Pennsylvania is bordered by the states of New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Ohio.
Pennsylvania's three most populous cities are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a geographically diverse state with a Great Lake on one shore and a major seaport on the other. The climate of Pennsylvania is pleasant, with cold, often snowy winters, mild to hot, humid summers, and gorgeous green springtimes, and most notably, spectacular displays of colorful autumn foliage.
Pennsylvania hosts a number of vital cities, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia houses the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, two major national historical landmarks. The interior of the state has a number of subcultures worth exploring, including the famous Amish countryside, a religious community based in Christian Anabaptist dogma.
Pennsylvania is also home to a diverse group of people, with ethnic enclaves of black, Hispanic, and Southeast Asian populations in its major cities.
Most Pennsylvanians speak American English, although many subtle regional accents and 'dialects' do exist. There are large Latino, Spanish-speaking populations in Reading, Allentown, and Philadelphia, and Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have their share of Asian, European, and other languages. There will be no problem communicating with people who live in Pennsylvania, except, of course, if they resort to the famous Pennsylvania Dutch "Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch" dialect of German. Although widescale non-Amish use of the language faded circa 1950, there are pockets of young people who are learning the language as a way to preserve their heritage. The Pittsburgh area and the anthracite coal region of northeast Pennsylvania are known for their colorful regional accents.
Interstate highways lead most traffic into the state. Clockwise from east:
Also, U.S. Routes 219, 15, and 220 (soon to be I-99) all enter the state at alternative points from both the north and south.
State-operated Welcome Centers and Comfort Facilities are located just inside the borders at all major crossings into Pennsylvania.
Amtrak serves Pennsylvania with major stops at Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh. Philadelphia is a stop on the Northeast Corridor.
Regional airports in Pennsylvania include Lehigh Valley, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. All of these airports are served by US Airways, US Airways Express, Delta, Northwest and Continental. Erie is slightly bigger. Lehigh Valley has low-fare service by Lehigh Valley Air and TMA, and Harrisburg has service by TMA as well(TMA suspended flights in 2005).
In addition to the Interstate highways that enter Pennsylvania and travel throughout:
There also exists a wide network of state highways and municipal roads that reach into the mostly forested and farmed rural areas. The more mountainous of these areas should be traversed with caution by visitors as they can be drastically winding, narrow, or steep (or all three!) in parts.
Speed limit signs are almost exclusively posted in miles per hour, "mph". Seatbelts use is mandatory, and a second ticket and fine will be issued to those who are pulled over for speeding, etc. if not worn. Pennsylvania has not yet enacted a ban on hand-held cell phone usage while driving, as some neighboring states have.
As conditions go, Pennsylvania has two seasons according to an old joke: winter and construction. In the rural majority of the state, large snowfalls render the most minor of roads impassable, but the major thoroughfares like Interstates are comparatively well plowed and salted. Still, car travel anywhere should be done with extreme care in the winter, especially by those unfamiliar with the visited area.
Likewise, the jest rings true in the remainder of the year. Look out for occasional paving, line painting, or road widening projects on freeways that restrict travel to a single lane. Bridge repair or any major redesign may force detours that are typically marked clearly. Speed limits in work zones are always reduced and State Police will impose ''double fines'' for breaking them. Proceed carefully around PennDOT (state transportation department) crews, who are easily visible in fluorescent yellow attire.
Although uncommon, hitchhiking is fairly well-received, especially in more rural areas. Keep in mind that it is always illegal to hitchhike on highways closed to pedestrians, so it's better to find a rest stop or a gas station right off the highway. I-80 in particular has many good hitchhiking spots and is the recommended route for someone trying to thumb their way across the state.
However, Pennsylvania is home to many other beers. It is birth place of Rolling Rock - "#33". Serious beer drinkers probably know Pennsylvania for its wide selection craft breweries. Hundreds of fine ales are produced each year. Some great labels that every visitor should try include Yards, Sly Fox, Victory, Lancaster, Troegs, and Stoudts.
Outside of Greater Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the Lehigh Valley, crime is not a major problem in Pennsylvania. Gang activity is high in the larger cities, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Reading. You know you are in a rough area when you see graffiti, abandoned houses and vehicles, and shoes tossed over telephone wires, known as shoefiti, to mark that drugs are for sale. Street drag racing and prostitution are also problems in the state's urban areas.
As with most locations in the United States, a major cause of injury and death in Pennsylvania comes from automobile accidents. Drivers can be down-right hostile on some of the more notorious urban freeways, such as the Schuykill Expressway in Philadelphia, route 22 in Allentown, the 376 in Pittsburgh and on the Interstate 95 corridor in the southeast section of the state. The roads in Pennsylvania are notoriously bad, so be careful.
Road rage can be a problem during rush hour, so if you aren't familiar with the highway system, stay out of the left hand lane. The key to safe driving is to stay defensive, you are in unfamiliar areas and while you may feel wronged, it may be the norm.
Rural '''mountain roads''' can sometimes be steep, and impassable in times of '''heavy snowfall'''. When traveling in the central to western part of the state, it is best to stay on main roads and highways. If you're canoeing, skiing, or doing any other outdoor activity, take necessary precautions.
Be sure to stay out of '''abondoned mines and quarries'''. As this industry falls out of the state's economy, mines and quarries are left abandoned. If you explore one, you risk the dangers of unstable supports, unstable ground, rats, snakes and other animals, forgotten explosives, blasting caps, explosive methane gas, and pockets of "blackdamp" or air without enough oxygen to support life.
Exploring the woods alone can be dangerous, due to the large deer and other wild animal population. Use insect repellant to avoid disease, wear long clothing, and do not wander onto someone's property.
'''Flooding''' and '''snow''' are the most common '''natural disasters'''. Flash flooding can be a problem. Tornadoes are rare but experienced, and earthquakes are almost unheard of. Hurricanes coming up the Atlantic can strike, so be prepared. Temperatures in the summer can reach 100 degrees in places, so bring water and sunscreen. Thunderstorms are common in the summer.
If you are not from Pennsylvania, you can buy any '''fireworks''' from an outlet and bring them home with you ONLY with a permit. Yet, it is illegal for residents of Pennsylvania to shoot off fireworks that leave the ground. For this reason, fireworks outlets are often near state borders.
You do not need a permit to carry a firearm openly throughout the state, except in the city of Philadelphia. '''Gun laws''' are fairly loose compared to other states.
During periods of '''hunting season''', persons entering the woods are advised by the PA Game Commission to wear "blaze orange".