Dan pretty much hits the nail on the head in his review. I'd heard of the Joseph Priestley House…read morebefore, but I'd never visited it. Not only did Priestley discover oxygen, he also conducted early experiments in electricity and counted Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Watt among his friends. His teachings were so controversial that his house in Birmingham England was burned to the ground. He and his family fled Engand and Priestley spent the last decade of his life in Northumberland. The Joseph Priestley House is a National Historic Landmark and from the outside, it looks like a typically unassuming English gentleman's estate. But it's really easy to spend some time in here. Priestley and his family not only lived here, he had his laboratory here too. And I'm happy to say that the lab has been recently renovated. When the lab was renovated, it was done so without intruding on the elements of the house. The exhibit is set as though Priestley is at work investigating carbon monoxide in his Northumberland laboratory. Reproduction glassware pieces were selected, based on pieces that Joseph Priestley was known to have used here. The original laboratory glassware is now at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. Other renovations include two representative furnaces with chimneys and a fume hood spanning the width of the lab. There's also a lot of family history in the house. His spouse Mary Priestley did a lot of the planning for the new house. She passed away, however, two years after they arrived in Northumberland and she never saw the completion of the house. As a widower, Joseph Priestley lived here with his eldest son, Joesph Priestley Jr and his daughter-in-law and his grandchildren. In 1919 Dr. George Gilbert Pond bought the house at auction. Dr. Pond was dean of the School of Natural Sciences at Pennsylvania State College (now Penn State). After his death in 1926, the college purchased the house and built the Pond House in his honor. It was used as a firepoof museum for Joseph Priestley's artificats. It once served as a visitor center, however plans are afoot to adapt it for public meetings and exhibits. I think that visiting small historical houses such as Priestley's can be just as rewarding as visiting well-known museums. If you visit the Priestley House, do the "Priestley Pilgrimage" by also visitng the Joseph Priestley Memorial Chapel, Riverview Cemetery and Northumberland's Historic District.

Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) was known for identifying carbon monoxide, but mainly as the…read morediscoverer of oxygen in 1774. He was also a theologian, educator, political activist and writer. He spent the last years of his life in then rural Northumberland, Pennsylvania. He was a strong supported of the political ideas of the french revolution and had supported many religious Dissenters (both no-no's in his homeland of England), for this his house, library & laboratory were burned down, he was accused of treason and then he immigrated to The United States. First settling in Philadelphia, then moving to northumberland, he had hoped that moving to such a rural and secluded area would perhaps give him some breathing-space and time to think. He wasn't welcome as a preacher in Northumberland, but founded the first congregation of Unitarian faith in Philadelphia. His house was equipped with a laboratory, where he conducted experiments. His ideas greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson and the Constitution, and also his education planning is the basis for the liberal arts college. This is basically a tour of his original house, it has been modified since then. takes about a half-hour. 4.00 admission per person.

What a wonderful way you cross the river just like they did in the old days. The talk with the boat…read morecaptain was awesome to find out how the riverboat works.

Awesome experience taking the ferry across the Susquehanna River with my car (with driver) on board…read moreand one passenger for the grand total of $25 ($20+$5) one way. Next time we will plan to spend a little time in Millersburg before heading over to the other side of the river. We'll probably just do a round-trip next time without the car so we can spend a few hours instead of just the trip across. Very huge and cool campground on the west shore with some ice cream and a store. I plan to learn more about the area and come back again soon.

awesome covered bridge in northern dauphin county. the original bridge was destroyed in an arson…read moreattack in 2000. the new bridge is brand new and made from brick, aluminum and wood. pretty awesome sight to see if you want to kill a day off. Burr truss bridge.

Josiah Hess Covered Bridge, Circa 1875 at 110 feet long…read more This Burr Truss bridge is located between the towns of Forks and Jonestown; the Josiah Bridge is one of the two dozen historic covered bridges in Columbia County crossing Huntington Creek. The bridge was built by Joseph Redline at a cost of $1,349. This bridge is only open for foot traffic and picnics at the tables provided.

I visited the Cornwall Iron Furnace for the first time during their 345th Charter Day celebration,…read moreand I'm so glad I finally made the trip. This historic site had been on my list for a while, and with the beautiful weather and special event happening that day, it felt like the perfect time to go. Interestingly, I had only learned about the iron furnace a few months ago. I've always been fascinated by history especially the processes behind how things were made so visiting a place like this was incredibly intriguing. Seeing such an important piece of industrial history still standing today really makes you appreciate the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the people who built and operated it centuries ago. My group tour started at 12:45 PM and lasted a little over an hour. One thing I really appreciated was that we got to hear from several different volunteer guides throughout the tour rather than just one person leading the entire time. Each guide shared their own knowledge and perspective about different parts of the furnace and its operation. They were all incredibly informative and made the history easy to understand, even if you're not familiar with iron production. By the end of the tour, I honestly felt like I had learned dozens of fascinating facts about early iron-making, the daily lives of the workers, and how complex the entire process was. Workers often had 12-hour shifts to keep the furnace operating, which really highlights the amount of labor and coordination required. Standing inside the furnace structure itself was a unique experience. Even though it was warm outside, it actually felt noticeably cooler inside the building, which was surprising. You could really see the age of the structure and imagine the incredible amount of work that went into building and maintaining it. A few helpful things to know before you visit: Parking: Because of the Charter Day event, we were able to park directly on the property near the furnace building. However, there is also additional parking across the street and slightly down a hill, which requires crossing the road to reach the site. Restrooms are located inside the Welcome Center, where the gift shop is located. These appeared to be the only bathrooms on the property. Visitor tips: *Wear comfortable shoes, as there are stairs involved during the tour. *No food or drinks are allowed during the tour. *Plan to spend about an hour or a little more if you take the guided tour. Overall, this was a really enjoyable and educational experience. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for the hard work, skill, and innovation that went into early American industry. If you enjoy history, learning how things are made, or exploring unique historic sites in Pennsylvania, visiting the Cornwall Iron Furnace is absolutely worth adding to your list. Highly recommend taking the guided tour you'll walk away learning far more than you expect.

Built in 1742 and in use until 1883, the Cornwall Iron Furnace is "the only surviving intact…read morecharcoal cold-blast furnace in the Western Hemisphere." I absolutely love history and history museums and loved everything about it. My girlfriend, 11-year-old son and I visited on a Saturday afternoon on a trip to Harrisburg and Hershey. We took the tour and definitely got our money's worth ($18 for the three of us which included a AAA discount)! Started with a 15 minute video, then a guided tour by Beth which lasted over an hour, during which we got to see the furnace from all angles. Beth was very knowledgeable and also very patient with my son's many questions. The property also boasts a small museum and gift shop in the building that formerly housed the operation's charcoal. The gift shop is excellent. Among other things they have a range of cast iron products, as well as many cookbooks with suggested uses. This was an excellently run museum that I can definitely recommend to others who enjoy American history.

Beautiful but open opened limitedly during weekends 12p-4p, according to Yelp…read more A touristy spot with a beautiful sky line of the city. Very peaceful. Limited parking spots available on site. Intense sun so bring sun protective wear and sun screen. Bring nice cameras haha!

Great views of the area from atop the mountain. Didn't go inside the pagoda because it was closed…read morewhen we arrived on our unplanned visit. The only thing I disliked (hated) about the visit was the amount of litter and trash in the woods and area surrounding the pagoda. Come on, folks! :( If in Reading or nearby, check it out!

I am SO happy I stumbled upon the Echo Dell Indian Echo Caverns during a rainy day in Hershey, PA…read more After visiting the gift shop at Hersheypark and eating some ice cream, I did a quick search for things to do in the area and the Indian Echo Caverns popped up as a tourist attraction very close by. My family and I have never done a cavern before and I've always wanted to see one so we said why not? We got there around 3:15 on a Tuesday and we were able to hop on the next tour. Our tour guide Jack was absolutely fabulous. The way he told the stories about the cave and the history behind it was just so interesting. My kids were very engaged during the entire tour of the caverns. The caverns are absolutely gorgeous. All the different "rooms" had different stories and different formations throughout. I loved seeing crystal lake, the water was beautiful. The different colors of the limestone was so cool. Everything was just so impressive and neat. They also have a pretty large gift shop, a playground, and a small petting zoo. It was pouring rain so we couldn't do any outside activities but that's OK. The caves are a cool 52 degrees so make sure to bring a sweatshirt or light jacket if you get chilly. Also, you can't touch any of the rocks so if you have a little kiddo who can't help themselves just be aware of that. Echo Dell Indian Echo Caverns was such a cool spot to visit and I am so happy we found it while in Hershey! Thanks again to Jack for the awesome tour, it was so much fun.

The caverns are very high and big, lots of space so it's cool to see. There are super big…read moreformations, but most are dead, would have been amazing if the flowstone were alive and glistening white, majority was ugly grey and dead. They have farm animals outside you can feed, a jungle gym and swing set. It's a nice area and was a nice time

"There's a little green fountain On a little green mountain…read moreDon't you think we ought to stop?" (Johnny Cash) This fountain might have a little green in it, but it sure isn't little. It's in the shape of a 16-foot circle on the south-west corner of Penn Square, and its greenish tint is simply the result of a natural patina from the fountain's welded copper panels. As you make your way to the Central Market, you really can't miss it. Built in 1972, the fountain was designed to soften the constant traffic noise at the heart of Lancaster, just steps from Central Market. Water rises from the base and spills over the textured copper surfaces, creating a steady sound that helps muffle the busy intersection around it.

Abstract copper fountain, in the quadrant of Penn Square. Often illuminated at night in blue. The…read morewater never seems to freeze even in the depths of winter. If you look closely you can see Lady Liberty on top of the monument.

Heikes Covered Bridge, Circa 1892 at 67 feet long. The…read moreHeikes Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Huntington Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1892, and is a 67-foot-long, Burr truss bridge. The bridge crosses Bermudian Creek. It is one of 17 covered bridges in Adams, Cumberland, and Perry Counties.

Step 1: Get map from topozone.com Step 2: Load backpack up…read morewith beef jerky & soda. Step 3: Drive to Stony Valley via US 322 / 22 West. Step 4: Park Car in State Game Lands No. 211 Step 5: Hike uphill one-way for 4.2 miles Step 6: Dodge snakes, turkey, bear, other wildlife Step 7: Scale 9 foot barbed-wire fence Step 8: Shake off fear of heights Step 9: Climb to lookout tower at top of metal staircase Step 10: Take lots of photos of everything Step 11: Upload photos to Yelp.com

Great hike, with a fantastic view of the valley. Just follow Dan's instructions. Definitely can't…read morebe scared of heights.