Planning a weekend with your parents in Happy Valley can be both exciting and stressful. They’ve come all the way from home to visit you, and you’re determined to make their visit truly enjoyable. Whether it’s selecting a place to eat or choosing a store to shop in, preparing for their visit is anything but easy. Fortunately, VALLEY has designed a perfect parents’ weekend itinerary for your convenience. Continue reading to discover what State College has to offer you and your loved ones.
What to Eat
Restaurants are on every corner of State College. For breakfast, our recommendations include “Sowers Harvest Cafe,” “The Naked Egg” and “The Waffle Shop.” There are, of course, other tasty breakfast options in the area, but these three are solid choices. “Sowers Harvest Cafe” is located in the downtown area, while the others are within a 10-minute drive.
If you’re in the mood for pizza for lunch, give the newly-opened “Giuseppe’s Pizzeria by Brothers” a try. It’s a great spot for a quick and tasty bite. Other lunch recommendations include “The Field Burger and Tap,” “Otto’s Pub and Brewery” and “The Corner Room.” All of these options offer different, but equally delicious, choices.
For dinner, we recommend “Gigi’s Southern Table,” “Federal Taphouse,” “Tadashi Japanese Restaurant,” “The Tavern Restaurant” and “Plaza Mexican Bar and Grill.” While these places also offer great lunch options and vice versa, the dinner atmosphere and food are truly excellent. Make sure to explore some of these options with your parents on their visit!
Outdoor Activities
If the weather is nice during the fall or spring, the range of activities dramatically expands. If you enjoy hiking, consider taking on the Mount Nittany Loop, which offers a beautiful overlook at the summit. Other excellent spots with trails include Black Moshannon State Park and Bald Eagle State Forest. If you don’t want to commit to a full hike, a walk around around The Arboretum at Penn State is another great choice. In addition to hiking, Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park is a fun, family-friendly destination that includes a boat tour of the cave and a wildlife bus tour. And of course, if there’s a Penn State football game, consider tailgating and/or getting tickets.
Indoor Activities
Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate with your plans, but that’s perfectly fine as there’s still plenty to do. Start by checking if there’s live entertainment at the Bryce Jordan Center, a movie, play or musical at the State Theatre, or a basketball or hockey game on the weekend your parents are visiting. If those aren’t up to your speed, check out some of the museums in the area like the Palmer Museum of Art and the Penn State All-Sports Museum.
Parent-Friendly Bars
If you’re 21+ and want to visit bars with your parents, you have some enjoyable choices. If you’re looking for a downtown location, VALLEY recommends “Local Whiskey” or “Cafe 210 West.” Both of these bars are relatively calm and attract a mix of locals and college students. “Doggie’s Pub” is a bit livelier but still maintains a decent ratio of adults to students. If you’re interested in a location outside of downtown but still in the area, “Axemann Brewery” is also an excellent option. On game days and weekends, it’s filled with locals and the atmosphere is exciting.
Have any other recommendations? Let us know on Instagram @VALLEYmag.
