What to Do in November and December

Click here and see our developing listing of things to do.

If you like us to add something, email us at [email protected].

Click above our link to the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor page online.

Click above to see the listing of winners of our 2023 contest.

2024 Photo Contest Categories

  • Legged Wildlife (mammals, insects, amphibians, etc.)
  • Overviews and Vistas (shots taken from on high or from a vista)
  • Altered Images (artistic touches put to images).

Entry forms will appear in the January/February 2024 issue of the magazine and on our website in early January.

Enter the TREE Location Contest from the November/December 2023 issue, click above.

ABOUT THE COVER:

Ronald Gibson of State College captured this white-throated sparrow in his backyard in November.

NIKON D850, 550.0 MM, F/8, ISO 11400, 1/800 S

Send your event listing for consideration for our calendar.

Here’s a link to the tourist railroad listing linked to the photo essay in the March/April 2023 issue.

Here’s a link to the PDF of the Passenger Pigeon article that was mentioned in the January/February 2023 issue.

ABOUT THE COVER: When early morning fog is predicted, Waseh Ahmad of Reading ventures out on forest roads in Berks County, seeking photo opportunities. Although he managed to take stunning photos this day, it wasn’t until he was leaving the area that he noticed this view, lit by diffused sunlight, with a fairy-tale-like feel from the fog. What would have been an empty, eerie road in the early morning had turned into a beautiful rendition of what fall in Pennsylvania feels like.

SONY ILCE-6500, 56.0 MM, F/16, ISO 100, 0.6 S

Stephen Conroy of Huntingdon Valley was flying his DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone over Paradise, Lancaster County, when he created this photograph of the area’s farmland in late summer. The image won honorable mention in the Country Views category of the 2023 Photo Contest. The rest of that category’s winners will appear in the November/December 2023 issue.

HASSELBLAD H1D-20C, 10.3 MM, F/2.8, ISO 800 , 1/125 S

Daniel Stainer of Slippery Rock photographed these two younger siblings as they learned proper crafting techniques from their big sister at the French and Indian War reenactment at Cook Forest State Park. From uniforms to blankets, fiber art methods, such as sewing, quilting and knitting, played an important role during the war. See the article beginning on page 22 in this issue.

In April, Zachary Gleiter of Harrisburg visited Kiwanis Lake in York County, where there are rookeries of yellow-crowned night herons, great egrets and black-crowned night herons (shown in the photo).

The lake received improvements and restoration in 2022 by York City and the York Rotary Club.

Canon EOS 1DX, 800.0 MM, f/5.6, ISO 2000, 1/1000 S

On a January morning, after a fresh wet snowfall blanketed central Pennsylvania, sticking to everything, Joel Appleman of Watsontown stopped several times on his way to work to photograph snow scenes, including this beautiful old barn located near Limestoneville, Montour County.

NIKON D7100, 30.0 MM, F/11, ISO 160, 1/100 S

November/December 2022
ABOUT THE COVER: Marla Burke of Quakertown won honorable mention in the Sunrise / Sunset category of our 2022 photo contest with this December image that shows a heron taking off from Lake Nockamixon in Bucks County. This is a portion of the horizontal image.

NIKON D500, 50.0 MM, F/11, ISO 1000, 1/1600S

September/October 2022 issue
Last year, Dan Gomola visited the McConnells Mill State Park during its Heritage Festival and photographed historian and Abraham Lincoln reenactorRick Miller sharing anecdotes about our 16th president. See his article about the festival and the scenic property beginning on page 20 of the September/October 2022 edition.

July/August 2022 issue

Ginnie Lodge visited with the artists of Mechanical Wonders in Bucks County who create amazing mechanical devices. She tells us about their heritage and their singing bird automata in her story beginning on page 20 in this issue. The tiny bird in the lady’s hand can move and sing.

CLICK HERE

to go to a page with links for finding Trails in Pennsylvania.

May/June 2022 issue
mailed on April 22, 2022
Daniel Stainer of Slippery Rock attended the annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in Butler, capturing this photo as well as many others. Read his article beginning on page 34 in this issue. Nikon D850, 105.0 mm, f/1.4, ISO 64, 1/5000 s

March/April 2022 ISSUE
MAILED ON February 22, 2022
Ironstone Ranch, which is part of the Stone Gables Estate in Elizabethtown, offers horse and carriage rides. The property features events throughout the year, including a recreation of Lincoln’s funeral train on April 22 and 23 (See the article inside this issue on pages 14-15).

Mark Van Scyoc of New Holland photographed this spring scene.

CANON EOS 5D, 32.0 mm, f/6.3, ISO 400, 1/1000 S

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 ISSUE

MAILED ON DECEMBER 28, 2021

James Lafontaine photographed this male house finch at the end of February near his home in Indiana. He entered the photo in the 2020 photo contest, and although it wasn’t a winner, the editor held on to it and selected it for this issue. To enter you
r best shots in our 2022 photo contest, see the photo contest information on these pages. CANON EOS R, 560.0 mm, f/98, ISO 12800, 1/500 S

November/December 2021
About the Cover:
On a December day while driving along Route 381, which passes through scenic property on the way to Linn Runn State Park and Forbes State Forest in Westmoreland County, Clare Kaczmarek of Latrobe stopped to capture this photo of a field at Rolling Rock Farms in Ligonier Township.

September/October 2021
About the Cover: Last year, Justin Lambdin of Ortanna photographed this immature bald eagle in Carroll Valley, Adams County, near the Maryland border. Bald eagles were close to losing their presence in the state in the early 1980s, so the Pennsylvania Game Commission embarked on a program to bring eaglets back to the state from Canada. See the article beginning on page 18 in this issue.

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Recent Back Issues

July/August 2021
ABOUT THE COVER:
Last July, Colin Xu of Philadelphia visited Tank Hollow Vista in Penn Forest Township, Carbon County, at sunset to obtain this image, which won honorable mention in our 2021 Photo Contest’s scenic views and vistas category. The popular 3.5-mile out-and-back trail begins near Jim Thorpe, which is featured in this issue beginning on page 36.

May/June 2021

November/December 2020 issue

Mailed to subscribers on October 26, 2020

ABOUT THE COVER:
In December, the staff at Wheatland decorates the Lancaster County home of James Buchanan Jr. (our country’s 15th president) and opens its doors (this year’s event will be virtual) to celebrate the Yuletide season. Mark Van
Scyoc of New Holland captured this holiday scene of volunteer tour guide Lucy Ervin welcoming visitors.

CANON EOS 5D MARK IV, 29.0 MM, F/6.3, ISO 1000, 0.5 S

September/October 2020 issue

July/August 2020 issue

May/June 2020 issue

Mailed to subscribers on April 22, 2020

ABOUT THE COVER:
Photographer Mark Van Scyoc of New Holland snapped this portrait of his wife, Donna, and friend Donna Bollinger on the former New York Central Railroad bridge in the Tiadaghton State Forest, Lycoming County, where it crosses Pine Creek near the town of Cedar Run.

Users of the Pine Creek Rail Trail will find that four similar iron bridges span the creek. At one time, before the railroad was built, the creek was used to float logs downstream to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River to lumber mills in Williamsport.

CANON EOS 5D MARK II, 24.0 MM, F/6.3, ISO 200, 1/500

March/April 2020 issue

Mailed to subscribers on February 21, 2020

ABOUT THE COVER:
Photograher Tom Scherer of Emmaus recommends traveling to Lock Ridge Park and Furnace Museum grounds in Alburtis, Lehigh County, right after the field of grape hyacinths begins to bloom and before wedding and portrait photographers descend on the fields. The restored furnace ruins and masses of blue flowers make for a picturesque setting in April and early May. NIKON D90, 70.0 MM, F/5.6, ISO 400, 1/250 S

January/February 2020 issue

Mailed to subscribers on December 28, 2019

ABOUT THE COVER:
Mark Van Scyoc of New Hollad spent the day shooting photographs with a friend, arriving home late in the day, and passed by this scene with the sheep. He quickly turned around, parked the car, and rushed through the snow to capture the scene, resulting in his favorite shot of the day.

November/December 2019 issue

Mailed to subscribers on November 1, 2019

ABOUT THE COVER:
A common sight in late fall and winter as crisp temperatures and frosty mornings arrive in the state, these leaves were photographed by Ginnie Lodge in her yard in Pottstown, Montgomery County.

September/October 2019 issue

Mailed to subscribers on August 22, 2019

ABOUT THE COVER:
Karen Link of Butler shot this fall scene in Napier Township, near New Paris, Bedford County.

July/August 2019 issue

Mailed to subscribers on June 22, 2019

ABOUT THE COVER:
Cindy Ross covers the annual Festival of Wood at Grey Towers National Historic Site, the former home of Gifford Pinchot. See the article beginning on page 22 in this issue. The cover features one of the three conical roofed towers that give the structure its name.

May/June 2019 issue

Mailed to subscribers on May 3, 2019
ABOUT THE COVER:
Mark Van Scyoc of New Holland photographed the Wallace-Cross Mill last year at the Mid-Atlantic Milling Days festival, covered in this issue beginning on page 26. The tour takes place June 22-23 and features four mills.

March/April 2019 issue

Mailed to subscribers on February 22, 2019.
ABOUT THE COVER: Bobbie Alexander of Collegeville photographed this field
of white daffodils and pink tulips at Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, Delaware County.
The garden opens for the 2019 season on March 27. chanticleergarden.org;
610-687-4163.