DIFFICULT DESTINATIONS SERIES

Illinois/Chicago

No Bean for you!

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

2019  20 I.L.C.S. §4026/15  45 I.L.C.S. §§20/1 through 20/2  720 I.L.C.S. 5/Art. 11  730 I.L.C.S. §5/3-3-11.5  730 I.L.C.S. §§150/1 through 152/999  20 Ill. Adm. Code §§1280 through 1282.30

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 days for initial registration and updates.  “Residence” is any place at which one resides for 3 or more days in a year.  FAQ states that visitors are required to register if they spend “more than 3 days in a calendar year” in the state. Adams County sheriff dept. (Quincy) Nov. 2020, confirmed that it’s the 4th day that triggers registration.  Students & employees must register within 3 days of beginning school or employment in IL. 730 ILCS 150/3(a-5).  Updated Aug. 2024.  Transient registrants must report weekly.  730 I.L.C.S. §150/3

IL’s “sexual predator” category includes CP possession, and also ANY person required to register in another state.  730 ILCS 150/2 (E-10).  Added Aug. 2024.

Per Rolfe Survey, visiting Registrants are placed on state’s website.  Per Adams County sheriff dept. (Quincy) Oct. 2020, procedure is available for removal from registry after departure.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: “Child sex offender” may not reside w/in 500 ft. of school, park, playground, or facility where minors gather.  §730 I.L.C.S. §150/8.

Presence restriction: “Child sex offender” may not knowingly be present in any public park, playground or recreation area; even if in a private building. "Public park" includes a park, forest preserve, bikeway, trail, or conservation area under the jurisdiction of the State or a unit of local government, but doesn’t mention national parks or forests.

“Child sex offender” may not loiter w/in 500 ft. of school facilities or be present in school facilities unless a parent present for specific reasons. 720 I.L.C.S. 5/Art. 11.

“Child sex offender” may not knowingly photograph or videotape a child without permission of parent.  720 ILCS 5/11-24.

Updated Aug. 2024

Duration & updates:

10 yrs to lifetime.  SO moving to state: lifetime.  SVP must update quarterly. All other annually.  §730 I.L.C.S. §150/5-10.

Indiana

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

Indiana Code 2019  I. C. §11-8-2-12.4  I.C. §§11-8-8-1 thru 11-8-8-22  I.C. §11-13-3-4  I.C. §36-2-13-5.5 & 5.6

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 days for Initial registration and updates.

Visitors: SO must register if in state for period of 7 days “(including part of a day)” w/in 180-day period, or work in the state for 7 consecutive days or 14 aggregate days/yr. §11-8-8-7(a)(1)(A) & (g). SVP must register within 3 days. §11-8-8-7(h).

Transients or “temporary residents” in transitional housing must register every 7 days.  §11-8-8-12.

Per Rolfe Survey, Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Paroled registrants face certain residence restrictions.  §11-13-3-4.

Otherwise no statewide restrictions, but local restrictions are permitted.

Duration & updates:

10 yrs to life. “Violent” offenders update every 90 days.  Others annually. §11-8-8-14.

How can I go to my business/family obligation in Illinois/Chicago without inadvertently committing a registry violation?

I am sometimes asked by worried registrants if they should be concerned about an upcoming business or family obligation in the Chicago area.  Usually the concern is that the trip will keep them in Chicago longer than Illinois’ three days per calendar year registry grace period.  But there are many residency and presence restrictions to be concerned about too.  You are right to be concerned.

Illinois has among the most onerous restrictions of any state, applying both to its own registered citizens and to visiting registrants.  A “Child sex offender” may not knowingly be present in any public park, playground or recreation area; even if in a private building.  Visitors with such prior convictions need to realize that some courts in the US have found that the interior corridors of places like shopping malls are “public places” even though they are on private property inside a building. 

This mall play zone isn't in Illinois - but if it was you and I wouldn't be able to be near it or take a photo of it.

Therefore if you find yourself in any such “public place” in Illinois/Chicago I’d avoid those playgrounds and definitely not take any pictures because a “Child sex offender” may not knowingly photograph or videotape a child without permission of parent.  720 ILCS 5/11-24.  “Child sex offender” may not loiter within 500 ft. of school facilities or be present in school facilities unless a parent present for specific reasons. 720 I.L.C.S. 5/Art. 11.

The term "public park" includes any park, forest preserve, bikeway, trail, or conservation area under the jurisdiction of the State or a unit of local government.  Therefore no registrant, whether resident or visitor, can visit Chicago’s famed Millennium Park or any museums or displays therein.  But it goes much further than this and I’ll provide a few examples below.

If you look way down at lower right you'll see it says: "Chicago Portage National Heritage Site." I thought that meant it was a federal site, but No! It's within a state park and trail system. Heaven forbid that any of us should get some healthy exercise!

However, state law doesn’t mention historic sites, national parks or forests, of which Illinois has many.  Therefore you can visit Lincoln’s Home National Historic Site in Springfield.  You can also go camping and hiking in Shawnee National Forest, which I will discuss in "Most Recent Visit" below.  If you plan to visit any of these places, however, you’d better make it quick because Illinois allows you only three aggregate days in-state per calendar year before you will be required to register.  And while an Illinois resident’s duration of registration for a Tier 1 offense is “only” 10 years, it’s lifetime for all out of state offenders no matter the offense.

Lincoln's Home National Historic Site in Springfield, which you can visit because it's a national park, not a state or local park.

Where to “reside”: Hammond, IN

Yes, the biggest concern about travel to Illinois/Chicago is the state’s very short grace period.  And remember – it’s “three or more days” per calendar year.  Partial days count and the third day triggers your registry obligation.  However, like most other states Illinois observes a same day “just passing through” exception to these counting rules even if you make a business or family stop on your way through that day.

That is the premise upon which I and others have suggested that one should “reside” just across the Indiana state line while conducting your business in Chicago.  It’s a long commute but doable, and Indiana’s grace period is seven days “(including part of a day)” within a 180-day period.  Although one should avoid sticking around for that seventh day, it’s a way better deal than you’ll get from Illinois.

One more point – when you report your travel at your local registry office, the destination address you will give them is your hotel in Indiana, NOT anyplace in Illinois.  Therefore only Indiana gets notified that you’re coming.  Your main concern while making your daily commute to Chicago is to follow the rules and stay safe in case something bizarre happens.

In late June 2025 I had planned to go to the (later rescheduled) NARSOL conference in Michigan, followed by a week or so traveling.  With the conference rescheduled I decided to replace one of those days with a stop in Chicago and an overnight stay in Hammond, IN at the closest cheap hotel to the state line I could find.  Then I researched commuting options from that point.  Here’s what I found:

Hammond Gateway - It's just across the IN state line and there are several hotels nearby

There are several hotels within a few minutes drive from really good commuter rail service at Hammond Gateway, so choose your price range and features and Uber your way to the station.  It’s a 35 minute ride to Downtown.  Rush hour trains run every 20 minutes, the first train is 4:55 am and the last train leaves Downtown 12:45 am.  This same train in the other direction has service to South Bend IN International Airport in case for any reason you are concerned about how landing in Illinois might affect your registry status.  Once you’re downtown you can get anywhere you need to by bus or the “EL” but you certainly want to research that beforehand.  Or you can Uber around when you need to.

Take the EL!

If you refuse to or can’t use mass transit for your trip that means you’ll be commuting by car.  Parking in Downtown Chicago is a tricky issue.  The main parking garages all the signs direct you to are the big ones underneath Millennium Park.  You can’t park there because you can’t be “present” in the park!  Even the elevators up to street level let you out within the park.  Instead you’ll need to find parking anywhere else!

Do not become “employed” in Illinois/Chicago

If you have to report employment information in your home state you already know that being “employed” in a place will suck you onto the registry as surely as “residing” there. 

You can compliantly go to Illinois/Chicago to perform a business obligation without becoming “employed” there.  I knew a guy whose job was to maintain and repair the asphalt furnaces his company manufactured for road building projects across America.  He had to stay for days at a time to get those things fixed but his employer was in Florida.  That’s where the paychecks came from so that’s where he was “employed.”  You can receive payment for services but just make sure you never receive anything that looks like a paycheck from an employer with an Illinois address.

Places you can’t go

In preparation for my Chicago onsite research I found a list of “Top 12 sights to see in Chicago” online.  Of those seven are off limits to us:

·        Millenium Park

·        Navy Pier (in Millenium Park)

·        Field Museum (in Millenium Park)

·        The Bean (in Millenium Park)

·        Lincoln Park Zoo (it’s a park)

·        Shedd Aquarium (in Millenium Park)

·        Any boat tour that stops at or drops you off at Millenium Park

·        Griffin Museum of Science – I’ve decided to scratch science museums in general from my list because they’re always packed with kids and it gives me the creeps.  Many have children's play zones.  I don’t want to be accused to going there for the wrong reason.

Always keep in mind that in Illinois/Chicago a “child sex offender” may not knowingly be present in any public park, playground or recreation area, even if in a private building.  Museums often have indoor play or “discovery” rooms.  "Public park" includes a park, forest preserve, bikeway, trail, or conservation area under the jurisdiction of the State or a unit of local government. 

A gentleman at a NARSOL Conference told me he was planning on attending Chicago’s Pride Month event the following weekend.  I had to reply to him, “Not if it’s in Millennium Park you’re not!” explaining about the presence restriction.  I was able to offer the following possible out:  Often the crowds and booths and activities with this kind of event spill out into the public sidewalks and streets surrounding the park.  Even the sidewalk on the east side of Michigan Ave. isn’t part of the Millennium Park, it’s part of the street right-of-way and you can be there.

Places you CAN go

You can go take care of your business or family obligation.  You can visit any attraction that’s not in a park or school.  You can eat at any of the city’s great restaurants and go to its theaters.  The famous Picasso sculpture is in an office building plaza that’s open to the public.  That’s not a state or local park, so you can walk right up to it, take your photos and even touch it.  Just make sure there’s no kids walking by in your photos.

You can stay as late in the evening as you want and enjoy the nightlife – as long as you skedaddle afterward and stay overnight in Hammond IN (see above) to avoid using up two of your precious three days aggregate per calendar year in the state of Illinois.

One more comment:  A couple of people (including my ex) told me “Oh you shouldn’t go to Chicago – it’s too dangerous!"

Well … it’s an enormous city and some parts of it really are dangerous.  However most of it isn’t and as a visitor it’s unlikely you’ll ever see those dangerous places.  Chicago’s enormous downtown, which is probably where you’re going, is no more dangerous than any other city downtown.  And if your business or family obligation takes you to someplace “less safe” it’s probably a place you are already familiar with and know your way around.  So the whole “Chicago is too dangerous” thing is bullshit.

Here are a few other places you CAN go to, including ones I visited on my June 2025 visit or past visits while registered:

 Chicago SkyDeck – Wow but outrageously expensive

Chicago Art Institute – Even though it abuts Millenium Park right next to The Bean it’s not part of it and the entrance is from Michigan Ave (seen here).

Riverwalk – In June 2025 I visited Riverwalk to confirm it’s not a park.  It’s a public walkway with water on one side and businesses on the other.

·        Wrigley Field – go enjoy a ballgame

          Oakton – Frank Lloyd Wright’s home is a museum right near the EL stop

·        Miracle Mile – Michigan St.

Additional comments about Chicago

In November 2025, "James" posted the following on the ACSOL website domestic travel discussion page:

"Chicago LE does not give out info regarding location of parks and trails (or any other child safety zones) based upon my personal experience and based upon statements from Athena. who lives in the Chicago area. But I did locate a city website with a map of public parks and public trails.

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com

"Do a search for “trails”. When the results appear, click on “Paths & Trails”. Scroll down and click on map view. Click on the park tab at the home page, click on “Park Finder”. Scroll down and click on map view. Note that the Art Institute of Chicago is not considered by the city to be located on park property. Per the city, the Millenium rail station is considered to be on park property but the Van Buren St rail station is NOT located on park property. Do not go by Google Maps from a private company, but go by what the City of Chicago “government” says is a public park and public trail.

For those traveling to or living in Chicago and if required to comply with the public park restriction (which includes bikeways) and/or school restrictions, one can find the Chicago bikeways and public schools on the following website. http://www.cps.edu

"At the home page click on “Schools” then click on “School Locator Map”. Click on the overlay button, the blue button with white horizontal stripes located in the upper right hand corner, and click on bike paths, or if interested in the schools, click on the appropriate school radio buttons."

Most Recent Illinois visit: May 2026

In May 2026, while on the return leg (to Iowa) of a “southern tour,” I decided to use two of my precious three days aggregate per calendar year in Illinois by exploring and camping overnight at Shawnee National Forest.  It turns out there’s much to see here including:  Monument at the site of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates; Pomona Natural Bridge (not big but easy to get to); Garden of the Gods is really nice and that’s where I camped overnight.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates site                                         Garden of the Gods

However, this just means I’ve used up my 2026 Illinois time and announced it to the world. Therefore I need to avoid staying overnight for the rest of 2026, although I can drive through without staying overnight as many times as I want.

Just passing through …

On my way home to Iowa from the Northeast in June 2023 I was "just passing through" on I-80 but I had as much of the day as I wanted to do it, so I looked at my map of Illinois and picked out a few not-too-far-off-the-highway attractions to stop at.  These included:

·        Norwegian Settlers Monument in Sheridan (watch out – it’s really quite close to Sheridan Correctional Center!)

·        A nearby piece of guerilla sculpture in the form of a crashing airplane!

·        Wild Bill Hickok’s Birthplace Memorial in Troy.

·        A bald eagle’s nest, with growing eaglets visible and everything, in a tree appropriately across the street from the bust of Wild Bill!

Guerilla sculpture near the Norwegian Settlers Monument in Sheridan, IL

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

 Connecticut

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

Conn. Gen. Stat. 2019 §§54-250 through 54-261

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Registration for all is required “without undue delay,” but probably 3 days. 

Visitors who “travel in this state on a recurring basis for less than five days” shall “notify” law enforcement of “temporary residence.” §54-253(d). 

Per Conn. SOR Unit, FAX to “SOR” – 860-685-8349 – name, DOB, conviction info, state, cell #, dates in state, location of stay in Connecticut. Some municipalities in CT have presence restrictions for schools, public parks, libraries and even town halls(!). Several of these ordinances have been challenged and withdrawn. More challenges are underway. Updated Aug. 2024

Connecticut’s “travel in this state on a recurring basis” language is unique. CT SOR Unit says it means visitors staying less than 5 days should “notify” but need not register, even if such short term “traveling” occurs multiple occasions per month or year.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

No state restrictions but watch out for local regulations.

Duration & updates:

10 years - life. §§54-251, 54-252. Confirm address quarterly by return of mailing from state. §54-257.

Most recent visit: May 2025

Connecticut’s SOR law states that visitors who “travel in this state on a recurring basis for less than five days” shall “notify” law enforcement of “temporary residence.” §54-253(d).  This statutory language is unique among the 50 states. Connecticut’s SOR Unit staff says it means visitors staying less than 5 days “should notify” but need not register, even if such short term “traveling” occurs on multiple occasions per month or year.

Mystic Harbor

In May 2025 I was coming and going from my visit with my brother and sister-in-law in Rhode Island.  Coming from New Jersey it was “just passing through” with no destinations and I don’t think even Connecticut cares about that.  Going from Rhode Island I wanted to stop for lunch with my able travel blog assistant Brian who lives in CT before heading for the Adirondacks.  So that’s a destination, right?  But it can’t possibly be “travel[ing] in this state on a recurring basis for less than five days” because, well, there’s no recurrence.

Mystic Seaport

I had all morning coming from Rhode Island and anyway my gps said the fastest route took me down I-95 all the way past New London before heading north to my lunch date, so I stopped to see Mystic. 

Connecticut law has no residency, presence or loitering restrictions for registrants, so I was able to go wherever I wanted with the only restriction being time.  The harbor and downtown are very quaint.  Yes there is a place called Mystic Pizza – at least now there is.  Mystic Seaport is a historic village with costumed staff.  There’s an aquarium but I didn’t have time to go there.  Non-pizza food is also plentiful but I couldn’t indulge because I had to head off for my lunch date.

Previous visit: December 2023

In December 2023 I traveled from Florida with my now ex-wife but still Best Friend Forever to visit relatives and participate in a Wreaths Across America event on Long Island.  Because my siblings live in New Jersey and Rhode Island, while her cousins live on Long Island, we decided to visit my siblings first, then take an early morning Long Island Ferry from New London, CT. 

Leaving New London on the Long Island Ferry

This meant we’d be “travel[ing] in this state on a recurring basis for less than five days” (three partial days) but in my estimation never established a “temporary residence” (an undefined term in CT statutes) because we stayed at two different hotels in two different parts of the state (Hartford and New London) and spent most of Partial Day 2 in Rhode Island with my brother.  Therefore I decided no notification was necessary on this trip.  

Connecticut law has no residency, presence or loitering restrictions for registrants, so we could have visited any of its cities, historic sites or attractions.  Maybe we will on our next visit.  First thing in the morning of Day 3 my BFF and I boarded the Long Island Ferry and were off to Long Island.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

Pennsylvania

including Pittsburg, Philadelphia

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

42 Pa.C.S.2019 §§9799.10 through 9799.9

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Within 3 business days of establishing residence, becoming employed, or attending school.  3 business days for updates.  If fails to establish residence but nevertheless resides in state, shall register as transient. §9799.19.

Visitors: “Residence” means place where domiciled for 30 days or more w/in a calendar year.  “Transient” means no residence but nevertheless resides in state in a temporary place or dwelling, including a homeless shelter or park. §9799.12. Per the Lancaster State Police office, PA has no specific time limit for visiting registrants but staying more than 30 days per calendar year or becoming employed or attending school establishes residency and would trigger a requirement to register. Updated June 2021.

List of registration sites: www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us/VerificationSites

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None.  Registry website supposedly only shows:  Sexually violent offenders, Sexually violent predators, Sexually violent delinquent children.

Duration & updates:

15 years to life.  Updates: T1 – annual, T2 – 6 mo., T3 & SVP – quarterly, Transient – monthly

A Pennsylvania Update: April 2025

In theory, Pennsylvania should be a pretty easy state to get along with as a registered visitor.  Their SOR statute states that “Residence” means a place where a registrant is domiciled for 30 days or more within a calendar year.  Also, there are no statewide or local residency or presence requirements.  Thank you to PARSOL for providing me with the citations for 2 court cases that ensure this - Fross v. County of Allegheny, 20 A.3d 1193 and Lake Naomi Club, Inc. v. Rosado, 285 A.3d 1 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 2022).  They also have pointed out that the state SOR office is back to answering the phone these days which is also a help.  These updates are significant enough – and Pennsylvania is a significant enough state – that I am updating and re-posting the 50 State Visitors Guide chart on this site to include them.

Unfortunately “Transient” means the registrant has no residence but nevertheless “resides in the state,” but while the word “residence” is defined, the word “resides” is not, so … if you’re traveling through Pennsylvania, how long do you have to be there before you “reside” without having a “residence” …?    To the average traveler this may seem like a ridiculous question, but as registered citizens you and I know it’s far from academic.  You can’t count on the state police officer who pulls you over for having a blown tail light to give you the interpretation you wanted.

I resolved to resolve this uncertainty on a trip I made to the Northeast May 2021. After staying overnight at a PA state park campground I visited the Lancaster State Police office (which is also a Registration Verification Site) and was referred there to speak to an officer who admitted he was “not the sex offender expert” (then why was he assigned to answer this question? Was the “expert” out of the office?). 

After going back to his office and reading the statute he nevertheless opined that PA has no specific time limit for visiting registrants but staying more than 30 days per calendar year or becoming employed or attending school establishes residency and would trigger a requirement to register. That confirmed the same conclusion I reached after reading the statute.

Most recent visit: Pittsburg, May 2025

See the sights, skip the downtown

Downtown Pittsburg as seen from the Duquesne Incline.  It looks good from a distance.

As part of my 2025 Northeast road trip I passed through Pennsylvania both coming and going from Iowa.  I had, as noted above, no fear of overstaying my visitor’s grace period or of violating any state or local restriction because there are none. 

It so happened I first entered from West Virginia on the morning of the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.  My goal for that day was to visit my first Big City – Pittsburg.  Should be pretty busy on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, right?  Answer – Nope!  Not unless you count all that traffic trying to get out of town on their way to someplace other than Pittsburg for a holiday weekend!

My plan was to see the sights during the day, then go downtown to see their famous riverfront and have dinner before retiring to my waiting motel room.  My first stop, however, was the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum near Washington, PA which was on my way to Pittsburg.  If you love train museums like I do you’ll love this one.

In Pittsburg, I rode the Duquesne Incline, visited the Andy Warhol Museum (Wow!) and it wasn’t until after 4 pm that I got to the Carnegie Museums, of which there are several, and which at least on that holiday Friday were closing at 5 pm so all I had time for was art – which was great art but now I know you have to set aside at least half a day for these museums.  Next time I’m in the region I’ll do that.

Andy Warhol Museum. Notice how his training as a commercial artist (left) influenced his later work.

I didn’t go see any sports facilities or events because I’m not interested and you couldn’t get tickets for Barry Manalow that night anyway.  Instead I went downtown to experience what I had always heard was a very successful riverfront and downtown renewal.

Wow what a disappointment!  Point State Park (at the confluence of Pittsburg’s “Three Rivers”) was still undergoing renovations and was lifeless on that unseasonably cold and grey afternoon.  The keynote downtown redevelopment project, Gateway Center, is a high-rise office complex that becomes a dark and scary place as soon as all the employees escape to the burbs at 5:00 pm, and that effect was accentuated by everyone having fled to the mountains that weekend.

Downtown Pittsburg

As for Pittsburg’s anemic little downtown strip, few people were there to party that evening but I did find a good little Mediterranean restaurant for dinner.

Throwing in a PA side trip

While on my way from Iowa to the June 2026 NARSOL Conference in Baltimore, I happened to pass near Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Pennsylvania.  It's the battle that George Washington lost and just barely got out alive from during the French and Indian War.  It was interesting.  Here's a photo:

Musket demo at Fort Necessity.

Most recent visit: Allegheny Mountains, May-June 2025

Saturday of Memorial Day weekend my goal was no more ambitious than to explore the Allegheny Mountains of western PA on my way to a waiting bungled reservation at a Motel 6 near Wilkes-Barre.  There are two big federal and state forests – Allegheny National Forest and a cluster of connected state forests – and it’s all quite beautiful.  The only problem is there aren’t many significant destinations, either natural or man-made, so I spent most of that day pleasure driving and looking at small towns.  The next morning I was on to New Jersey.

On the return leg of my Northeastern US road trip I entered Pennsylvania from New York State.  Again my goal was only to explore a different part of the Alleghenies on my way to a campground near Sharon, PA.  The next morning I was on my way to Cleveland.

Small Town Notes:

New Bethlehem – Good.  Local industry – Smuckers.

Ridgway – The whole downtown is a National Register District.  It’s not fair to the other towns.

Johnsonburg – Good.  Local industry – paper mill.

St. Mary’s – good.

Renovo – An old company town composed mainly of row houses.  The crumbling downtown runs alongside the old railroad.

Bradford – Nice downtown but otherwise just okay.

Kane – Good.  Had lunch at a “garbage cuisine” storefront.

Greenville – No judgement.  Has a lot of brick streets.  Growth over time has created small town sprawl without benefiting the town itself.

Previous visits: Philadelphia, 2023-24

In December 2023 I traveled from Florida with my now ex-wife but still Best Friend Forever to visit relatives and participate in a Wreaths Across America event on Long Island.  We had decided ahead of time to reserve a hotel room one night in Philadelphia so we could take in a few sights the next morning before continuing on to New Jersey.

Independence Hall, Philadelphia

As with our previous stops in Virginia, my ex-wife had never been to Philadelphia’s historic sites before and she was very impressed with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.  I was too even though I’d seen them before.  At lunchtime we asked one of the sales ladies at the Liberty Bell gift shop where to get a good Philly Cheesesteak and she suggested the Reading Terminal Marketplace.  Wow!  It’s like other downtown markets such as Faneuil Hall or Charleston Market, but even bigger with all kinds of stuff – including several Philly Cheesesteak options.  I also bought baked goods at one of the semi-authentic looking Amish stalls.

We spent a couple of hours just at the Reading Market but after that it was time to get moving – we had a hotel reservation that night in far northern New Jersey.

You MUST have a Philly cheese steak sub!

In April 2024 my bff & I were again traveling from New Jersey and decided to stop in Philadelphia again to see a few sites we had missed on the previous trip, specifically Betsey Ross’s house and Benjamin Franklin’s Museum.  Then we visited Valley Forge on our way to the same hotel in “downtown” Intercourse where she had stayed two years before (see below).  Although she enjoyed all the stops we made, she was disappointed that left no time for touring Pennsylvania Dutch country, neither that afternoon nor the next morning on the way out of state.

Previous visits: 2022-23

In July 2022 I traveled thru Pennsylvania while tagging along with my family on their trip to the Northeast.  My ex-wife likes Pennsylvania Dutch Country very much.  I find it to be hopelessly commercialized.  What must it be like to be an actual Amish or Mennonite person trying to go about your life surrounded by billboards and tacky trinket shops and fake buggy rides? You have my sympathy, folks.

So-called "historic train ride" in Strasburg, PA

Nevertheless she had reserved a hotel room right in “downtown” Intercourse.  I stayed at the very same state park I had the year before, about 40 miles away.  We spent way too much time at that tacky tourist village in Intercourse, but the upside to that place is that trapping all the tourists there keeps us away from the locals.

Later that day we were all rushing eastbound on I-78.  They spent the night at a hotel in Stroudsburg while I had reserved a campground in nearby Hickory Run State Park.  We were splitting up after that – they were on their way to Long Island to spend four days with my ex-inlaws, while I was headed for Maine to go whale watching. 

On the southbound leg of our Northeast trip we came back thru Pennsylvania, this time to visit Hershey’s Chocolate World and Hersheypark.  I was roped into this part of the trip because our granddaughter wanted more than anything to ride on some of the scariest rollercoasters in that theme park, and although Mom insisted that she be accompanied by an adult neither she nor Grandma were willing to do the accompanying.

American Antique Car Assn. Museum, Hershey PA

Wow, some of those rides were truly terrifying!  I told my granddaughter that going on them was something I would consider to be an item on my bucket list, but don’t expect me to do that again!

In May 2023 I again passed through Pennsylvania on my way from West Virginia to New Jersey.  This time I could skip Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and would have skipped Hershey too until I saw a sign for the American Antique Car Association Museum.  Wow – way cool!

From there it was on to Hickory Run State Park to stay the night before proceeding to New Jersey.  It also so happened that on the return leg of my journey, which took me through Upstate New York, I made a little side trip into Upstate PA to see the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.  Yes there is such a thing and it’s really spectacular!

The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, in Leonard Harrison St. Pk.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler