rose's blog

If you're tired of April Showers, plan a visit to enjoy May Flowers at one of the many Botanical Gardens in Pennsylvania. The Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh is a great glass Victorian greenhouse. Located in Schenley Park, Phipps Conservatory stands as a cultural and architectural centerpiece of the city's Oakland neighborhood. With 19 indoor and outdoor gardens to stroll, you can also participate in a number of docent-led group tours including the new Center for Sustainable Landscape.

Lancaster County is home to numerous quilt shops offering beautiful and colorful handmade quilts.

Meyersdale, Pennsylvania in internationally renown as "Maple City, USA" and is home of the 67th Annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival to be held on March 29-30 and April 2-6, 2014. Your Maple Adventure begins at Festival Park where you'll discover the way country life was at the turn of the century. Located on scenic Meyers Avenue, the complex is the heart of the Festival. It features the Historic Meyers Homestead, an Antique Doctor's Office, The Cobbler's Shop, The Country Store, period reenactors, and of course, the sugar camp. Learn how to tap a tree, and boil sap into syrup. 

The City of Pittsburgh has collaborated with the Toonseum to celebrate Black History Month. The exhibition entitled "Beyond the Funny Pages: The works of art and life captured in comics" is located in the lobby of the City-County Building and open from February 3-28, 2014 weekdays from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The free exhibit will feature artwork, photographs and other memorabilia to highlight the overwhelming contributions of three artists with ties to Pennsylvania. 

Marienville is the Snowmobile Capital of PA!  It is the gateway to over 300 miles of groomed and non-groomed trails (interconnected loops) in the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania's only National Forest. The ANF trails are wide, well-groomed, well-marked and easy to drive. The trails are suitable for all skill levels and ages. Along the way, you'll be able to glimpse wildlife such as whitetail deer, rabbits, coyotes, and even bald eagles.  Snowmobile trail maps are available at any of the three ANF Offices.

Extravagant, fruit-adorned trees towering as high as 18 feet stand in the Conservatory and red and green apples float in an artistic pattern in the Exhibition Hall.  Your holiday season is not complete without a visit to Longwood Gardens. An array of colorful lights adorn the outdoor garden displays with hundreds of sparkling snowflakes, twinkling tree forms and a 12-foot fountain of lights in our Main Fountain Garden. The outdoor lights come on at 3:30 pm every day. To have the ultimate stress free experience, buy your ticket before you arrive.

Home to name-brand outlets, boutiques and unique specialty stores, Mercer County is a Christmas shopper's destination. From locally grown fruit to unique handmade gifts, you'll find the perfect gifts for your friends and family. Click here for a complete list of shops. To name a few, you'll find:

Tanger Outlets feature brand name and designer fashions and accessories for the entire family, housewares and china, home decor, luggage, toys, books, compact discs, food specialties, and much more. You'll find entire stores filled with merchandise from your favorite brands that can be purchased at 20-40% below retail prices.  Shopping with friends and family is always more fun.  Plan ahead by visiting www.tangeroutlet.com for store listings and special website coupons and offers. AAA/CAA and AARP members can save even more.

Pennsylvania is home to three Premium Outlets offering fashion conscious shoppers the largest collection of designer brands at an affordable price. Premium Outlets bring together the finest brands, unique outdoor settings and savings of 25 to 65 percent every day. At The Crossings Premium Outlets located at 1000 Premium Outlets Drive in Tannersville, you'll find impressive savings as over 100 outlets stores such as Adidas, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Calvin Kline, Coach, DKNY, Nautica, Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren and more.

Voted America's Coolest Small Town in 2013, Lititz really has it all.  Located in the heart of Lancaster County, this remarkable small town offers one-of-a-kind shops, eateries, and attractions - all wrapped up in three centuries of rich history and stunning architecture. Experience fun attractions like the Wilbur Chocolate Company's Candy Americana museum or the oldest pretzel bakery in the U.S. - Julius Sturgis - where you can twist your own pretzel. Looking for the unique or unusual this holiday season? Discover the eclectic selection of boutiques and shops in downtown Lititz.