FACTS: OK, so we’re falling a bit more in love with Pennsylvania with every fact we find. From cheesesteak to mushrooms, grapes to Christmas trees, there is so much to celebrate in the Keystone State.
From the website 50 States, we learn Pennsylvania is the only original colony not bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.
Kennett Square is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World, while Indiana County is the Christmas tree capital of the world.
Actor Jimmy Stewart was born and raised in Indiana, and each Christmas, the downtown area is decorated in the theme of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Pittsburgh has over 300 sets of city maintained steps. If they were stacked on top of each other, they would reach over 26,000 feet high. They would measure higher than a lot of the Himalayan Mountains.
The borough of North East in Erie County is located in the so-called Grape Coast region of the state. It has four wineries and is home to the largest Welch’s grape processing plant in the country.
The Concord grape-growing belt runs about 50 miles along the shore of Lake Erie. It is the largest and oldest Concord grape-growing region in the world, according to Pennsylvania’s tourism website, visitpa.com
From grapes to less healthy snacks — the Keystone State is the birthplace of a lot of tasty but not-so-good-for-you snacks. Hershey’s, of course, is probably the best known. Don’t forget Mallow Cups, Tastykake, Just Born (makers of Peeps), Auntie Anne’s, Herr’s, Planters, Utz, Wise and Snyder of Hanover.
The banana split is a Pennsylvania creation, as is of course the Philadelphia cheesesteak, Lebanon bologna, apple butter, Heinz, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers, pot pies, the Arnold Palmer drink, root beer, stromboli, funnel cake, shoofly pie, whoopie pies, dippy eggs and pretzels.
An interesting side note: Pennsylvania chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey and his wife Kitty were scheduled to depart on the RMS Titanic. They had to change their plans at the last minute and boarded another ship instead.