Where I Live

I've been tagged by Interstellar Lass into telling you all about the wonderful things about central Pennsylvania. And so I will.

Best Place to Eat Since there was no limit on what could be spent at this best place to eat, I'm just going to the top of the list. That would be dining at The Hotel Hershey. This place has been a favorite of mine since I've been a little girl. The 75 year old hotel sits atop a hill that over looks the rolling hills of Hershey, PA. There's golfing and a world-class spa. There are four dining areas but my favorite is the Circular dining room serves contemporary American cuisine and provides views that look over the gardens and the Greek-styled architecture within the gardens.

The best treat in the Circular Dining room is Sunday brunch. I can't describe it, you have to experience it.

The Best Shopping Mall The best shopping in the Harrisburg area is to go out of the Harrisburg area. There are tons of "outlet" malls in Lancaster and Reading which are a short drive from Harrisburg. And there is the King of Prussia mall located just outside Philadelphia. This mall would take you days to visit in its entirety if you were a true shopper.

Famous Landmark This is a difficult one for me to decide on with all the Civil War history in this area, but I'm going to pick one of my personal favorites, The Harrisburg Cemetery. In this great cemetery just across the State Street bridge from the capitol building lies many notable figures including a former governor William Findlay, American sculptor George Barnard, many members of the U.S. House of Representatives as well as both Union and Confederate soldiers of the Civil War and soldiers from the Revolutionary War.

Best Tourism Attraction Hershey (the sweetest place on earth) which includes Hersheypark, which celebrated its 100 year birthday this year, Hershey Chocolate World, The Hotel Hershey, the Hershey Museum, Hershey Bears Hockey, and the Hershey Chocolate Factory which makes the town smell like chocolate.

Best Place for Kids The Whitaker Center which has an Imax Theater, and a Science Center that has interactive science exhibits that allow the kids to play and learn all at the same time. Currently there is an exhibit called Aliens allowing kids to use their imagination and learn about the science of extraterrestrial life.

Popular Outdoor Activity It is difficult to choose just one because outdoor activities change greatly depending on the weather. There's skiing and nature trails as well as hiking and biking trails. There is the PA Rennaissance Faire, and summer art festivals galore. In the fall, the leaves change so just taking a drive can be a treat. There are also apple festivals beginning in September where you can get apple pies, dumplings, dried apples, fritters and so on.

Breath-taking Views The views of Harrisburg that are my favorite can be seen by crossing over the Susquehanna River and seeing the Harrisburg skyline. The bridges over the Susquehanna are always eyecatching as well.

Only Found In This was probably the easiest for me. There's only one place to find Three Mile Island, site of the nuclear accident on March 28,1979 and that would be here. I remember getting sent home from Jr. High. It was kind of warm outside but there was a strange yellow haze hanging around. My family packed up and went to my aunt's near Allentown for the weekend till we heard that it was o.k. to return to our homes. I don't often travel by TMI, but I'm still fascinated by the awesome site of the cooling towers planted firmly on the ground, on an island, in the middle of the Susquehanna River. It's funny, the TMI jokes never seem to get old, there have been movies made referencing it, and many songs have been written including lyrics about it. The Clash, Alice Cooper, Kraftwerk, and Aerosmith. My favorite would have to be courtesy of Mr. Jimmy Buffett: "Don't want to land on no Three Mile Island, don't want to see my skin a-glow."