From Virginville to Intercourse and Beyond Quiz

Answer: Harrisburg

Harrisburg sits along the Susquehanna River, where it happily serves as the capital of Pennsylvania, a role it's had since 1812. While it doesn't have the size, fame, or glory of Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, it has handled the business of governing the commonwealth for over two centuries with quiet confidence.

It's like your boring friend... steady, dependable, and usually overshadowed by the noise of your other friends.

Answer: Delaware River

The Delaware River forms most of Pennsylvania's eastern border, separating it from New Jersey and a bit of Delaware down south. It's one of the most historic rivers in the United States, rather famously crossed by one George Washington and his troops on a nippy Christmas night in 1776 on route to a surprise attack against the Hessian troops in Trenton.

Belying its revolutionary past, it's actually a pretty peaceful waterway winding through farmland, forests, and old colonial towns. The river is also protected along much of its length, and despite being flanked by major population centers, it's one of the cleanest big rivers in the eastern U.S. New York and Philadelphia both get drinking water from the river.

Answer: Allegheny National Forest

The Allegheny National Forest was established in 1923 and is Pennsylvania's one and only national forest. Stretching across more than half a million acres of northwestern Pennsylvania, it's a lush mix of trees, rivers, and rolling hills. It's basically the picture postcard version of PA wildlife.

The forest was created as part of a national reforestation effort after the region was heavily logged in the 19th century. What had once been barren, stump-filled land was restored through one of America's great comeback stories. Today you'll see black bears, deer, and bald eagles roaming the woods where clear-cutting was once the only thing on the menu. Bring the insect repellent if you go.

Answer: Virginia

The image you see above is one of the original markers of the Mason-Dixon Line (surveyed from 1763 to 1767), originally established to settle a border dispute between the colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland. It became more and more symbolic over the years, becoming the border between slave states and free states.

Today, Virginia is within a stone's throw of Mason-Dixon, but that stone needs to fly over a small sliver of West Virginia and Maryland. You can think of it like two neighbors waving to each from across a two-lane street, but never quite shaking hands.

Pennsylvania does, however, share borders with six other states: New York to the north, New Jersey to the east, Delaware and Maryland to the southeast, West Virginia to the southwest, and Ohio to the west. It's definitely a well-connected state with lots of friends, but sadly Virginia isn't one of them.

Answer: Pocono Mountains

The Pocono Mountains - or "the Poconos" if you haven't much time - are Pennsylvania's getaway playground. The mountains are famous for their rolling hills, lakes, ski resorts, and isn't-it-romantic-darling honeymoon cabins with the mandatory heart-shaped bathtubs. It's tucked in the northeastern part of the state and has been a vacation spot since the early 1900s. It's a pleasant mix of outdoor activity, nostalgia, and heart-shaped bathtubs.

It's also absolutely gorgeous. Bring your camera. In winter it turns into a wonderland and bastion for skiing and snowboarding. In summer, it's all hiking trails, waterfalls, and lakefront fun. The bathtubs are there all year round and provide their own brand of fun.

Its romantic-resorty reputation has mellowed a bit over time, but the Poconos have reinvented themselves as a year-round destination, focusing less on heart-shaped bathtubs and more on nature, family getaways, and Instagram shots.

Answer: Philadelphia

Philadelphia is Pennsylvania's largest city and one of the most historic in the United States. Founded by William Penn in 1682, it was one of the nation's early capitals and was the site where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed. It's OG-America all the way.

These days, Philadelphia is a mix of old and new. You'll find colonial landmarks cuddling with skyscrapers, art museums, and plenty of cheesesteak places and pizza joints. It's of course famous for the Liberty Bell, the "Rocky Steps" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and an unhealthy fascination with sports.

Answer: Lake Erie

Lake Erie makes up Pennsylvania's short northwestern border, giving the state its only direct access to one of the Great Lakes. Though Pennsylvania's shoreline is only about 50 miles, the region, dominated by the city of Erie, serves as a hotspot for shipping, recreation, and a fair amount of lake-effect snow that locals somehow tolerate.

Answer: Pittsburgh

The Ohio River begins right in the heart of Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny and Monongahela (don't try) rivers meet at Point State Park. It's a spot so geographically satisfying that the city's sports teams play within sight of the formation. From there, the Ohio flows westward, eventually joining the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois, after meandering through several states.

The three river contribute to Pittsburgh's nickname, "The City of Bridges," and helped turn it into an industrial center. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Ohio served as a vital lane for shipping steel, coal, and just about everything else that made Pittsburgh hum.

Answer: The Keystone State

Pennsylvania is officially known as "The Keystone State". A keystone is the central wedge-shaped stone in an arch that holds all the other stones in place. Fittingly, Pennsylvania played a "keystone" role in holding together the early American states, geographically forming (roughly) the center of the "arch" of the original thirteen and of course symbolically, providing the home of the Continental and Constitutional congresses.

Answer: Chesapeake Bay

The Susquehanna River, after winding nearly 450 miles through New York and Pennsylvania, dumps its waters into the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. The river provides about half of the bay's freshwater inflow.

It's a relationship as old as time: Pennsylvania does the raining, and Maryland does the draining. The Chesapeake Bay itself is an ecological marvel, supporting over 3,600 species of plants and animals, from blue crabs to bald eagles. It's also a crucial economic and cultural hub for the region. While the Susquehanna's gift of water often comes with a generous dose of agricultural runoff, I find it's important in times like these to remember that nobody's perfect.