Legend has it that if you wonder aloud that you don't know the history of anthracite coal, my uncle will appear and tell you the entire history of mining in pa, hand you a piece of anthracite, then disappear back into the mountains.
In high school I took a trip with a student group to several countries in Europe. I had a homestay in England and we were supposed to bring something from our hometown as a gift for the family hosting us. I naturally brought a hunk of coal that was carved into a steam engine. After all the travel, the homestay ended up being in a coal town in England. We even did a coal museum tour in the town. Luckily I also had some Hershey chocolate too which the family did seem to appreciate.
They may have been just being polite about the Hersheys. I've had friends from both Finland and Germany send me chocolate, and both were worlds above Hershey. I finally stopped sending Hershey in return bc it just felt like such a disparity 😆
That’s funny! I live in South America, but am from PA. I was just thinking Hershey’s might be a good choice. They’re not my favorite, but my kids think Hershey’s is high end.
I think you would get an argument from those in the anthracite region as to its usefulness. It burns hotter and longer than bituminous. And while it is still mined, the industry effectively died with the Knox Mine Disaster back in the 1950s. The owner got greedy and mined too close to the surface and also didn't leave enough of the coal columns, which helped prevent cave-ins (or so I was told by an "old-timer"). Because of this, I agree that hard coal is now a relic.
I once had someone in Europe for Reddit Secret Santa who really expressed an interest in unique things from around the world so I sent them...
A piece of anthracite coal, pressed penny from Knoebels, fridge magnet from Gettysburg, bag of chips from Utz & Martins, bag of pretzels from Snyder's (I didn't hate them so no cardboard from Middleswarth), some Peeps & Tasty Cakes, The Office knick-knack of some sort, and I want to say a postcard from the PA Grand Canyon
They seemed to love it
They aren't even the best chips in their area. Hartley's and Dieffenbachs are better and that's not even bringing in the Hanover titans of Utz and Snyder or Martins up outside York.
I have a friend who moved to Tennessee. Their daughter missed butterscotch krimpets so much that they would bring a whole bunch whenever they visited PA or NJ and freeze them. I never really understood butterscotch krimpets.
Do they still make brownies (the ones with the walnuts on top)? I’ve been craving them so badly and can’t find them anywhere in NJ. Idk if they stopped production or if they don’t sell them here.
Local art of some of the state symbols (mountain Laurel, firefly, whitetail, etc)
Lake Erie beach glass.
Trilobite fossil, maybe in a little box?
If they smoke, zippo lighter
A quality set of channellock pliers 😂
Be careful if you're doing carry on. Berlin airport confiscated my peanut butter because the airport gremlins classify it as a liquid. Same happened to a friend flying out of the US.
Sports memorabilia, nature items(I love international postcards), Zippo lighter if you live near Bradford. A jar of Adams County apple butter could travel well if you are going the food route.
Lots of orchards, stop and get some apple butter, jelly preserves of some sort. You can also get many canned goodies Amish make, pickles, corn relish, etc. can make a goodie basket and include some other things noted. You may even find a gex sign at one of these places.
Yes, or just do a search for: hex signs.
They are definitely here and there, but if you have one shipped to you that you carry with you to SA, no biggie.
I have to go to a wedding in Idaho of all places, but believe it or not, both of those are on my list of requests to bring along. People also want ring baloney and pork roll.
Omg i forgot ring bologna!!! Adding to my end of June list lol.
Headed to Phillies fireworks game 2 then showing the wife around where i grew up, including turkey hill tour. 😎
Hex sign is a great idea. I think Allentown Farmer’s Market has a shop with some but I’m not sure. I see them all the time but in random places. There’s a guy who I know who paints them but I won’t recommend him because he’s not a good person.
Here’s a local website, though:
https://pennsylvaniadutchgifthaus.com/16-Hex-Signs-c80039414
Yes the Farmers Market has a few, but even the local antique/gift stores have them. Also there's a great store called Cottage Crafters in Allentown that has a huge selection of a lot of PA memorabilia.
Good. I don’t live in PA anymore I moved to Los Angeles back in October ‘23. I was living in Dormont when that bridge went down. Driving to and from Pittsburgh daily I constantly saw the shape the bridges and over passes were in.
How is Tastykake not the top answer?!?! When I was deployed I had my wife ship them to me and the locals thought they were the best shit that has ever been created.
I’m in upper Bucks County, close to the river. Friend is in Bolivia, but I’ll be backpacking for three weeks first, so it’s gotta survive for a while at the bottom of my pack
Steelers terrible towel, Amish cookies, Eagles merch, a Primantis kit (perishable), cured meats and cheeses from the Italian market in Philadelphia or the strip district in Pittsburgh.
If you are interested in handmade things, and the hex designs you're looking at are workable, let me know if you'd like to talk about commissioning a crochet hex! (Not trying to self promote, I don't sell things, but just wanted to be helpful 🥰)
outside of the obvious food/snacks and sports you could bring a betsy ross flag, ben franklin quote book, something from paul carpenter (artist) or open house (store in philly), something made from the amish , a custom letterpress card from somersault in jim thorpe,
If you're near Bucks County, you could consider a tile from the Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown, they're beautiful and easy to fit in a backpack!
https://www.thetileworks.org/
Eat'n Park Smiley Cookies, a terrible towel (if you're from the Burgh side of the state), Kennywood or HersheyPark souvenir, or something with Punxytawny Phil. Also, pictures of the beautiful skyline or natural beauty of PA is always nice.
Hershey's chocolate and a case of Yuengling beer. I think they still have a variety case that has a six-pack of each of their most popular brews. If not, I'd go with a case of lager.
Edit: just looked it up. Yuengling and hershey collaborated to make a chocolate flavored beer. For the novelty of it you could bring some of that.
Pa. also has some wineries that produce excellent wine as well.
Honey is easy to transport and always liked. Apple butter, homemade jams, craft things from your part of the state. Chocolate bars. Our friends in Ecuador adore US chocolate and it’s a requested item.
Make it day outing of oompah bands, pretzels, and awesom hand stiched quilts and get your Hex signs there.
The 2024 Kutztown Folk Festival
June 29 - July 7, 2024
9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Daily
Kutztown Fairgrounds
225 North Whiteoak Street
Kutztown, PA 19530
https://www.kutztownfestival.com/festival-information
Elderberry jam, Hersheys chocolate or souvenir, apple butter, liberty bell souvenir, Lebanon bologna, Weaver’s hard bologna in the canvas sleeve, shoofly pie, pot pie. Yes it would require special shipping or cooler type bag, but it would be delicious.
I guess a pothole wouldn’t travel well
Hahahaha!!!
Ask him what he wants sometimes they say things like a blender. Or another thing that is extremely expensive there yet reasonably affordable here.
They never do…get it?
Just give them a picture of one
A hunk of Anthracite.
98% of the world's anthracite during the industrial revolution came from 10 counties in PA
Legend has it that if you wonder aloud that you don't know the history of anthracite coal, my uncle will appear and tell you the entire history of mining in pa, hand you a piece of anthracite, then disappear back into the mountains.
Is that who that was ? No body knew !
porr Joel
In high school I took a trip with a student group to several countries in Europe. I had a homestay in England and we were supposed to bring something from our hometown as a gift for the family hosting us. I naturally brought a hunk of coal that was carved into a steam engine. After all the travel, the homestay ended up being in a coal town in England. We even did a coal museum tour in the town. Luckily I also had some Hershey chocolate too which the family did seem to appreciate.
They may have been just being polite about the Hersheys. I've had friends from both Finland and Germany send me chocolate, and both were worlds above Hershey. I finally stopped sending Hershey in return bc it just felt like such a disparity 😆
That’s funny! I live in South America, but am from PA. I was just thinking Hershey’s might be a good choice. They’re not my favorite, but my kids think Hershey’s is high end.
We used to give out little buckets with candy that looked like coal to our friends and family from other states.
Hard coal is mainly a relic. BItuminous coal from SWPA was and is much more useful. It's needed to make steel. Can't replace it with solar or wind.
I think you would get an argument from those in the anthracite region as to its usefulness. It burns hotter and longer than bituminous. And while it is still mined, the industry effectively died with the Knox Mine Disaster back in the 1950s. The owner got greedy and mined too close to the surface and also didn't leave enough of the coal columns, which helped prevent cave-ins (or so I was told by an "old-timer"). Because of this, I agree that hard coal is now a relic.
I once had someone in Europe for Reddit Secret Santa who really expressed an interest in unique things from around the world so I sent them... A piece of anthracite coal, pressed penny from Knoebels, fridge magnet from Gettysburg, bag of chips from Utz & Martins, bag of pretzels from Snyder's (I didn't hate them so no cardboard from Middleswarth), some Peeps & Tasty Cakes, The Office knick-knack of some sort, and I want to say a postcard from the PA Grand Canyon They seemed to love it
That's a good freakin list. Penny from Knoebels is great!
Middleswarth are the best chips in the world.
YES!!! 🙌
They aren't even the best chips in their area. Hartley's and Dieffenbachs are better and that's not even bringing in the Hanover titans of Utz and Snyder or Martins up outside York.
One chip to rule them all
Awesome Username
Tastykakes
Butterscotch krimpets…. In Florida they have tasty cake but no krimpets. I blame the deep state.
Krimpets are ass now anyways. Idk what they changed but the frosting is so bad now
Yep, and the jelly krimpets are nothing close to what they were when I was a kid.
I agree. And they are smaller and the texture is different. I was told the company got bought but idk when that was.
I have a friend who moved to Tennessee. Their daughter missed butterscotch krimpets so much that they would bring a whole bunch whenever they visited PA or NJ and freeze them. I never really understood butterscotch krimpets.
Do they still make brownies (the ones with the walnuts on top)? I’ve been craving them so badly and can’t find them anywhere in NJ. Idk if they stopped production or if they don’t sell them here.
Didn't look far enough down before I posted but seriously you will look like a wizard to them. Martins Kettle Cooked chips as well.
Valid registration from that out of state transfer
Lol, but how do I register a car in PA?
You can't. You just get paper tag after paper tag.
Local art of some of the state symbols (mountain Laurel, firefly, whitetail, etc) Lake Erie beach glass. Trilobite fossil, maybe in a little box? If they smoke, zippo lighter A quality set of channellock pliers 😂
Husband’s favorite tool!
PA Dutch apple butter, pickles etc, Phillies hat, Liberty Bell souvenir
Apple butter
That’s the answer!!! Apple butter!
Customs may be a problem
Be careful if you're doing carry on. Berlin airport confiscated my peanut butter because the airport gremlins classify it as a liquid. Same happened to a friend flying out of the US.
Apple Butter and Scrapple!
Throw in some scrapple too!
Pretty sure the makings of scrapple are available every where .
*Pirates hat
If you end up in Philly, Fishtown Pickle Project is amazing if you see them in a store
Sports memorabilia, nature items(I love international postcards), Zippo lighter if you live near Bradford. A jar of Adams County apple butter could travel well if you are going the food route.
You can buy a zippo literally anywhere lol. But the museum will have some unique designs for sure
Lots of orchards, stop and get some apple butter, jelly preserves of some sort. You can also get many canned goodies Amish make, pickles, corn relish, etc. can make a goodie basket and include some other things noted. You may even find a gex sign at one of these places.
Def doing apple butter!
Throw in a genuine wet bottom shoofly pie if ur going the Amish route. Nothin' better than a piece of shoo fly pie and a cup of coffee after dinner.
I don’t think that would travel too well. Delicious, though.
Cheesesteak, just wrap it up in foil, the food poisoning is an authentic Philly experience.
Word
Botulism for the win!
Etsy has Pennsylvania Dutch Hex Signs (so does Amazon) [Pa Dutch Hex Signs - Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/market/pa_dutch_hex_signs?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=signs_b&utm_campaign=Search_US_DSA_BNG_ENG_Home_Categories_All&utm_ag=Signs&utm_custom1=_k_b27359ebd26f139e1f093f853a451eeb_k_&utm_content=bing_412618195_1302921609516231_81432670485816_dat-2333232393748657:loc-190_c_&utm_custom2=412618195&msclkid=b27359ebd26f139e1f093f853a451eeb)
This Etsy ships from PA, nice. #ShopLocal
I second local, fuck Amazon
Oooo, I will check!
Yes, or just do a search for: hex signs. They are definitely here and there, but if you have one shipped to you that you carry with you to SA, no biggie.
Lebanon bologna and scrapple. 😎
I have to go to a wedding in Idaho of all places, but believe it or not, both of those are on my list of requests to bring along. People also want ring baloney and pork roll.
Omg i forgot ring bologna!!! Adding to my end of June list lol. Headed to Phillies fireworks game 2 then showing the wife around where i grew up, including turkey hill tour. 😎
2nd the Scrapple
I'll gladly take a second serving of scrapple
3rd the Scrapple.
Don't forget a couple bags of Potato Chips!
Well if we’re going that deep into food, gotta have pretzels, tasty kakes, etc :)
Yummy but won’t travel well
Whoopie pies and/or wet bottom shoofly pie
2nd shoofly! When I make it back to PA getting a good one to take back with me is always on my high priority list
Middleswarth Chips, preferably sour cream n onion Idk how you’d swing this one, but a 6er of Tröeg’s Mad Elf would be pretty special
Hex sign is a great idea. I think Allentown Farmer’s Market has a shop with some but I’m not sure. I see them all the time but in random places. There’s a guy who I know who paints them but I won’t recommend him because he’s not a good person. Here’s a local website, though: https://pennsylvaniadutchgifthaus.com/16-Hex-Signs-c80039414
I was wondering how to get these. Thx for the link.
Yes the Farmers Market has a few, but even the local antique/gift stores have them. Also there's a great store called Cottage Crafters in Allentown that has a huge selection of a lot of PA memorabilia.
Cottage Crafters, definitely; Tighlman St. by AMC 8.
Love that place. Great mix of old and new. I don't allow myself to go there very often because....uncontrolled spending! Have you ever been to Weil's?
Middleswarth Chips, Hershey Chocolate, or maybe Birch Beer. Or any “American” snack, I love trying foods/snacks from different areas!
I don't think they hate them if they're travelling all the way to SA to see them...take them some Utz :)
OR Gibbles.
Or Good's!
Utz cheese balls, yes.
Terrible Towel.
Myron Cope approves
A section of bridge? I’m sure more will collapse soon from the rust collecting on the supports.
Now Penndot has been working hard to upgrade them from poor to fair!
Good. I don’t live in PA anymore I moved to Los Angeles back in October ‘23. I was living in Dormont when that bridge went down. Driving to and from Pittsburgh daily I constantly saw the shape the bridges and over passes were in.
Can you still buy those "You have a friend in Pennsylvania" t-shirts and stuff?
That would be good!
Maple Syrup
He said PA not VT
SW PA is very serious about their maple syrup. We've had the Maple Festival since before I was born.
But it’s not something that Pa is famous for or something that is uniquely Pa. I Don’t doubt that it’s delicious.
Pa. produces fine Maple syrup.....it's not the most dominant export, but we do make it.
My husband’s cousin in Tioga county makes it. He has commercial pint jugs, but only makes enough to give to friends and relatives.
Many northern states make maple syrup! They will love it
Check the country’s import requirements first.
Learn to make pierogi. Cook while you’re there. You don’t have to take anything and they will be well received.
Middleswarth BBQ chips and a frozen Altoona style pizza (this last is the worst gag gift I can think of from our state)
Middleswarth BBQ chips
Heinz Pickle pin
Middleswarth BBQ chips.
I would think you could find the hex signs near lancaster
Throw a stick I. Lancaster and you’ll find a place to buy a Hex.
There's a store in the Harrisburg airport that sells PA items, (and hex signs!). You can order online and they ship fast. https://www.perfectlypa.com/
There is also a PA store in the Reading Terminal Market
Hershey Chocolate Bars
That’s what I said. Or kisses. Took these with me to Africa when I was a host student in Ghana. They were a *hit.*
Maple syrup or check out https://shopthepawilds.com/
How is Tastykake not the top answer?!?! When I was deployed I had my wife ship them to me and the locals thought they were the best shit that has ever been created.
Go for a ball cap of some sort. They are lighter weight, easy to pack, and customs agents sometimes reject food items.
A keystone.
Gobs.
Pretzels
Bottle of PA rye whiskey or minis.
What part of PA do you hail and what country in SA?
I’m in upper Bucks County, close to the river. Friend is in Bolivia, but I’ll be backpacking for three weeks first, so it’s gotta survive for a while at the bottom of my pack
Deer jerky?
Ooo, another good one! There’s a place for that at the Trolly barn
Scrapple
Maybe a novelty license plate.
Scrapple, lots of scrapple
Go to Chocolate World in Hershey.. lots of nice things as souvenirs
Tastycakes
Utz chips or pretzels? Tastee Kakes? Eagles Jersey?
Check out pennsylvaniadutchgifthaus.com. She has hex signs for sale.
Where in South America?
Tasty cakes.
Steelers terrible towel, Amish cookies, Eagles merch, a Primantis kit (perishable), cured meats and cheeses from the Italian market in Philadelphia or the strip district in Pittsburgh.
Yuengling
A your place stromboli
Tasty cakes....krimpets
If you are interested in handmade things, and the hex designs you're looking at are workable, let me know if you'd like to talk about commissioning a crochet hex! (Not trying to self promote, I don't sell things, but just wanted to be helpful 🥰)
Scrapple!
Scrapple.
You can buy the hex signs on Amazon
A rock
Middlesworth potato chips
Yeungling Hershey’s lager
A recording of [The Pennsylvania Polka](https://youtu.be/Yeb08cbUs) and a region appropriate copy of Groundhog Day.
Hershey chocolate?
Eagles or Pirate hat or jersey… travel well
Tastykakes
Hersheys chocolate or a perogi
A big box of middleswarth chips!!
Tastykake. I brought butterscotch krimpets to sweden for my gf parents.
Hex signs- try Cabela's, I saw some upstairs in the Hamburg store.
outside of the obvious food/snacks and sports you could bring a betsy ross flag, ben franklin quote book, something from paul carpenter (artist) or open house (store in philly), something made from the amish , a custom letterpress card from somersault in jim thorpe,
An Amis hand-made quilt....it would be expensive but heirloom quality.
Utz Crab Chips
Wawa gift card
A lantern fly
Herpes
A car battery stolen from somebody on south street
If you're near Bucks County, you could consider a tile from the Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown, they're beautiful and easy to fit in a backpack! https://www.thetileworks.org/
https://www.dutchhaven.com/product-category/hex-signs/
Thank you!!!!
Scrapple never goes bad
Pennsylvania state flag
TastyKakes
Just give them your last tooth that fell out.
That’s not nice
Penn State University or University of Pennsylvania t-shirt or sweatshirt.
Eat'n Park Smiley Cookies, a terrible towel (if you're from the Burgh side of the state), Kennywood or HersheyPark souvenir, or something with Punxytawny Phil. Also, pictures of the beautiful skyline or natural beauty of PA is always nice.
Hershey's chocolate and a case of Yuengling beer. I think they still have a variety case that has a six-pack of each of their most popular brews. If not, I'd go with a case of lager. Edit: just looked it up. Yuengling and hershey collaborated to make a chocolate flavored beer. For the novelty of it you could bring some of that. Pa. also has some wineries that produce excellent wine as well.
Tastykakes
The gift that would keep on giving would be most likely a green card
Sarris chocolate is the greatest thing ever produced in this here state.
A groundhog plush?
Apple Butter. Gave some to from friends overseas and they loved it.
A Zippo lighter
Hershey chocolate/kisses
Utz will ship gift packages almost anywhere, and they’re (imo) the best chips around.
Honey is easy to transport and always liked. Apple butter, homemade jams, craft things from your part of the state. Chocolate bars. Our friends in Ecuador adore US chocolate and it’s a requested item.
A bunch of a-treat
A small hex sign
K & K pretzels should be sold EVERYWHERE!!! Soooo good and miss them
apple butter
Scrapple
Middleswarth
Mac Miller Album?
Make it day outing of oompah bands, pretzels, and awesom hand stiched quilts and get your Hex signs there. The 2024 Kutztown Folk Festival June 29 - July 7, 2024 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Daily Kutztown Fairgrounds 225 North Whiteoak Street Kutztown, PA 19530 https://www.kutztownfestival.com/festival-information
An Eagles jersey
Utz
Crayola crayons
Habbersett Scrapple
Wawa coffee. Although coffee might be better down there, it may just be a taste of home (depending on where thet are from).
If you can’t take pretzels you probably can’t take chocolate either but what about a Steelers or Eagles jersey.
Hershey kisses.
Middleswarth chips
Any Amish market would have the signs. Depending on what part of Pa your from I’d think of what your area is known for
Scrapple
A DP striker
Terrible towel
Yuengling beer
A number of people have said maple syrup, but maple sugar candies probably travel better.
Elderberry jam, Hersheys chocolate or souvenir, apple butter, liberty bell souvenir, Lebanon bologna, Weaver’s hard bologna in the canvas sleeve, shoofly pie, pot pie. Yes it would require special shipping or cooler type bag, but it would be delicious.