1. Ringing Rocks County Park, Upper Black Eddy
Bringing a hammer with you for a hike may sound a tad odd, but when visiting Ringing Rocks County Park, it’s essential to make the most of this underrated park. The park consists of a 128-acre boulder field, and the boulders have a unique quality: when struck with a hammer, they ring. These rocks are also called sonorous rocks or musical rocks, and there is no agreed-upon explanation for why they ring, though there are plenty of theories. The park also offers a short and enjoyable hike to the area’s best-known waterfall. It is the perfect place to spend a day outdoors; just remember to bring a hammer!2. Kinzua Bridge State Park, Mount Jewett
Until Kinzua Bridge fell due to a tornado in 2003, it was one of the country’s tallest and longest railroad bridges. Since the collapse, builders have constructed a pedestrian bridge across the pillars that remained intact after the bridge fell. It offers a scenic lookout where visitors can view the natural landscape and see the remnants of the Kinzua Bridge below. The area also offers plenty of other outdoor activities like walking, fishing, and picnicking.3. Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, Philadelphia
Edgar Allan Poe, the famed author and poet with a penchant for the macabre, resided in Philadelphia for six years. During that time, he was a prolific writer and editor for Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine, publishing works like The Fall of the House of Usher and The Murders in the Rue Morgue, the latter considered the pioneering story for the detective-mystery genre. The home is open to the public to tour to get a better sense of how this literary icon lived.4. The Dream Garden, Pittsburgh
Art appreciators will find this mural by Maxfield Frederick Parrish intriguing. Titled “The Dream Garden,” the mural uses hundreds of thousands of pieces of glass to build a highly detailed glass mosaic of a garden overlooking a mountain range. The pieces of glass were manufactured by the talented Louis Comfort Tiffany, the design director of Tiffany & Co., when the mural was installed in 1916.5. Elfreth’s Alley, Philadelphia
With roots going back to 1703, Elfreth’s Alley is the oldest actively used street in the country. Most of the buildings serve as residential sites, but two were converted into the Elfreth’s Alley Museum. The street is open to pedestrians day and night and offers a glimpse of what the United States looked like 300 years ago.6. Baldwin’s Book Barn, West Chester
Described by Atlas Obscura as “the TARDIS of bookstores” because it somehow looks and feels bigger on the inside, this used and rare books and collectibles store is a book and antique lover’s dream come true. (If you’re unfamiliar with Doctor Who, the TARDIS is the space and time-traveling police call box that defies our understanding of physical space by being significantly bigger on the inside.)The barn was built in 1822 and features five stories, endless nooks and crannies, stone walls, wood-burning stoves, and, of course, hordes of fully stocked bookshelves. The store was opened at the barn in 1934 and has since offered a plethora of unique, rare, and intriguing items ranging from books and manuscripts to paintings and estate antiques.
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