Planning trips can be incredibly stressful, that’s why it’s important to do a little research before you decide on where you’re going. There are literally thousands of cities to choose from, and hundreds of good choices for your vacation. We humbly recommend Harrisburg, PA for your next destination, and by the end of this article, you’ll see why. This city has everything you can need in a vacation destination. Fun, relaxation, and a lot more. You can bring the whole family along or you can even go alone and still very likely have a quite wonderful time with plenty of exciting things to do. 

Quaint Views and Good Drives

Harrisburg sits on the mighty and iconic Susquehanna River. This river starts in New York and dumps out into the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. If you’re a fan of rivers, you’re going to want to make sure you see this one. It runs right through the middle of the city so you can get a chance to look at it while you’re shopping or running errands, but there are also many nearby nature areas that you can visit to get a better view of the river in the setting that it fits best in. 

Speaking of the nature areas, Harrisburg is home to many incredible places to go be in nature. You can go out and maybe see some of the local wildlife, such as the Allegheny woodrat, short-tailed weasel, or maybe even the northern short-tailed shrew. Harrisburg is also home to a lot of absolutely stunning fauna. Keep your eye out for the large variety of birch trees that are native to the area, they are beautiful and add something to the spirit of the area. Between the flora and the fauna that calls this south-central Pennsylvanian city home, you can always expect to get a breathtaking experience when you step out of the city and immerse yourself in the great outdoors.

The freeways surrounding Harrisburg line the river so well that one might believe that the civil engineer sketched out the river and ended up turning that in because they were out of time. Because of how closely the 15 follows the Susquehanna, you can follow the river for miles and miles while absorbing the grand views provided. If you enjoy driving the scenic route, this is a can’t miss activity you need to do while you’re in town.

Good Food and Great Drinks  

People need to eat. It’s just a fact of life, and that line of thinking is exactly why so many people have opened restaurants and grocery stores. That’s also the reason why going out to get some food is such a common way to spend with people that matter most to you, or even just with potential suitors or business partners. People have been eating together for thousands of years, even before the first civilization was founded. At this point, bonding over food is so ingrained in our DNA that it only makes sense that so many people choose to go get a meal to spend time together. 

Harrisburg is a great place to get food with your loved ones. There are many high-quality eateries in town that are nearly guaranteed to fill your stomach as well as give you enough time to have a nice conversation with whoever you’re with. On top of there being high-quality food in town, there’s a lot of options. It doesn’t matter if you want American food, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, or even some fast food to remind you of home. You can find it all very easily in town so no matter how picky of eaters you have in your group, you’ll be sure that they’ll be satisfied. 

There is another thing that Harrisburg is good for, and that’s good drinks. Craft beers, good cocktails, and even local distilleries making their own spirits mean that you can get your buzz in any way that you like. From craft brewery to local dive bar, there are a million and one places to get the drinks you’re looking for. Many people come to Harrisburg just to enjoy the local drinks and simply relax and breathe in that sweet Harrisburg atmosphere. 

Lots of Fun and Relaxation Activities

One more reason to pile on to the list of reasons why people enjoy Harrisburg so much is the sheer amount of things to do while you’re in town. Whether you’re looking to have fun or you just want to have a nice relaxing afternoon and let go of the tension in your shoulders, Harrisburg has you covered. Many people that visit report that they feel much more relaxed after their stay, and that’s always a good sign when you’re planning out where you want to go for your next stay out of town. 

For instance, the spa scene in Harrisburg is booming. Finding somewhere to get a good massage is child’s play. Whether you’re looking for deep tissue, aromatherapy, hot stone, shiatsu, or any other type of massage, there’s someone in town that can do it. Most of these companies make making appointments incredibly easy, and you can find someone that can do exactly what you need no matter your budget. There are even places with hot tubs that you can soak your worries away in, which is always nice when you’re looking for a good way to unwind and let go of your troubles. 

One of the best and most fun things you can do while you’re in town is visiting the indoor go-kart facility. You may be thinking that an indoor go-kart facility would be a terrible idea because of the exhaust fumes created by the karts, and you would be correct if they used gasoline go-karts. This facility uses incredibly advanced electric go-karts, and because the motors are electric and not gasoline-powered, there are no emissions to worry about. The air inside the facility is perfectly safe to breathe, and it’s also climate-controlled so races can happen no matter the weather outside. 

The karts at this facility are incredibly quick as well. They can reach speeds of up to fifty miles an hour, which is about as fast as you can go in a regular go-kart. Of course, you can find super karts that can go much faster, but those are a lot more difficult to make safe, especially for an indoor track. Fifty miles per hour is fast enough to ensure that you’ll be zooming around the track and having a great time doing so. Whether you enjoy the thrill of the race or you’re looking to just go fast and don’t care about the competitive aspect of racing, you’ll be able to find it all at this indoor go-kart racing facility. 

Another really fun thing to do while in town is to throw some axes. Axe throwing is a game that has been gaining some traction in recent years, as you may have noticed by the number of axe throwing facilities that have been popping up. You can take your friends along with you and find out who has the best throwing arm and, more importantly, who the most accurate among your friends is. 

Great Historical Sites 

Something everyone should be sure to do while they’re on any trip is learn something, and Harrisburg is a wonderful place to learn about history. Pennsylvania was one of the very first states established in the United States and because of this, it is full of rich history from hundreds of years ago. 

If you enjoy museums, you’d probably like to make a visit to the Harrisburg Civil War Museum. Pennsylvania was a part of the civil war, and Harrisburg happened to be the capital of the second largest state in the union at the time. Harrisburg also happened to be incredibly important for moving supplies that the North needed. Things like food, water, ammunition, and any other goods that were needed were regularly moved through Harrisburg, and this museum allows you a place to learn about it all happening mere miles from where it actually happened. 

Because Harrisburg is so old, there are also lots of sites where very important events happened. It might not have quite been the same kind of hub that Philadelphia was, but you can still visit things like the John Harris-Simone Cameron house, which is a house with a lot of direct connections to the American civil war. 

Make Your Next Trip Count, Visit Harrisburg

Harrisburg is an incredible place to just exist. Clean air, friendly people. There’s nothing quite like existing in this part of the state, let alone in that part of the country. If you need an escape from the humdrum of your normal, everyday life, you may as well look into sending yourself away to Harrisburg. There’s a lot to experience, see, taste, and learn in this incredible little town, and you’re likely to find some memories that will stick with you for a long time, possibly even the rest of your life.