Stop #5: Pennsylvania

Well, this was a late one. We are, in fact, almost wrapping up our time in DC, and I have finally gotten around to writing this blog post. Here we go! 

We spent 5 weeks in rural PA in the town of Lebanon. Several locals there asked us, “Why here?” Honestly, it was because it was rural. We knew we were coming up on DC and NYC, and we wanted to spend some time where we could have more space and meet people in a smaller town. 

Airbnb in Lebanon

While there wasn’t a ton to do, we loved doing trivia every Tuesday night at Boyer’s Tavern where we met a few friends that we were on a team with every week. We already miss them, and it’s kind of crazy how quickly they all warmly welcomed us. 

In the town next to us, Lititz, they hold an annual Fire and Ice Festival where they create ice sculptures, open up all their downtown shops, have food trucks, and all the things. It was absolutely adorable and so cool to see. That’s where we saw lots of horses and buggies since it was Amish country. 

As two of the world’s biggest fans of The Office, we spent a day exploring Scranton, PA. We visited several famous spots from the show, including Cooper’s Seafood, the Steam Town Mall, and Poor Richard’s Pub, and drove by the iconic Penn Paper sign from the show’s opening. 

LOVE sign in Philadelphia

We went to Philadelphia a couple of times, and it was a cool city. Zac waited two hours for the ‘best cheesesteak of his life’ and wanted to make sure it made it into the blog. Angelo’s on 9th for anyone interested! 

We also visited the Philadelphia Flower Show, the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event. It features stunning displays by the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. That was cool and super crowded, so we ventured downtown and saw the Liberty Bell and the iconic love sign.

Another weekend, we ventured to Somers Point, New Jersey, where one of my favorite journalists lives. She showed us around the Jersey Shore, and if she had a Trip Advisor for tours, I would swear it would sell out. Shoutout to my girl, CJ! 

Big Bear, CA

During our last weekend in PA, we left and flew to California to celebrate one of my best friend’s 30th birthday at Big Bear! I grew up skiing, so that was a great time for me. We got the most snow they had seen in about a decade, which was amazing, but it was also hard to navigate while driving. 

While PA was extremely restful, we still saw and did so much. We’re so thankful for the friends we got to visit and also make so far on this journey. 

Now, we’re halfway through our travels, and time is flying by, so we’re trying to stay present and soak in every moment. We often have to look at each other and think, “Wow, this is crazy. We’re actually doing this.”

…Next Stop: Washington, D.C.