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 Happy Valley.
Nestled in what is practically the geographic center of Pennsylvania, you’ll find a region that abounds in outdoor recreation, education and employment opportunities as well as the arts, entertainment and some of the country’s best local eats and drinks.
Ah, State College. For many visitors, coming here is a pilgrimage back to ye olde college stomping grounds. But others travel to Central Pennsylvania on business or for reasons unrelated to tailgates or graduation; they never drank the Nittany Lion Kool-Aid and are not sure what all the blue-and-white hype is about, or where to go to find out about it.
State College may be the heart of Centre County, but the rolling farmlands, meandering creeks and quiet beauty of the surrounding valleys is part of what makes this area such a great place to live and visit. And it doesn’t get prettier than Penns Valley.
Just a few miles from State College down Rte. 322 East is Boalsburg, a quaint little village with a rich history and a proud heritage. The village was mostly developed between 1809 and 1848, and was named Boalsburg in 1820 after the influential Boal family, whose 200-year-old estate is now a unique museum of American and Pennsylvania history there.
As home to Penn State University’s main campus, State College gets most of the glory in Centre County. But a beautiful borough 12 miles to the north has been an important piece of Pennsylvania’s history. Bellefonte, settled in 1795 and incorporated in 1806, is the county seat and has produced five of the Commonwealth’s governors plus two others who served as governors elsewhere (in California and Kansas). The contributions of all seven are commemorated with a memorial in Talleyrand Park.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau cannot stress enough that we believe in responsible and safe travel. We do encourage visitors planning business or leisure travel to Happy Valley to refer to the following resources for reliable information and updates regarding COVID-19. Please keep in mind that some articles on this blog were written in a different age pre-virus. Please refer to the individual business websites for current status and hours available. HVAB links to business and other appropriate pages at every opportunity.