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State College By Nancy and Richard Woodworth They call it Happy Valley, this long
and lush valley nestled beneath Mount Nittany – a contented, rather
inaccessible enclave that retains something of a Brigadoon-like
innocence amidst the mountains in central Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania State University
transformed its hometown into a burgeoning metropolis from its early
years as center of the most important ironmaking region in the country.
Penn State and the surrounding town are inevitably linked. Think of
State College and most think of football weekends and the Nittany Lions.
The university’s 40,000 students equal the population of all State
College. Although Penn State is the dominant
presence in the valley, the valley is more than Penn State. The
valley’s lure is so strong that it calls many alumni to make it their
home. “This is a pulse point of the world, like a vortex,” suggests
Cheryl Bohn, who was drawn from Pittsburgh to take over one of the
area’s many new B&Bs. There’s much to appeal to visitors
as well as residents, especially at times other than football weekends.
That’s when upwards of 100,000 fans turn the valley into a happy (if
the Lions win) homecoming circus –the biggest by far in the East. To the north of State College is
Bellefonte, the prosperous Centre County seat, founded on ironmaking and
home to seven governors. The Victorian treasures in its National
Register historic district prompt some to call it “The Cape May of the
Mountains.” To the east is Boalsburg, an historic
village that defines the word quaint in Pennsylvania terms. It’s the
birthplace of Memorial Day and home to a house museum with the
nation’s closest ties to discoverer Christopher Columbus. All around are mountains, streams and
lakes that make this a happy place for recreation. Spring Creek is a fly
fisherman’s paradise. America’s only all-water cavern can be toured
by motorboat. Stone Valley Recreation Area is the center of hiking and
boating activity. “The Happy Valley is a 1970s
thing,” says one local booster. “It sounds like something we should
have recovered from, but haven’t.” In 1990, Garth Brooks earned $4,000
when he pinch-hit for an entertainer at the Centre County Grange Fair.
In 1997, he made millions at five sold-out concerts in Penn State’s
sparkling new Bryce Jordan Center. Mae McQuade, dean of the area’s
innkeepers, cites the change as “a metaphor for our happy valley. We
are a treasure waiting to be discovered.” Material excerpted from Inn Spots & Special Places / Mid-Atlantic, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2008. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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