Pennsylvania Tourism Guide for the Motorcycle Touring Enthusiast Weather Wise

The Historic National Road is the Nation's first federally funded highway. Opening westward expansion, it became a transportation corridor for goods and people, creating the great cultural diversity we treasure. Visitors experience a physical timeline -- classic inns, toll houses, diners, and motels that trace 200 years of American history.

Seaway Trail (Pennsylvania, New York)

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail driving/boating byway parallels the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes in New York and Pennsylvania. This adventure includes Niagara Falls; 1000 Islands; 29 lighthouses; War of 1812, farm, and nature sites; welcoming harbors, world-class sportfishing, bridges/ferries to/from Canada, and the Seaway Trail Discovery Center.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site - Gallitzin, PA
Allegheny Portage Railroad Incline 6  The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Linn, and Ulysses S. Grant traveled over the Allegheny Mountains. They braved a system that injured passengers on a weekly basis. A system of inclined planes and a nine hundred foot tunnel carved through solid rock by Welsh coalminers made this feat possible. For twenty years, it was the fastest way to transgress ...

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Delaware National Scenic River - HQ in Bushkill PA; the Delaware River forms the boundary between the states of, NJ,PA
The Middle Delaware at Riverview Trailhead PA  Middle Delaware National Scenic River is a 40-mile stretch of river entirely located within, and entirely administered by, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. In additon to the Middle Delaware, the Delaware River is part of four additional national park units:

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor - Easton, PA
Red covered bridge across canal in snow  Come journey through five Pennsylvania counties bursting with heritage and brimming with outdoor adventure. You will find something for everyone. Follow a history trail marked with stories about hearty lumberjacks, coal miners, lock tenders, and railroaders. Explore quiet canal paths, challenging bike trails and the rippling waters of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - HQ in Bushkill PA; the park is along the Delaware River in the states of, NJ,PA
Dawnlight on a river as it passes between two mountains  For 40 miles the Middle Delaware River passes between low forested mountains with barely a house in sight. Then the river cuts through the mountain ridge to form the famed "Water Gap." Exiting the park, the river will run 200 miles more to Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean at Wilmington, Delaware. National Parks along the Delaware River

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Deshler-Morris House - Philadelphia, PA
Picture of the parlor  The oldest official presidential residence, the Germantown White House, (Deshler-Morris House) twice sheltered George Washington. In October 1793, he found refuge during the Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia. Continuing the business of government, he held four cabinet meetings here. The next summer, it was a welcome retreat for him and his family near Philadelphia, the Federal Capital.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site - Philadelphia, PA
Photo of Edgar Allan Poe Site Entrance exhibit  "For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen," so begins Poe's famous short story “The Black Cat,” written while living in this house with his family. Writer, editor, popular poet and inventor of the detective story, Edgar Allan Poe still thrills readers today. Come imagine Poe’s life on Seventh Street, his only surviving residence in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Eisenhower National Historic Site - Gettysburg, PA
Eisenhower home and putting green  Eisenhower National Historic Site is the home and farm of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Located adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield, the farm served the President as a weekend retreat and a meeting place for world leaders. With its peaceful setting and view of South Mountain, it was a much needed respite from Washington and a backdrop for efforts to reduce Cold War tensions.

Flight 93 National Memorial - Shanksville, PA
 On Sept. 11, 2001, the passengers & crew of Flight 93 gave their lives to thwart an attack on our Nation's Capital. The project partners are working to develop the permanent memorial to honor the heroes.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Fort Necessity National Battlefield - Farmington, PA
Re-enactment of General Braddock's funeral  The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal of French power from North America. The stage was set for the American Revolution.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Friendship Hill National Historic Site - Point Marion, PA
The well and Stone House were added to Friendship Hill in the 1825  Albert Gallatin is best remembered for his thirteen year tenure as Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations. In that time he reduced the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark exploration. Gallatin's accomplishments and contributions are highlighted in his restored country estate, Friendship Hill.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Gettysburg National Military Park - Gettysburg, PA
The Round Tops.  The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory in the summer of 1863 that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy", it was the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties. It also provided President Abraham Lincoln with the setting for his most famous address.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site - Philadelphia, PA
Inside Gloria Dei Church  Before William Penn, the Swedes were here, building log homes and a brick church, GLORIA DEI. Imagine the transformation - town becomes city - 13 colonies become a nation - Swedish Lutheran church becomes Episcopalian. Re-discover Patriots and ordinary citizens buried in the cemetery. Enter Pennsylvania's oldest church and feel 300 years of history welcoming you.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site - Elverson, PA
An artist view of Hopewell in the 19th century/  Hot, smoky, noisy --- these words describe how Hopewell Furnace looked from 1771 to 1883. Hopewell and other "iron plantations" laid the foundations for America's iron and steel industry. Today, the site stands as an example of America's development during the industrial revolution. The historic buildings stand, open and inviting -- testaments to the strength and endurance of Hopewell's people.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Independence National Historical Park - Philadelphia, PA
Independence Hall  The old cracked Bell still proclaims Liberty and Independence Hall echoes the words, "We the People." Explore Franklin's Philadelphia and learn about the past and America's continuing struggle to fulfill the Founders' Declaration that "all men are created equal." Declaration of Independence - Text  US Constitution - Text

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Johnstown Flood National Memorial - South Fork, PA
The South Fork Dam in the fall  There was no larger news story in the latter nineteenth century after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The story of the Johnstown Flood has everything to interest the modern mind: a wealthy resort, an intense storm, an unfortunate failure of a dam, the destruction of a working class city, and an inspiring relief effort.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Lackawanna Heritage Valley - Mayfield, PA
Lackawanna River with bridge  The Lackawanna Heritage Valley works with partners to develop places, programs, and museums all focused on celebrating our pivotal role in America's Industrial Revolution. People visit today to see the real thing: authentic rail yards, a deep coal mine, original blast furnaces, great architecture, beautiful landscapes, unique ethnic churches, and the birthplace of organized labor.

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring - Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River - PA,NJ
Towpath  The largest free-flowing river in the eastern United States, the Delaware River runs past forests, farmlands, and villages, and it also links some of the most densely populated regions in America. In 2000, the National Wild and Scenic River System incorporated key segments of the lower Delaware River to form this unit of the National Park System.

Steamtown National Historic Site - Scranton, PA
A steel tire is heated with gas flame to expand it by 80/1000 of an inch so it will fit on a wheel. NPS Photo, Bill Clark  Feel the heat from the firebox. Hear the bell and whistle. Smell the hot steam and oil. Feel the ground vibrate under your feet. See the one ton drive rods turn the wheels. Hear the chuff-chuff-chuff of the smokestack. Today, you can relive the era of steam as the engines come back to life. The cinders, grease, oil, steam, people and stories of railroading have returned.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial - Philadelphia, PA
Kosciuszko bedroom  Visit the house where wounded Polish freedom fighter Thaddeus Kosciuszko lived and hear how this brilliant military engineer designed successful fortifications during the American Revolution. See the room where he received notable visitors such as Chief Little Turtle and Thomas Jefferson, who said he was "as pure a son of liberty, as I have ever known..."

Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River - Pike and Wayne (PA) and Delaware, Orange and Sullivan (NY) counties along the Delaware River, NY,PA
Roebling Bridge, the oldest wire cable suspension bridge in the United States  Rolling hills, riverfront villages, and bald eagles perched on trees form a vibrant backdrop as the Delaware River snakes gracefully through the rural countryside. But the story of the Upper Delaware is more than just a collection of beautiful pictures. We enjoy the river's recreational opportunities while it supports a healthy ecosystem for wildlife and provides water for over 17 million people.

Valley Forge National Historical Park - Valley Forge, PA
artillery piece overlooking fortifications © MJ Ticcino  Valley Forge National Historical Park commemorates more than the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation; it honors the ability of citizens and their leaders to pull together and overcome adversity during extraordinary times.