Recently, I visited Happy Valley in Pennsylvania state, and it turned out to be quite a hidden gem. The origin of “Happy Valley” is an interesting story in itself. During the Great Depression, this area was not as badly affected as other states in the country. Around this time, a local magazine called Town & Gown began referring to it as “Happy Valley” – and the name just stuck. A quaint region in the state’s Centre County, it’s also home to Penn State University’s main campus.
Undulating drives on country roads, scenic landscapes, rolling hills, lush green forests and charming homes were what defined my first impressions of Happy Valley. This mostly agricultural area is best known for its pristine water, organic fruits and vegetables, farm-to-table eateries, handcrafted artisanal cheese, colourful murals, spirited football culture, goat yoga, lively taverns and creamy cow-to-cone ice cream. In fact, Penn State University itself started in 1855 as a farmer’s high school. Some of the top things to experience here include immersive farm visits, apple cideries, farmer’s markets and cheese tasting tours. Over the next three days, I had a chance to do all of this and more.
Steeped in History
One of the first places I went to was Bellefonte, a beautiful borough with several hidden treasures, such as an original post office from the early 1860s. The architecture here is a mix of American and European influences. The underground railroad was a big part of the history of this town, some of which is depicted in its murals. Bellefonte has among other lesser-known things, the American Philatelic Society.
A visit to the Penn State University campus is lovely too, since it is such an important historical and cultural part of the place. Some of the must-visit spots here include the Nittany Lion Shrine and the university library. The Old Main is another significant building at the university, as it houses some of the most spectacular frescos in its lobby. The 1,300 square foot masterpiece by distinguished painter and architect Henry Varnum Poor truly captures the spirit of the university’s mission.
Another prominent historical landmark here is Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum. The story goes that a relative of the Boal family, Theodore Davis Boal, got married to French-Spanish aristocrat Mathilde de Lagarde, a descendent of Christopher Columbus, and inherited the centuries-old chapel belonging to his family. The chapel has among other things Columbus’ Admiral’s Desk, stunning fifteenth century religious statues, sixteenth century Renaissance paintings and sculpture as well as two pieces of the True Cross of Christ. Further, the Boal Mansion, adjoining the chapel, contains the most notable collection of Christopher Columbus artifacts in North America. The vault inside the exhibit room houses about 160,000 documents from the Columbus families. Apart from family portraits, antique furniture and household accessories, the mansion has the original signatures of five US Presidents and even a lock of Napolean’s hair.
Nature and Outdoors
One of the biggest tourist attractions here is Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park, the only all-water limestone cavern in America with a farm-nature wildlife park. It entails a 90-minute farm-nature-wildlife tour on 1,500 acres of forests and fields. Somewhat like a safari, it has visitors sitting in a bus that goes through a forested area, through corn fields with sheep and cows grazing on either side. A lot of native North American animals can be seen during the tour, such as white-tailed deer, rocky mount elks, American bison, wild mustang horses, Texas Longhorns, timber wolves, foxes, black bears, bobcats, bighorn sheep, Monarch butterflies and mountain lions. The driver of the bus, who also doubles as the guide, keeps making stops at regular intervals during the journey, often getting off the bus and dramatically hollering for the animals by name, who dutifully make their appearance. This is followed by an hour-long boat ride through the Penn caves, which proved to be an experience of a lifetime. The tour takes visitors through various passages on Lake Nittany, getting one to see stalactites, stalagmites and columns up close.
The Arboretum, with 10 acres of cultivated garden and 14 acres of tranquil meadows and walking trails, is another great recommendation for nature lovers. Adjoining it is the Palmer Museum of Art, which offers an impressive collection of art from around the world. Another memorable experience was hiking up Mount Nittany through the woods, on the blue and white blazed trails, which was mostly an easy climb up to some great viewpoints on the way.
Happy Valley is also filled with a lot of small-town charm, some of which can be experienced at a local Amish dairy farm. It turned out to be especially interesting, as I got to know more about this community which relies mostly on traditional techniques, manual labour, animal power and natural cycles instead of electricity or modern machinery. Overall, a visit to Happy Valley was a refreshing combination of history, outdoors recreation and going back to nature.
