Now that the state has finally thawed out from an epic winter, it's time to get our sweat on. As is our tradition, Keystone Edge will be taking a week off to relax, enjoy some libations, slather on sunscreen and reenergize for a long summer of bringing you exciting breaking news and under-the-radar stories from across the state of Pennsylvania. If you can't wait till June 5 to get your Edge fix, take this time to check out some the stories you might have missed over the last couple months.
You could spend your Memorial Day checking out some of the state's killer factory tours:
After all, factory tours give you “the opportunity to go out and 'kick the tires' of the American economy,” as Karen Axelrod and her husband Bruce Brumberg write in the preface to Watch It Made in the U.S.A., their definitive guidebook to the country's best factory tours and company museums.
“People have lifelong memories of their experiences [at factory tours],” says Axelrod in a phone call with Keystone Edge. “I always say people become like five-year-olds when they go on a factory tour, because your eyes just light up.”
Or you could read about innovative artists helping urban neighborhoods bounce back, and hit up one of their super-cool events.
In neighborhoods across the country, the appearance of artists often signifies the beginning of gentrification, a process that pushes poorer residents — and eventually artists themselves — out of their homes. However, in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, community development organizations are attempting to use the art and branded “arts districts” to create neighborhood pride, stabilize housing and repopulate abandoned corridors while bridging the gap between old-timers and newcomers.
Or you could use your day off to head out on two wheels and explore the Commonwealth's winding roads.
This is a big state: We rode south across the border from New York to Carbondale, and then continued west through Towanda, Wellsboro, Coudersport and Smethport. And when we hit the Ohio border, it felt like a big deal.
Now that breadth means that there is a lot on offer for riders in PA — whether they want those deceptively grueling and irresistible hills or urban adventure on the state's growing number of bike lanes and dedicated greenways. You can see mountains or you can stare out over the expanse of Lake Erie. You can ride on old rail trails or you can visit colonial battlefields. You can cruise up to a microbrewery or explore city neighborhoods.
LEE STABERT is managing editor of Flying Kite Media and Keystone Edge. Follow her on twitter @stabert.