Exciting attractions, unique vacations and more in the PA Oil Heritage Region!

Oil Region Alliance

Recreational opportunities include over 60 miles of asphalt-paved trails, perfect for hiking biking or walking. TheAllegheny Riveris the perfect place for canoeing, kayaking, jet boating or fishing.

Gather up your family and a GPS and head to the countryside for a day of Geocaching while following the Allegheny Geo Trail. Coordinates can be found at www.geocaching.com.

The Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad will be moving through Oil Creek State Park from June through October. Enjoy a time back in history as you ride on vintage cars, including their plush Wabash Cannonball car. Steam trains will be in the valley on July 14 & 15, do not miss this exciting day, and bring the kids (regardless of age).

You will enjoy the amazing collection of over 100 antique automated musical instruments at the DeBence Antique Music World; experience the Native American’s history, culture and influence display at the Venango Museum. DrakeWellMuseumwill introduce, in late August 2012, the new hands-on museum telling the story of “There’s a drop of OIL and GAS in your life everyday!

Enjoy the walking tours available for Emlenton, Oil City, Titusville and Franklin; shop at the Galleria downtown Franklin after taking in a show at the Barrow-Civic Theatre. Hungry? Stop at one of our many fine restaurants for fine cuisine and local wines.

Make plans now to come and visit “The Valley That Changed the World”.VenangoCounty and the Oil Heritage Region are easily accessible from I-79, I-80 or SR322 and SR8. Make plans to stay overnight at our bed and breakfasts, hotels or campgrounds and enjoy a weekend of fun, excitement and relaxation.

Oil Region Alliance

1.800.483.6264

www.oilregion.org

Clinton County: What You’re Looking for is Down the Road

Adventure Begins in Clinton County

Welcome to the Pennsylvania Wilds – what you are looking for is just down the road…in Clinton County Pennsylvania!

We are home to the mountains and trails of the Bald Eagle Mountain Megatransect and the Hyner View Trail Challenge. Not ready to challenge the mountain? Pine Creek Rail Trail is rated in the top ten trails by USA Today for biking and hiking.

We offer 65 miles of the West Branch Susquehanna River for all your water related passions. Whether you want wilderness paddling, water skiing, swimming or just a day floating your cares away, you’ll find it here. June through August, the City of Lock Haven provides free concerts on a floating stage in the river.

Our two scenic byways offer ridge and valley views as you wind your way through the forests following the path cut by the river. Along the way, keep an eye peeled for deer, bear, elk or hang gliders soaring off Hyner View State Park.

We are home to the Original Woolrich Factory Store since 1830 and the Piper Aviation Museum. The Heisey Museum is a great place to experience the community’s heritage or stroll Downtown Lock Haven’s Main Street taking in the architecture and shops.

Visit our website or call for places of interest and calendar of events.

Clinton County Visitor Bureau

888-388-6991

www.ClintonCountyInfo.com

Family reunions can be a lot of fun. You get to see family members you may not have seen for a couple of years. Perhaps, there are ‘new’ family members you haven’t met. The good news is there are plenty of family reunion locations throughout the U.S. The possibilities are endless!

It’s important to make arrangements early and find a place that works for everyone. This is a good way to prevent family feuds! If you wait too long to plan your family reunion, your favorite hotel or resort could be booked solid. Also, family members may not be able to attend due to previous travel plans.

How to Plan a Family Reunion, Cut Costs, and Have a Good Time

Book Your Family Reunion Locations Early! Photo credit: Stock exchange-Sign-Helen Bobis

Book early

Beach family reunion locations are popular. The most popular beach vacation destination is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. If you have your heart set on having your family reunion in SC then you better book your location early. Otherwise, the entire family will be left out in the cold.

Tie your family reunion to an important date

If grandma and grandpa are celebrating 65 years of marriage, celebrate their special day at the family reunion. Building your family reunion around a holiday could be tricky. Big holiday’s like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are during the travel ‘high season.’ You may not be able to find accommodations or someone may not be able to attend.

Hold your family reunion in the off-season

It may be cost effective to hold your family reunion in the off-season. Family reunion locations such as Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and other popular destinations can be expensive during the ‘high season’ which is usually during the summer. Some family members may not be able to afford to attend. Take this into consideration when planning your family reunion. Holding in the off-season could work for everyone.

Meet at a family member’s home

Holding your family reunion at a family member’s home is another way to cut costs. Perhaps, a family member with five or more acres of land will be willing to host the family reunion. Everyone can bring something, a hot meal, desert, or soft drinks. Of course, cash would probably be accepted too!

Decide on the size of your family reunion

Your family reunion doesn’t have to be large. A small and intimate family reunion could be more inviting. First-time family reunion planners may want to plan a smaller affair. You’ll get a sense of what it’s like to plan reunion.

Raise money for your family reunion 

Send out an email blast and ask family members to have garage sales, silent auctions, raffles, car washes, rummage sales, etc. to raise money for your family reunion.

Plan cost-effective family activities

Ask family members what they like to do. Ask family members what their kids like to do. You can’t please everyone. But you can plan activities ahead of time to keep people entertained. Ideas are:

• Renting a karaoke machine.
• Set up a sound system outside (if you’re holding at your home).
• Booking golf outing.
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Going to the park.
• Renting a ‘bouncy castle’ or other inflatable rentals.

Now you know how to plan a family reunion, cut costs, and have a good time! Keep the lines of communication open. Correspond via email or Facebook. Keep in mind that everyone may not have a computer or Facebook page. Contact family members when you have the date, time, and location settled. Keep family up-to-date with the latest information. Happy planning!

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Explore the Great Outdoors in Central PA’s Susquehanna River Valley

Spring into Central PA's Susquehanna River Valley

This spring, consider getting away to the Susquehanna River Valley – easily accessible from Interstate 80 and Route 15 in Central Pennsylvania. Thriving downtowns offer art and music festivals and locally-owned businesses feature spring open houses. Three state parks and a newly opened Rail Trail provide endless opportunities to explore the great outdoors.

While you’re in the Susquehanna River Valley, visit the ten wineries along the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail, do some antiquing, take a guided canoe trip down the Susquehanna River, or take a bike ride over a dozen historic covered bridges. Along the way, stop at a variety of farmers markets for the freshest strawberries and local produce. Everywhere you turn, you’ll see something that amazes and inspires you.

As evening approaches, plan a romantic dinner for two then see a movie in a restored Art Deco movie palace or attend a live theatre or dance performance at one of our performing arts centers. Settle into a quiet evening at a cozy hotel, cabin, cottage or bed and breakfast. Every turn a treasure.

VisitCentralPA.org or 1-877-207-8599

Outdoor Lovers Vacation in the Oil Region of NW Pennsylvania

Oil Heritage Region of NW Pennsylvania

Day trips or family overnight trips are just a few hours drive away! Do you love the outdoors? Like to fish? Canoe? Kayak? Go geocaching? If so, there is no better place than the Oil Heritage Region of NW Pennsylvania. Fishing and waterway events along the Allegheny River and Oil Creek State Park make for a great weekend getaway.

For a trip back in time – take a 3-hour round-trip excursion on the vintage Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad through Oil Creek State Park. Visit the newly renovated Drake Well Museum, Venango Museum of Art, Science & Industry in Oil City or DeBence Antique Music World in Franklin.

The Barrow-Civic Theatre, a renovated vaudeville theatre, has many great plays and musical events for adults and children every week of the year. They bring many off-Broadway plays for your enjoyment.

Many educational and cultural events are awaiting your arrival in one of our thriving artists’ studios, antique shoppes or restaurants in the region better known as “The Valley That Changed the World.”

Oil Region Alliance
1-800-483-6264
www.oilregion.org
www.oil150.com

Are you seeking a Pennsylvania family vacation filled with beauty, renowned historic sites and breathtaking natural scenery? Then, Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands is your next Pennsylvania destination.

In the Laurel Highlands, you’ll discover dramatic mountains and Pennsylvania’s deepest river gorge. You’ll be surrounded by clear, glassy ponds, lakes, and streams.

Get your hiking shoes ready as you take on a 150-mile trail. The Great Allegheny Passage, an award-winning 150-mile unpaved rail trail for hiking and biking, runs south/southeast through, over, around and even under some of the most beautiful mountains, forests and rivers you’ll ever see.

For the thrill seeker in you and your family, the Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier awaits you! It offers everything your family could ask for – seven individual themed areas of fun, two roller coasters, dozens of other rides, an antique merry-go-round, a wet and wild water park with 11 different attractions of its own and so much more!

Do you want to experience something different on your Pennsylvania family vacation? Pennsylvania’s largest cave and geological park, Laurel Caverns, is perfect! It’s a beautiful spectacle that can’t be missed. It even has an underground eighteen hole golf course! You have to check it out on your visit.

And, more recently, the Flight 93 National Memorial was created to honor the courageous passengers of Flight 93 who made their heroic last stand in the skies directly overhead the open field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania in the Laurel Highlands. You and your family are invited to visit the Laurel Highlands this year to mark the 10th Anniversary of  September, 11, 2011. Experience a significant piece of our Nation’s history.

Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands is a wonderful places to do it all, or do absolutely nothing. It’s full of charming, beautiful, details just waiting for you to experience it.

An amazing selection of experiences is waiting just for you and your family for your next Pennsylvania getaway. Book your Pennsylvania vacation, today!

This is the perfect time of year to explore and discover the Susquehanna River Valley. Here, the river sets a relaxing pace where meandering and exploring come easily.

Spend the day at a local winery, enjoying some of the good things that are homegrown in the Susquehanna River Valley. Along the way, do some antiquing, take the kids to a historical house museum, explore our thriving downtowns, attend a seasonal festival, or take a hike at one of our three state parks. Everywhere you turn, you’ll see something that amazes and inspires you.

As evening approaches, plan a romantic dinner for two or share your day’s adventures with friends and family at one of many pubs, cafés and restaurants. Settle into a quiet evening at a cozy hotel, cabin, cottage, or bed and breakfast or catch a performance at one of many unique venues.

VisitCentralPA.org or 1-877-207-8599

With so many choices, it’s nice to know you have a friend in GuestQuest.