vacations tracking down the family as is moved westward through Pennsylvania into the Midwest. If from Ohio with a pre-Revolution family history, chances are a lot of that will be in Pennsylvania.

Tourist sites? I've visited Gettysburg twice, but then again I majored in American History. Philadelphia once, need some more time there, an ancestor owned a city lot that is now probable under a downtown high-rise. More of my Pennsylvania time has been studying Appalachian geology (second major, after VietNam war), if that maybe interests you. There are great rock exposures where the Susquehanna cuts through the mountains, Williamsport to Harrisburg.

It all depends on what things you find of interests. I have a sister interested only in amusement parks with great roller coasters, or opportunities to jump out of an airplane. I find so many different things interesting that it is difficult for me to travel on an short schedule, I want to stop for everything.

If you find yourself in Bucks County PA, there is much to see and do. Beautiful drives along the Delaware River, I used to drive from Yardley all the way up to and past Upper Black Eddy. Along the way, is Bowman's Tower, the site of Washington crossing the Delaware, and of course New Hope, PA, a wonderful little town to explore. And if you find yourself in Doylestown, check out the Mercer Museum. It's a 6 story concrete building that is chocked full of early Americana. H E R E - Mercer Museum is some information about the origin of the museum, and it's importance. For any history buff or fan of early Americana, you will not be disappointed.

jfkmk wrote:
Depending on if you have children or not Knoebels is a good alternative to Hershey.

Personally, I don't think whether you have children or not enters into the equation at all; Koebels is a fantastic park regardless, which is not to be taken as a dig at HersheyPark. I don't think I've seen more efficient ride operations than they have at some of Knoebels rides.

Kennywood is also superb but rather less convenient to any campgrounds.

If you like baseball, watching some of the Little League World Series is a whole lot of inexpensive fun. Bring sunscreen.

You're jesting. Our history is located in Pa., Mass, Va.

Check out my favorite state park (in all the US) - Ricketts Glen. Two campgrounds (dry but with bathrooms with showers) a lake, but the best part - a trail along 22 waterfalls and hundreds of cascades. You will be a little early in September for the fall colors, but October is my favorite time to visit. More photos.

Crowe wrote:
I just got back from Gettysburg-I don't know if you'd call it "odd" but I would do a ghost tour. One thing I will say is if you don't like heat, wait until September.

Yea, the summer can be a lot hotter and more humid in south central PA. than a lot of folks realize. We moved here last year from the Poconos. Some days it seems like we accidentally moved to South Carolina. March in the mountains often meant the end of ski season, and waiting for the snow to finally melt. Here it's watching the Amish getting the fields plowed as the first flowers bloom. Summers can be brutal at times, and often 10-15 degrees hotter than other parts of the state. The other benefit of waiting until September to visit this part of the country is that the crowds really thin out. There are eight million+ tourists visiting Lancaster county, every year. There are times it feels like 95% of those visits take place on Saturdays from Memorial day to Labor day :) Touring the area, mid-week, in September, can be gloriously lonely, and a great experience.

I just got back from Gettysburg-I don't know if you'd call it "odd" but I would do a ghost tour. One thing I will say is if you don't like heat, wait until September.

If you visit Fallingwater, stop in nearby Ohiopyle and go white water rafting on the Youghiogheny River. Wild enough to get you wet, but not likely to drown you.