Nainaa R Rajpaal
30-Jun-2026
Nainaa R. Rajpaal discovers new ways to stay joyful in rural Pennsylvania.
In a world where we forget to take time for ourselves, a pocket of central Pennsylvania is helping thousands of people find their happy place. And the way to do it? Is to do everything we’ve forgotten to do. Spend time in nature – run amok green grass, eat ice cream that goes from cow to cone – and even learn what it is to live like without electricity on a farm!
The moniker 'Happy Valley’ was given to the town when it survived the Great Depression owing to the solid standing of Penn State University, which kept the economy strong. Since then, it has taken its name quite seriously.
Happy Valley is one of those places where cows outnumber cars and college football is treated with the seriousness of a national election.
SAY CHEESE
At dawn, start your day with a drive to Bellefonte, a little Victorian town that looks like it would fit great in a period movie with horse-drawn carriages and royals gossiping inside. Its name literally means "beautiful fountain", a nod to the natural springs that put the town on the map. Every picture you take here will have your friends back home convinced you’re a time traveller!
Soon after, it’s time for a little snack from an Amish family. Get ready to question everything you knew and loved about your supermarket cheese. Welcome to Goot Essa, where Amish cheesemaker John Esh makes 10,000 pounds of cheese underground. The best part is it’s all made with almost no electricity, based on Amish traditions. So it’s all solar-powered and diesel. Ask for the cow's milk cheese, Der Alpen Kase, which tastes like brown butter and hazelnuts! Planned in advance, the Goot Essa team will even take you on a tour of their underground cheese-making wonderland. And then top it off with a cheese tasting of their best cheeses!
UNDERGROUND ADVENTURES
Get ready to see one of the coolest places. Literally. Penn’s Cave is America’s only all-water cave. Which means you need a boat to explore the chilly underground world. In olden times, evidence has been found that Native Americans used the cave for storage and shelter. Today, as you glide through it, you’ll see limestone formations and stalagmites and stalactites – some even shaped like the Statue of Liberty.
The Penn Cave complex also has another exciting element – a chance to see some of America’s native wildlife. You’ll see deer running across the grass, mockingbirds, American Kestrels or even Turkey vultures. If you want to see more wildlife, take a 60-minute open-air safari where you’ll get to meet elk, wolves and foxes in their enclosures. You’ll be happy to note that the enclosures are quite large and well-kept.
BLEND IN WITH BEER
After working up an appetite, head to Happy Valley Brewing Company, housed inside a beautifully restored 200-year-old barn just outside downtown State College. The brewpub has become a local favourite for its house-crafted beers and menu built around hearty American fare. You’ll see nearby college students cooling off, a group of 60-year-old bikers enjoying a burger and young couples sipping on short-rib nachos and beer. One of the best brews is undoubtedly the Supernaut Hazy IPA, which has fresh notes of strawberry and pineapple – refreshing you like a fresh fruit juice but with a solid punch.
I SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM
There’s nothing better than an afternoon slurping on fresh ice cream. Just like most establishments in the area, Nittany Valley Creamery is family-owned by the Glick family, who own a herd of cows and make sure the ice cream is as happy as the cows around. Among the 20 unique flavours, be sure to try teaberry. It has nothing to do with tea but comes from a plant grown in the area. It comes in the most unapologetically pink shade and makes for great Instagram shots! Imagine it to be minty and bubble-gummy all at once. A flavour you might love or hate but would never forget!
If ice cream made you feel like an excited child, it’s time to grow up to be a hip student at the close-by Penn State University. Walk past the Beaver stadium, which can house more than 1 lakh shouting fans, which is reminiscent of all the football games you might have seen in American movies. The main college yard is filled with students sprawled on fresh grass with squirrels vying for their attention. Stop at the Nittany Lion Shrine or Old Main, popular spots in the college for your typical college photograph.
THE SLOW LIFE
As the sun goes down, head to the RE Farm Café, a restaurant on an actual, working farm. The building is designed to operate at net-zero energy, and much of the produce comes from the surrounding farm. You can look out of the window and see the landscape that's feeding you.
The menu changes with the seasons, but most dishes celebrate Pennsylvania's favourites – steelhead trout, pork piccata, farm burgers, handmade pasta, mushroom mac and cheese, and desserts like lemon olive oil cake or crème brûlée. After a day spent exploring underwater caves, immersing yourself in Amish culture, birdwatching and wandering Penn State, a meal with a view of the surrounding landscape with horses, cows and sheep on the horizon feels like the perfect antidote to the breakneck speed at which we lead our lives.
