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The Keystone State
by Leslie Margolies
Known as the “ Keystone State”, Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 colonies. In 1787, Pennsylvania entered the union that is now the United States of America. Three very important documents to our national history were written in Pennsylvania—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the 
Gettysburg Address. Today, three major cities dominate the state— Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.
Philadelphia is home of the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall and has a busy metropolitan area and surrounding suburbs. Pittsburgh is a busy inland river port. Harrisburg is the State Capitol where all state government offices are located and home to many historical sites. The state bird is the Ruffed Grouse and the state tree is the Hemlock.
There are many wonderful places to visit in Pennsylvania, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Waterfalls, Penn’s Cave and Crystal Cave. The National Civil War Museum also documents parts of the civil war in Gettysburg, one of the bloodiest of the battles fought during the Civil War.
Pennsylvania is also a great place to visit for outdoor fun. In addition to caves and waterfalls, there are plenty of hiking trails and camping grounds. There are also several water parks including Hershey Park, which was rated the #1 Family Fun Park by Family Fun Magazine.
Perhaps the most interesting fact about Pennsylvania is that it is still home to The Amish, a group of people who live in the 
countryside of Western Pennsylvania near Lancaster without the use of any modern technology.
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