Hi, my name is Charlie Daidone, and I grew up in the New Jersey tri-state area. I own FunPennsylvania.com as well as other travel and tourism sites. I would like to take some time to show you how to plan the perfect Pennsylvania weekend trip (from a local expert).
 

New Jersey


I grew up quite an avid traveler, as my mother used to take me on weekend jaunts quite a bit. I remember when my sister and I were young, we used to go to Palisades Amusement Park quite often. It, of course, has since closed.
 

Growing up in New Jersey, I have visited over 100 attractions and have gone on numerous weekend (stay-over) getaways.
 

Top attractions include Six Flags Great Adventure, Grounds For Sculpture, Lakota Wolf Preserve, and Liberty State Park.
 

I have also visited almost every beach in the Garden State. 
 

New York 
 

Of course, we explored the greatest city on Earth, the Big Apple. 
 

We also visited many areas a bit further away in New York State, such as Greenwood Lake, Bear Mountain State Park, Lake George, and even as far as Niagara Falls.
 

Weekend Jaunts & Lifelong Memories in Philadelphia

When I got older I met one of my first loves, and she and I would frequent Philadelphia and other areas in Pennsylvania.


In Philadelphia, we frequently would visit South St., Fishtown, and one of our favorite sections named Old City.


We used to eat at Jim Steaks on South Street and hit up the bars and shops. We would then walk to the Italian Market on 9th Street and buy Italian specialties.


We took more than just a couple of tours on horse and carriage around the city, and we also went on the infamous duck boat tour, which goes from land directly into the water and lets you explore 100+ iconic landmarks—from historic sites to hidden gems.
 

Beyond Philly: How Pennsylvania Stole My Heart  

She had not traveled as much as I had, so I showed her the ropes by taking her to see some Amish culture in Lancaster, in some country in the beautiful Poconos. 
 

We also visited Valley Forge, Gettysburg National Military Park, and the Hershey chocolate factory, and we even ventured out as far west as Pittsburgh for weekend getaways. 
 

We would always try to find different kinds of places to stay: bed-and-breakfasts, hotels, and of course, because we really didn't have a lot of money, we would have no problem staying in motels. 
 

I remember us going hiking along the Delaware River and visiting Ricketts Glenn State Park, which has some beautiful waterfalls by the way.
 

Destinations and Getaways in Pennsylvania 

Other destinations included Lehigh Valley, Peddler's Village, and a wonderful farmers market in Easton, PA. 
 

One thing I never did, which I still regret, was to see Phil's Prognostication at Gobblers Knob. The reason for that is that I'm a huge Bill Murray fan, and I adored the movie Groundhogs Day. The movie was filmed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which is pretty close to Pittsburgh. So I'm kind of kicking myself that I didn't know that back when I actually visited Pittsburgh. It was still about a 1 and 1/2-hour ride, but with my traveling experience, that would've been a piece of cake!
 

Motels, B&Bs & Pig Farms: The Most Unique Lodging in Pennsylvania

Heading back to Eastern PA, here are some of my favorite attractions.
 

Probably one of the most unique attractions I've ever visited and also spent the night at was the Ross Mill Farm located in Jamison, PA. It's a very odd but beautiful place where pigs live and are sold. 
 

It is dubbed by the locals "The Pig Farm." 
 

Established in 1990, The Ross Mill Farm Inc. soon became a trusted leader in pet pig care, pig boarding, and behavior training. 
 

The Lodge at Ross Mill Farm: a 5,000+ sq. ft., state-of-the-art retreat designed exclusively for pet pigs. We stayed in a very rustic stone cabin, which I can only guess is from the late 1800s or the early 1900s. 
 

The pigs would roam around free and come visit us regularly. They even came inside of our cabin where we could hang out with them and pet them. 
 

If you're looking for somewhere very unusual to hideaway for a night or two, I would 100% recommend this is as a weekend getaway.
 

Another attraction we visited was the Bates Motel, located in Glen Mills, PA. I remember that we stayed at the Home2 Suites by Hilton Glen Mills Chadds Ford.
 

One of our favorite towns in Bucks County was undoubtedly New Hope. We would go there on weekends, eat at one of the fine restaurants, and watch live music at night. We always found an inexpensive B&B to nestle in for the night. 
 

We also used to stay in this hotel, Bridgeton House on the Delaware in Upper Black Eddy, for secluded weekend getaways.