The Arboretum at Penn State, located at Penn State’s University Park campus, is a special Happy Valley treasure. The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens, open daily from dawn until dusk, offer visitors ten acres of specialty gardens. Beyond the gardens lie fields and woodlands for hiking, biking, and observing wildlife. Admission is free.

Bellefonte’s Victorian charm is luring curious customers and catching the eye of crafty business owners. Its small-town, down-home feel keeps you coming back for more. All year, there are shops to visit, restaurants to try and events to attend. Don’t miss out on all the tranquility found in Bellefonte’s small-town vibe with big-city trends.

In conjunction with National Travel & Tourism Week, May 3-9, 2020, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau presents our new website blog that allows us to showcase Happy Valley’s assets and attractions in a fresh, more visually appealing way. We promise to bring you relevant content in a modern, inspirational magazine-style format here on the Dispatch. Storytelling and local insider information will be the keystones of this new blog.

Happy Valley is full of breath-taking views, picturesque places and adventures waiting to be discovered. Why not combine them all into one scenic drive? Well that’s just what we did! Pick a nice sunny day or an evening where the sunset is glowing across the horizon and hop in your car, roll down the windows and take a drive through the scenic Raystown Lake Region and Happy Valley.

Several members of the Pennsylvania Caves Association (PCA), the statewide organization that represents show caves located throughout the state, have announced their plan to offer a special discount program to school students and their immediate family members once these attractions are permitted to reopen in 2020.

If you’re looking for the classic Happy Valley vibe that you remember from your college or otherwise younger days, you can still find it at one of the area’s many local bed and breakfasts, inns and other locally-owned and run accommodations options.

The first pizzeria in the United States opened in New York City in 1905. Today, there are more than 61,000 across the nation, making it fairly obvious that Americans have a love for pizza. Every day, 13 percent of the population eats some form of pizza, and we spend $38 billion annually satisfying our craving!

On the edge of State College, Rothrock State Forest offers over 200,000 acres of forested ridges and rhododendron-lined streams, as well as over a hundred miles of trails. This swath of public land has long been a favorite haunt for hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers, but in recent years, a new user group has been flocking to the forest to enjoy its 200-plus miles of gravel roads and snowmobile trails.

There is no shortage of cozy, local coffee shops for Happy Valley to enjoy. Whether you’re strolling the streets of downtown, dropping in on your way to work or sharing a leisurely Saturday morning with a friend, you’ll have plenty of cafes to choose from!