Punxsutawney, PA....................the Weather Capital of the World!

A nice "Welcome" mural in downtown!

Just seventy miles from our Airbnb in Kennerdell is the small town of Punxsutawney.  The population of Punxsutawney is approximately 5,700, and like most of this area of Western Pennsylvania, there is a strong German heritage.  Leaning on a Pennsylvanian Dutch tradition and a little creative marketing Punxsutawney has put together an annual celebration that has given rise to a self proclamation as the "weather capital of the world".  Of course no "weather capital of the world" would be complete without a famous weather prognosticator, which in this case just happens to be a groundhog ........Punxsutawney Phil.  

Beth, Ben and I made the drive over to Punxsutawney earlier this week.  On our way we stopped for an outdoor lunch in the town of Foxburg, which like Kennerdell is located on the Allegheny River.  We discovered Foxburg when visiting Ben shortly after he moved to this area.  We were invited out to dinner with some of the family that own the campground where he works.  We were amazed then at the beauty of this area and come to appreciate it more everyday.  In addition to it's scenic riverside setting, Foxburg is famous for it's connection to golf.  It is the home of the nine hole Foxburg Country Club, which was established in 1887, making it the oldest continuously operating golf course in the United States.  The golf course can be found on the National Register of Historic Places.  Inside the clubhouse is the small but interesting American Golf Hall of Fame which is free and open to the public.   If you visit and you're a golfer be sure to take a look at the size of the greens on the course.  They make a postage stamp look large!

An outdoor, socially distancing lunch at the Allegheny River Grill

Foxburg Country Club

One of the displays inside the American Golf Hall of Fame

Foxburg Country Club

Arriving in Punxsutawney, we found Phil munching away on a piece of lettuce in his cozy burrow, which is located at the public library in Barclay Square.  Phil shares this burrow with his wife, leaving the comfort of home occasionally to make guest appearances at local events. and on February 2 (Groundhog Day) to make his big prediction.  Every year on this cold early February morning over 30,000 people from all over the world converge on Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney for food, music and most importantly to learn first hand Phil's weather forecast.  If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of winter.  No shadow, means spring is just around the corner.

The legendary Punxsutawney Phil!

Beth and Ben in front of Phil's Burrow which is actually built into the wall of the library.

Statues of Phil in various costumes.  

We enjoyed walking around and finding a few of the 32 scattered around town.

A few fun facts about groundhogs, Groundhog Day and Phil:

• The groundhog is a member of the rodent family.
• Don't tell Phil, but from what I read, groundhog is considered to be a tasty meat.  I think I'll pass.
• The Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney started in 1887.
• None of the scenes from the 1993 Bill Murray film were shot in Punxsutawney.  It was actually filmed in Woodstock, IL.
• Although the average lifespan of a groundhog is 6-8 years, Phil gets a drink of magic elixir every year that keeps him young.  The elixir is truly the "Fountain of Youth" because that would make Phil well over 100 years old.  Further evidence that "legends never die" or at least that you should never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. 

Our friends down the road shared with us an interesting story about one particular Punxsutawney Phil.  Years back a member of their family found an orphaned baby groundhog that they raised as a pet.  As it grew they contacted the organizers of the annual Groundhog Day celebration and asked them if they were in need of a new and "tame" groundhog.  They excitedly said they were and arrangements were made to transfer him to Punxsutawney where he served as Phil for several years.  They said the easy way to recognize him in pictures was by the gloves his handler was wearing.  Because he was "tame", the handler didn't have to wear thick gloves to prevent his fingers being nibbled on.  Also, we learned that this particular Phil loved french fries and was frequently seen munching on fries from McDonalds after making an appearance around town.  

It was great seeing Phil and learning more about him and the celebration, especially on a September afternoon when the temperature was hovering around 70 degrees.   Much warmer than on the actual Groundhogs Day of February 2 when it would most likely be below freezing, shadow or no shadow!

Just up the road a few miles from Ben's house is Emmett's Orchard.  At this time of year there are plenty of fresh apples, including our favorite, Honeycrisp Apples.  There are also plenty of goodies such as apple pie, turnovers, molasses cookies, peanut butter cookies, fresh cider and a whole lot more!

Emmett's Orchard!