Those final days of a vacation are always the hardest. You've got so much to cram into the remaining hours of your journey. You can't wait to return home again but you're sure going to miss this place. Then, of course, you've got to shop for all those souvenirs from Pennsylvania you know your friends and loved ones are expecting.
1. Hershey’s candy.
Sure, you can buy Hershey’s candy anywhere in the country. It just doesn’t compare, however, to the candy bought straight from the factory in Hershey, PA.
2. Seashells from the beaches of Lake Erie.
Nothing defines a visit to PA quite like a visit to Presque Isle State Park along Lake Erie. And digging in the soft sand for seashells, to take home in a can or a jar, is just something we all do.
3. Birch beer.
Root beer’s got nothing on birch beer. The popular PA drink somehow finds its way into plenty of visitors' luggage as they head home.
4. Shoofly pie.
Nothing tastes quite as good as homemade shoofly pie you’ve brought home fresh from PA. Of course, you might also want to stock up on scrapple – perhaps the most controversial food in PA.
5. An authentic PA rest stop souvenir.
Let’s face it. We all forget to pick up souvenirs for someone. And, if we happen to travel on the PA Turnpike, our only choice for souvenirs is at one of the rest stops. That’s when we stock up on keychains of the "Keystone State," t-shirts, and postcards.
6. A handmade Amish quilt.
Well, anything handmade by the Amish is a common souvenir. Lancaster’s brimming with Amish shops where you can find quilts, aprons, clothes, fudge, and other home baked goodies.
7. Whoopie pies.
Mmm..mmm…we Pennsylvanians are lucky to have access to authentic whoopie pies – or gobs – all the time. Once you taste them, you just can’t get enough of them.
8. A new vocabulary.
You just can’t leave PA without picking up some of the lingo. Visiting Pittsburgh? You’ll likely start calling others jagoff and yinz. Philly bound? Start saying youse. And, from the day you visit Pennsylvania, you’ll forever refer to it PA like we Pennsylvanians do.
9. A dictionary.
Most non-Pittsburghers don’t know just how different Pittsburghers speak. In fact, we’ve got our own dictionary of Pittsburghese. That dictionary is the perfect, and a popular, souvenir.
10. Wistfulness.
Going home always conjures mixed emotions. Excitement to get back home. Sadness that your time away is over. And, then there’s that feeling of wistfulness, wishing you could somehow go home yet stay forever in PA.
Everyone likes to take a piece of PA home with them when they leave. What other souvenirs from Pennsylvania do you think belong on a part two of this list? Share in the comments! Click here to read more about the Street of Shops, the perfect spot to pick up souvenirs.
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