Right on time with the summer travel season, the Keystone curates the best the state has to offer.

Now that the summer travel season is upon us, we’re all looking for road trip-worthy things to do.

Pennsylvania has no shortage of great things to eat, do, and experience and we’re highlighting the best the state has to offer in beaches, pizza, and history.

Pizza

Pennsylvanians are serious about their pizza. And very territorial when it comes to their favorites.

Try convincing someone from Philadelphia that the best pizza in the state is found outside the city limits. Try telling someone from NEPA that Old Forge is not “The Pizza Capital of the World,” like the sign across the street from Arcaro & Genell in Old Forge boasts.

Everyone has their favorites. But whether you’re way out west, deep in the heart of Pennsyltucky, up in NEPA, or in the greater Philadelphia area, you’re never too far from world class pizza in Pennsylvania.

Beaches

With summer in full swing, many Pennsylvanians are plotting a trip across state lines for some beach time in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, or Maryland.

But why leave the commonwealth to get your toes in the sand and the water when we have so many great lakefront beaches across Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has 871 miles of lakefront shoreline, 60 of which extend along Lake Erie, home to the beautiful Presque Isle State Park and the calm, shallow waters of Kohler Beach.

Wherever you choose to find some Pennsylvania beach time this summer, remember: landlocked is only a state of mind.

History

Pennsylvania played a vital role in the Underground Railroad, the network of secret routes and safe houses that helped Black Americans escape enslavement. As the first free state north of the Mason-Dixon line, Pennsylvania provided many entry points to freedom.

Although it was loosely organized, the state’s network of “stations” on the Underground Railroad was extensive, according to historians. The Network to Freedom is the National Park Service’s preservation of sites related to the Underground Railroad and currently contains over 690 locations nationwide. Pennsylvania has 54 locations listed on the Network to Freedom.

The NPS accepts applications to have a site included on the Network to Freedom twice a year. There must be a verifiable connection to the Underground Railroad for an application to be considered and approved.