From the dramatic hills of Pittsburgh across rolling farmland and majestic forest to the narrow streets of colonial Philadelphia, Pennsylvania provides a wide range of experiences. The state reflects a rich history—from halcyon days as the seat of the American Revolution and a fledgling nation's first capital through its role as a leader in the country's transformation into an industrial powerhouse—and its role today as a leader in the health-care and pharmaceutical industries, a center for the arts, and a burgeoning tourist destination.
Pennsylvania has fascinating contrasts. A mostly rural state, it is home to two large cities: Philadelphia, the nation's fifth largest and the regional center for the eastern portion of the state; and Pittsburgh, the focus for the western portion. Within a few hours' drive of the worldliness and sophistication of these cities, you can return to a simpler way of life. The winding country lanes and now-silent battlefields conjure up images of the Civil War, while in Lancaster, the horse and buggy is still a viable means of transportation, as today's Pennsylvania Dutch hew to the traditions of their ancestors.
