Roadside America, Inc. - Shartlesville, PA.

An innocent looking building labeled Roadside America can be seen to the south from interstate 78 (just west of exit 23 to be exact). From the outside it doesn't look like much. The building seems small by tourism standards and there's no extravagant decorations aside from the Amish couple statue. In fact, the statue seems more creepy than extravagant. But the plainness of this building is a reminder of the proverb, "Never judge a book by it's cover," because on the inside is exactly what defines America.

In 1939, Laurence Gieringer began to construct what would eventually become Roadside America. Gieringer loved miniature models and was able to make a living doing something he loved. Piece by piece the miniature village was assembled into the 8000 sq ft attraction it is now. This isn't your ordinary dollhouse village; it is full of fine detail, down to the face of every miniature person. There are real rivers with real water, working train sets, lights, and even some interactive displays.

You may be thinking that this sounds like every kids dream. And it is, even for the kid inside every adult. There's a section to the village to please city and country folk alike. Skyscrapers, farms, coal mines, caves, forests, trains, it's all there. If you don't like Roadside America, you are un-American and quite the grumpy-pants.

Check out the official website below for admission rates (not very expensive & worth every penny), hours of operation, and directions to the greatest tourist attraction in Pennsylvania. And make sure to plan at least 1 hour for your trip, we stayed 1 and a half because we looked at everything twice.


For more information on the places mentioned in this blog:
* Roadside America, Inc.



The Amish couple waving to interstate passersby.


Sneak preview! I don't want to spoil all the fun, but you have to understand the size of it all! This isn't even half of what awaits you...


My favorite display.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary - Kempton, PA.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the world's first refuge for raptors and other birds of prey. This is an important step in the world of conservation. The sanctuary offers a variety of activities for any bird-watching or outdoor enthusiast.

HMS is located just outside of Kempton, along the border of Berks & Schuylkill counties & only 5 miles from Lehigh county. To give you an idea of where it is, the 2 closest large towns are Hamburg & Pottsville. It is located about 10 minutes from the Cabela's off of I-78.

Trail admission is only $5 ($7 on weekends in the fall -- discounts are available for seniors & children). The money goes towards maintenance & conservation programs. To access the trails, just go to the visitor's center to pay your trail fee & receive your ticket before proceeding to the trails. The visitor's center is very informative and has souvenirs throughout. The sanctuary also provides free trail maps which can be put in a drop box to be reused on your way out. Below is also a .pdf version of the map from HMS's website.

There are 3 main trails in HMS. There is the North Lookout trail which is the most popular. It has roughly 10 lookouts, depending on whether or not you take the Express, Escarpment, or Regular trails. The first lookout, South Lookout, is handicap accessible and provides a view east and south of the mountain ridge. The view overlooks farmland in Berks county and the rest of Blue Mountain in the Kittatinny Ridge. You can also see the River of Rocks to the southeast. Many lookouts along the trail provide a different angle of the same view. At the top of the mountain you can hangout on North Lookout, which is where many people watch for raptors. To the northwest you can see windmills, to the north you can see the ridge continue forward, & to the southeast you can see the rolling farmlands of Berks county. The climb has about a 200-250 ft gain over 1 mile, but the view at the top is worth it.

From the North Lookout you can take the Skyline Trail, which connects to the Appalachian Trail but involves climbing over & around boulders. The Skyline Trail also connects to the Golden Eagle Trails which lead to the River of Rocks Trail. You can also access the River of Rocks Trail from the North Lookout Trail.

HMS also allows people to buy a yearly membership, which gets members free admission to the hiking trails & helps to fund research and the protection of raptors. HMS welcomes all people to volunteer their time. Without volunteers, HMS would not be accessible to the public.

Even though the fall colors have already passed, the views are still amazing & worth being checked out. Maybe if you're lucky you'll see part of the hawk migration.

For more information:
* Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
* Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hiking Trails Map [note: .pdf file]
* Appalachian Trail Conservancy




The view from South Lookout, 1280 ft.

The view from North Lookout, 1490 ft.