From tall case clocks to Amish furniture, woodworking has been engrained in the persona of Pennsylvania for centuries. A melting pot of influences has shaped the craft since the foundation of the original colony and, while today Pennsylvania ranks only in the middle of labor statistics for employed woodworkers, it is one of the most lucrative regions for those who make their living carving, joining and surfacing wood.
The view from afar shows Pennsylvania as tale of two cities, Philadelphia in the east and Pittsburgh in the west. While the draw of one-stop vacationing in the bigger cities may be tempting, PA—the only state commonly known by its abbreviated initials—is home to hundreds of small-town wonders as well. To uncover these lesser-known gems, TravelMag asked more than 100 seasoned adventurers, travel writers, photographers, and industry professionals to name their top three most charming towns and small cities with populations of less than 100,000 people in Pennsylvania.
On a gray and slightly overcast morning on the Eastern Shore, oysterman Tucker Terry grabs a trusted employee and jumps in his maroon pickup for a short drive across the Delmarva Peninsula to the seaside town of Wachapreague. Terry leases water rights in Bradford Bay to “salt up” his bayside-grown oysters at Nandua Selects Oyster Farm.
The barrier island, home to the Virginia town of Chincoteague, is nestled between the mainland and Assateague Island National Seashore and gets its name from the Gingo Teague tribe of Native Americans who hunted nearby. Built on the blue-collar traditions of fishermen and women, Chincoteague is renowned for its oysters, which thrive in the salty bays. But bivalves are not the only creatures that lure hundreds of tourists to the island every year.
Virginia’s brewing scene is growing rapidly in popularity. Annually, the commonwealth produces almost two gallons of beer for every adult, but it is not just Virginians enjoying the suds explosion as travelers seek out breweries in Virginia’s major cities and rural countryside. Here are seven destination breweries in Virginia worth visiting.
Roanoke, Virginia, has blasted onto the American beer scene. Some locals even call the city of 96,000 nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia the “new Asheville,” a nod to the well-established beer city of Asheville, North Carolina. It’s a worthy comparison. With over 20 breweries in the Roanoke region, Virginia’s “Magic City” has blossomed into a destination for craft beer fans.
Destination weddings have been a popular idea for a long time. For most, the idea of a destination wedding conjures the idea of exotic locations of surf and sand.
But extensive travel is not always on a wedding party’s ideal to-do list, and the idea of being far from home may be the last thing a bride and groom want on their wedding day.
For those couples minding their travel budget, there is a state south of the Mason-Dixon Line which has embraced the idea of love. Virginia is for lovers, and naturally, weddings. Two destinations – one in the east and the other in the west – offer unique experiences steeped in tradition and allow for the entire family and wedding party to be included in the special day, or days.
Architect Ben Samberg can feel the pulse of an idea. A certain je ne sais quoi speaks to him through dimensions, aesthetics and history (or lack thereof) of a particular space. In his own words, architects “create in a sea of limitations where each enterprise is a new experiment.” This is why he loves what he does.
enise and Bob Harter stumbled upon a dream. The idea — open and run a bed-and-breakfast with an on-premise brewery — sprang into Denise Harter’s mind as she sat on a porch swing at a bed-and-breakfast in Clarion, Pennsylvania.
The production of olive oil dates back to at least 2400 BC in the annals of Eastern Mediterranean history. More than 3 million metric tons of olive oil are produced annually worldwide. Olive oil is used for cooking and eating, in religious ceremonies, and in soaps and other skincare items. It has even been used as lamp oil. Claims of it being a health benefit continue to grow.
