Soooo…out-of-staters might just call some of the things we do in Pennsylvania weird. But, if you’re not from Pennsylvania, you may not understand the nuances of the way we talk, the hobbies we have, and the food we eat. For those of us who call Pennsylvania home, these 11 extremely weird things only people from Pennsylvania do are actually quite endearing because, well, they are unique to our beautiful state.
- Stop in front of the Squirrel Hill Tunnels in Pittsburgh.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM What lurks in the Squirrel Hill Tunnels that makes Pittsburgh drivers slow down to a crawl as they approach it? A tunnel monster? Fear of the dark? No one really knows why slowing down in front of the Squirrel Hill Tunnels – and only the Squirrel Hill Tunnels – has become a part of the city’s culture but, really, for those of us stuck in the traffic that results it’s not so endearing and it’s extremely weird.
- Put fries on our sandwiches…
Flickr/Erin Sparling The rest of the country can thank Pennsylvania’s Primanti Brothers for starting that delicious tradition of topping your sandwich with a generous helping of fries and coleslaw in between fresh Italian bread. Those who haven’t tried it just don’t know what they are missing, do they?
- …and salads.
Flickr/Chris Brooks If we can eat fries on our sandwiches, why not on our salads too?
- Race lawnmowers.
Flickr/Mark Benger On your mark…get set…race those lawnmowers! Lawnmower racing is a popular pastime for some Pennsylvanians – from Butler to Lewistown.
- Cheer on wiener dogs as they race.
Flickr/Matthew Peoples C’mon. What could possibly be cuter than cheering on a bunch of wiener dogs as they race at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh or at Oktoberfest in Wilkes Barre?
- Make music on the rocks in Bucks County’s Ringing Rocks Park.
Facebook/Ringing Rocks County Park Pennsylvania is such a spectacular place that even the rocks sing out – or ring out – in happy melodies if you lightly hit them with a hammer. The melodic park in Upper Black Eddy draws plenty of visitors each year but what makes the rocks ring remains a mystery. Scientists don’t have an answer, although some locals attribute the ringing to the supernatural.
- Visit Archbald Pothole State Park in Northeastern PA.
Flickr/Doug Kerr How many times have you inadvertently hit a pothole and just cringed (or maybe said a few choice words)? As much as we curse them, those pesky potholes are just a part of our state. Pennsylvania celebrates one of the state’s largest and oldest potholes – at 38 feet deep and 15,000 years old – at Archbald Pothole State Park.
- Rid/red up our rooms.
Flickr/Elana Centor Get upstairs and red up your room! Admit it. If you’re from Pennsylvania, you’ve either had that very phrase yelled at you by a parent or you have yelled it to your kids. Pennsylvanians have their own dialect, which most people from out-of-state probably won’t understand.
- Cannot decide whether it is soda or pop.
Flickr/Mike Mozart Well, which is it? Soda or pop? Pennsylvanians just can’t seem to agree. Most of the state calls that delightful caffeinated drink soda while some, like those in the western portion of the state, staunchly refer to it as pop.
- Wear shorts and a sweatshirt together.
Flickr/Mike Anderson Pennsylvania’s weather is finicky. So, that affects the way we dress which is why shorts and a sweatshirt is a pretty common sight throughout the city on chilly fall and spring days, on cool summer evenings, and even in the dead of winter when we’ve pretty much had enough of the cold and the snow.
- Compete in or simply watch the annual Wing Bowl in Philly.
Flickr/Jason Miller A wing eating competition isn’t really weird but the start time earns it a final spot on our list. Participants and spectators sure are dedicated to the Annual Wing Bowl in Philly, especially considering it starts around 6 a.m. on a weekend morning.
Do you agree that these are among the 11 extremely weird things only people from Pennsylvania do? Or, do you find these things more endearing than weird?
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson DVM
What lurks in the Squirrel Hill Tunnels that makes Pittsburgh drivers slow down to a crawl as they approach it? A tunnel monster? Fear of the dark? No one really knows why slowing down in front of the Squirrel Hill Tunnels – and only the Squirrel Hill Tunnels – has become a part of the city’s culture but, really, for those of us stuck in the traffic that results it’s not so endearing and it’s extremely weird.
Flickr/Erin Sparling
The rest of the country can thank Pennsylvania’s Primanti Brothers for starting that delicious tradition of topping your sandwich with a generous helping of fries and coleslaw in between fresh Italian bread. Those who haven’t tried it just don’t know what they are missing, do they?
Flickr/Chris Brooks
If we can eat fries on our sandwiches, why not on our salads too?
Flickr/Mark Benger
On your mark…get set…race those lawnmowers! Lawnmower racing is a popular pastime for some Pennsylvanians – from Butler to Lewistown.
Flickr/Matthew Peoples
C’mon. What could possibly be cuter than cheering on a bunch of wiener dogs as they race at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh or at Oktoberfest in Wilkes Barre?
Facebook/Ringing Rocks County Park
Pennsylvania is such a spectacular place that even the rocks sing out – or ring out – in happy melodies if you lightly hit them with a hammer. The melodic park in Upper Black Eddy draws plenty of visitors each year but what makes the rocks ring remains a mystery. Scientists don’t have an answer, although some locals attribute the ringing to the supernatural.
Flickr/Doug Kerr
How many times have you inadvertently hit a pothole and just cringed (or maybe said a few choice words)? As much as we curse them, those pesky potholes are just a part of our state. Pennsylvania celebrates one of the state’s largest and oldest potholes – at 38 feet deep and 15,000 years old – at Archbald Pothole State Park.
Flickr/Elana Centor
Get upstairs and red up your room! Admit it. If you’re from Pennsylvania, you’ve either had that very phrase yelled at you by a parent or you have yelled it to your kids. Pennsylvanians have their own dialect, which most people from out-of-state probably won’t understand.
Flickr/Mike Mozart
Well, which is it? Soda or pop? Pennsylvanians just can’t seem to agree. Most of the state calls that delightful caffeinated drink soda while some, like those in the western portion of the state, staunchly refer to it as pop.
Flickr/Mike Anderson
Pennsylvania’s weather is finicky. So, that affects the way we dress which is why shorts and a sweatshirt is a pretty common sight throughout the city on chilly fall and spring days, on cool summer evenings, and even in the dead of winter when we’ve pretty much had enough of the cold and the snow.
Flickr/Jason Miller
A wing eating competition isn’t really weird but the start time earns it a final spot on our list. Participants and spectators sure are dedicated to the Annual Wing Bowl in Philly, especially considering it starts around 6 a.m. on a weekend morning.
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