North America | Penny The Penn State Gnome

2016 Philadelphia Flower Show

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Penny

This past weekend I went to the Annual Philadelphia Flower show. The show is presented by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and is the largest & longest running horticultural event in the country! It was started in 1829!!

This years theme was “Explore America,” in celebration of 100 years of the National Park Service. There were park rangers and small exhibits of different National Parks all around the country.

Here I am with the Liberty Bell made out of flowers. Behind it was a wall with a passage from the Declaration of Independence, which was signed in Philadelphia.

I made a Penn State friend!

Here I met some gnomies. They were too busy planting flowers to enjoy the show!

Flight 93, 9-11 National Memorial

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Penny

On a recent trip to Pittsburgh, I decided to make a pit stop in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This is the site where United Flight 93 crashed while it was being hijacked on September 11th, 2001.

This National Park was very serene and I happened to get there around sunset. I would recommend this trip for anyone, as it was a place of remembrance and reflection.

THON 2016

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Penny

THON, short for Penn State Dance
Marathon, is the largest run student philanthropy in the world! From August
until mid-February, students at Penn State raise money for the Four Diamonds
Fund at Penn State’s Children’s Hospital in Hershey, PA. Any child in the state
of Pennsylvania that is diagnosed with cancer will not have to pay any medical
bills not covered by their families insurance due to this fund!

This years theme was
“Believe Beyond Boundaries”

Look at the Four Diamonds hanging
from the ceiling!

THON is culminated with a 46 hour no sitting, no sleeping
dancing marathon. Over 700 students stand on their feet for a weekend (6pm
Friday until 4 pm Sunday) in State College at the Bryce Jordan Center. Last
year they raised over $13.2 million dollars, and since 1977 they have raised over
$114 million dollars For The Kids.

I was lucky enough to get on an
Alumni Tour, which brought me down to the floor with all the dancers!

It is very hard to describe the atmosphere in the BJC. It is full of energy, music and love. It is a feeling.
It is THON. It is Penn State!

After my tour on Saturday
afternoon, I went up to the stands to support the 700+ dancers. I was there
from 7 am Sunday until 4 pm Sunday! Just look at how packed the BJC gets and
all of the dancers on the floor.

The picture to the left is Football Coach James Franklin, giving the dancers some words of encouragement.

The picture on the right is the total amount raised in 2015-2016, $9,77,332.32 For The Kids!

So proud of Penn State and all 15,000+ volunteers FTK!!!

A Weekend Trip to Montreal, Canada

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Penny

Montreal is a city like no other! It is the largest city in the Provence of Quebec, the second largest in Canada and the 9th largest in North America.

(Subway stop in Montreal, Canada)

The city is very unique with its language. French is the official language, but most residents are bilingual and also speak English. Because of this, many conversations switch back and forth between French and English.

(Metro Stop in Paris, France)

The language is not the only thing the city shares. You can also see similar architecture between Paris and Montreal. The most obvious one was the subway stops!

I had to stop at Notre-Dame Basilica!

Here I am outside the Basilica, right when it started raining.

As soon as you walk inside your breath is taken away by the deep blues and golden lights.

Penn State Field Hockey

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Penny

Last Friday I went to Buckley Field in Philadelphia to watch my Lady Lions play the Drexel Dragons.

Penn State won 5-0!!

While I was there I took a picture with some fans! Their daughter was on the team and they traveled to the game from outside Hershey, PA 🙂

WE ARE…

Smiles in Seattle

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Penny

My first trip to the West Coast was Seattle, Washington. One of the most notable monuments of the city is the Space Needle. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, it attracted 2.3 million visitors; thats 20,000 people a day!

The Needle weights 9,550 tons! It offers a 360 degree view of the city, which includes Mt. Rainier and the Puget Sound.

This is a view of downtown Seattle and Mt. Rainier is in the background to the right. It was so clear and beautiful the day we went to the top of the Space Needle. In fact, only 80 days a year can you see Mount Rainier from this view. (Seattle is known for having many rainy and cloudy days)

Right below the Space Needle was the EMP Museum. The Museum has exhibits on contemporary pop culture. It was built in 2000 and is known for its Deconstructionism architecture.

Here I am with the costumes of Superman and the Lion from The Wizard of Oz.

They also had exhibits on Kurt Cobain and Jimmy Hendrix. Both artist were from Seattle.

After the museum I took the monorail to the Pike Place Market.

At the Market you can find anything and everything. From fresh flowers, to fresh seafood, there is something for everyone.

Rachel the Pig is a must see at Pike Place Market. She is a large piggy bank that raises money for food banks in the Greater Seattle area.

Across the street from the Market is the first ever Starbucks! It still has the original logo.

To end a fun filled day in Seattle, I went to the tallest skyscraper in the city to witness my first sunset. It had an observation deck with even better views than the Space Needle.

Here is the whole city, including the Needle and Puget Sound.

Here is a better view of Mt. Rainier.

And here is a snapshot of the Seattle Seahawks Football stadium. They were this years Superbowl Champions!!

Have you ever driven your car onto a ferry?! I have! Using the ferry is a popular form of transportation in the Seattle area because of the Puget Sound. It’s much quicker to take a ferry than drive all the way around the state and cross a bridge.

Waiting for the Ferry can take up to 3 hours!

Driving on!

Washington State is in the middle of the Pacific Northwest. It is naturally beautiful and has many National Parks. One I visited was Deception Falls.

After Deception Falls I ventured to Steven’s Pass.

The mountain ranges were breathtaking!

If you love Mt. Nittany, you will love Mt. Rainier. And if you think State College is quaint, you should visit Seattle. There was a lot of history and so much to see and do.

Have you been to the West Coast? Whats your favorite City? Where should I go next?!

What was your favorite part of Seattle or Washington State?!

Lancaster Central Market and Penn Square

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Penny

Today I went to the Lancaster Central Market in downtown Lancaster. As the countries oldest continuously open Farmer’s Market, I had to check it out!

Unlike the Farmer’s Market in State College, the Central Market is open Tuesday and Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A tradition since 1730, the current building was built in 1889 in a Romanesque style by John Berger. In 1972, the U.S. Department of Interior declared it a National Shrine because of its two towers and great light and ventilation.

Inside the market are stands of fresh meats, seafood, vegetables, fruit, flowers, desserts and Lancaster County Souvenirs.

Here I am with some souvenirs: The Real Housewives of Lancaster County glasses!

Here I am with some Veggies!

And with some fruit!

Can you spot me?!

With an Amish stand of jams and jellys.

My lunch today consisted of a hot panini and some Amish Whoopie Pies for the road!

After lunch, I went across the street to check out the Monument at Penn Square.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is a 43 foot tall Gothic Revival memorial for Americans who gave their lives in every war.

The 1744 Treaty of Lancaster between the British and Iroquois was signed in the old Lancaster Courthouse which stands on the side of the Monument.

Overall, it was a beautiful day in Downtown Lancaster with yummy food from the Central Market. I cannot wait to visit more historic sites in the area, so stay tuned!

THON 2013

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Penny

THON, short for Penn State’s IFC/Pan-Hellenic Dance Marathon, is a 46 hour no sitting, no sleeping marathon! Over 700 dancers, and 15,000 student volunteers, raise money all year for the Four Diamonds Fund, which benefits the Penn State Hershey Children’s Medical Hospital.

Any family in the state of PA that has a child that is diagnosed with any form of cancer does not have to pay an extra penny that insurance does not cover! This is great so that the families only have to worry about their child getting better.

The event takes place every year, usually in the middle of February and this year, Penn State Student’s raised a record breaking 12.3 million dollars! That makes 100 million dollars since 1973… FTK!

Here I am with ComRadio’s dancer “A”, Breanna Jacobs 🙂

Hanging out in the stands!

The BJC is packed!

Performing the line dance on stage!

Always an amazing weekend!

Be sure to give at thon.org today!!

A trip to the ‘Windy City’

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Penny

This past weekend I was in Chicago, Illinois!

Do you know what ‘Chicago’ means?!

When the first French Canadian settlers came to the area, many Native Americans still occupied the land. It was swamp land, and did not smell too good. In their language, ‘Chicago’ meant ‘Smelly Onion!’

One of my first stops was at Millennium Park!

Here I am with the ‘Bean.’

Look at my reflection!

Underneath the ‘Bean.’

Here is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Also in Millennium Park, this stage is an outdoor arena that can have up to 11,000 people.

Next, I visited the John Hancock Building.

This was the first high rise built in Chicago. It is now the 4th tallest building in the city. It is famous for its cris-cross beams on the outside, which support the weight of the building.

The view from the 95th floor was breathtaking.

The next day I took a trolly ride around the city.

On the trolly, I was able to see the second oldest baseball stadium in the country. Wrigley Field is home to the Cubs.

After my trolly, I stopped at Lou Malnati’s for their famous deep dish pizza.

YUM!!!

The next building I went to is now the tallest in the city! I was able to go to the 103rd floor.

It is a big tourist attraction because of the ‘Sky Deck,’ where you can actually step out onto clear glass.

View from the Willis Tower. This building used to be called the Sears Tower.

On the ‘Sky Deck!’

Over 1,000 feet above ground!

My next stop was at the Art Insitute of Chicago. Here are some famous works of art:

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte – Georges Seurat

Bedroom in Arles – Vincent Van Gough

Buddha from Tamil Nadu, India

American Gothic – Grant Wood

After the Institute, I went to watch the Penn State vs. Ohio State game at a Chicago Alum Bar.

They had a costume contest and my favorite was a man in an Amish costume!

Those are my photos! I hope you enjoyed it like I did. Here are some other fun facts about Chicago that I learned during my trip:

-The Magnificent Mile, on Michigan Ave., is the 6th biggest grossing district in the Americas! That include North and South America.

-There are 106 miles of tracks for the Subway over the streets in the city.

-4 out of the top 10 hospitals in the nation are in Chicago. Insulin was first harvested at one of them!

-It is called the ‘Windy City,’ not because it is windy, but because politicians were ‘Wind Bags’ during the cities exhibition in 1893. A ‘Wind Bag’ means they were boastful about Chicago.