Local residents are the best brand ambassadors. So, when is the last time you explored your own backyard? This summer is a great time to rediscover Happy Valley by being a local tourist.

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.

When it comes to outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania, there’s no better place than Happy Valley. State College is nestled against the Appalachian Mountains and home to Penn State University, picturesque landscapes and abundant state parks.

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.

There are plenty of places across Centre County in which to spark romance. If you’re looking to branch out from your usual Netflix-and-wine combo this month — or any other — try pairing two or three of these instead.

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.