Maine vs. Pennsylvania
My daughters and I made our twice-annual pilgrimmage to central Pennsylvania last (long) weekend, to see my parents, sisters and my nieces and nephews.
It's always interesting for me to return to my hometown (Sunbury), my home state and compare and contrast that area to the state where I've lived since 1995 (I lived in Florida from 1989-95; lived in Pennsylvania before then).
I'll offer some observations. Feel free to offer yours:
Home heating costs: This was not the dominant conversation in Pennsylvania that it is in Maine and with my in-laws in New Hampshire. Of course, winters are more temperate in the Mid-Atlantic states, though on occasion central Pennsylvania gets more snow in a winter season than we do. ADVANTAGE: Pa.
Gas prices: Gas was $3.95 per gallon in Sunbury; it was $3.98 per gallon at the cheapest place I saw upon returning to Augusta. SLIGHT ADVANTAGE: Pa.
Summer weather: Pennsylvania summers are predictably hazy, hot, humid. We were lucky that the night temps dipped into the 60s (my parents don't have AC in the extra bedrooms). I came back to Maine Wednesday and basked in the clear, clean air, sunshine, lack of humidity and night temps in the 50s. You just can't beat Maine summers and falls. ADVANTAGE: Maine.
Baseball teams and announcers: The Red Sox have been up and down lately but they are just good. The announcers are outstanding, something I wrote about after my trip to Pennsylvania last summer. The first-place Phillies look awful lately and their announcers don't come close. ADVANTAGE: Maine.
Traffic and road construction: Pennsylvania does major road projects each summer. Getting stuck in traffic at one of them is a given. Then again, I-295 southbound in Maine is closed right now.This is close to a push, but Maine drivers are more laid back and friendly. I'm used to that. ADVANTAGE: Maine.
The great outdoors: This might surprise you, but central Pennsylvania is quite beautiful. I took my daughters to the Shikellamy State Park scenic overlook, where you can see miles of the Susquehanna River valley, and to the park and marina set on the river itself. Still, the river's cloudy and Maine lakes are so pristine. The lake fishing's great here; the trout and walleye fishing are great there. ADVANTAGE: Maine, but it's closer than you might think.
With pennsyltucky covering a large rectangular area that stretches from the sea (well, almost) to Lake Erie, and includes long mountain ridges bordered by equally long and deep valleys, the climate and offerings can be quite different from one part to the other.
Winters can be more temperate in Sunbury (or Harrisburg), but just up the river in Scranton, it can be like Maine. I won't touch Bradford County.
Summers aren't nearly as sticky in Sunbury as they are in, say, Red Lion or Gettysburg. Lock Haven or along the Lycoming Creek can be quite pleasant (and beautiful).
Of course, pennsyltucky road apples (especially from the amish horses) aren't nearly as tasty as a crisp Maine Macintosh. But Maine also doesn't have peaches. And I've developed quite the taste for central PA's high bush blueberries. 4 or 5 make a good mouthful whereas the Maine berries are 30 to the mouthful. And the PA berries are so much easier to pick than those on the scraggly little bushes up in Washington County. Oh, my aching back!
Posted by
hermann munsterJune 28, 2008 04:57 PM
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