Laurel Highlands Tourism: Four Seasons of Adventure, History, and Scenic Beauty in Pennsylvania

Eric Knopsnyder - Laurel Highlands Tourism

Howard Fox [00:00:06 - 00:00:50]

Hello everyone, this is Howard Fox and welcome back for another episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series, the podcast that celebrates individuals and families, businesses and organizations that seek out and promote the exploration, stewardship, conservation, access, and enjoyment of the outdoors. Eric Knopschneider is our guest today. Eric is the Director of Public Relations and Community Outreach at Laurel Highlands Tourism. Laurel Highlands appeals to travelers who enjoy outdoor adventure and scenic beauty, as well as those drawn to the region's arts, culture, and architectural attractions. Eric, it's good to see you again. How are you doing? And welcome to the podcast.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:00:50 - 00:01:01]

I am doing great, Howard. Thank you so much for having me on. I know we've been, been talking about this for a while about doing this, and, and I'm Just glad to be able to finally sit down and chat with you.

Howard Fox [00:01:02 - 00:01:32]

Oh, most definitely. And for our listeners, I've had the pleasure of breaking bread with Eric. He has been representing Laurel Highlands at the annual conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. I think we were in— saw, met each other in El Paso perhaps. And, and most recently we were in Madison, Wisconsin. And how was your— now you were a part of a panel. When you were in Madison. So tell us, how'd you get roped into being part of this panel discussion?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:01:33 - 00:02:34]

Well, I like to think that it was good, some good fortune and some good results. I was— first of all, let me point out to the, to the, your viewers and listeners that the Laurel Highlands is in Pennsylvania. We've just rebranded to make sure people get that. So we want to hammer home that message where we are right away. But going back to your question, So a few years ago, yeah, I was in El Paso and I met a couple of the outdoor writers there, Ashley Stimpson and Jessica Baltzerson, and kept persistently telling them they needed to come and ride the Great Allegheny Passage in, in the Laurel Highlands. And eventually they did that and it turned into the best press trip that I've ever hosted. And they felt like they got a lot out of it too. So whenever they were doing some things this year on, on how to host a press trip, they reached out to me and said, hey, would you be interested in serving on the panel? So Jessica and I served on the panel and we got to talk about that experience and other experiences as well.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:02:35 - 00:02:49]

But that was really kind of a feather in my cap. And I'd like to think of our regions as well, that we were able to speak to the Outdoor Writers Association of America and and share what we have and how we do things here.

Howard Fox [00:02:50 - 00:03:35]

Excellent. Excellent. Now, you rightly jumped in to clarify where Laurel Highlands is. It's in Pennsylvania. And I know this time of the season, the fall season, Pennsylvania just lights up with all those wonderful colors and lots of great outdoor activities. But what was some of— and I also know that with this rebranding, it used to be Go Laurel Highlands, now Laurel Highlands Tourism. I'm curious for 2 questions. One, what, what communities comprise Laurel Highlands? And also, what is the significance of this rebranding? Because it seems like you do a great job already, but there's obviously when you rebrand, there's some, there's some vision involved here.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:03:36 - 00:04:06]

Absolutely. So the Laurel Highlands, we're in southwestern Pennsylvania, where depending on where you're coming in the region, an hour or so outside of Pittsburgh. And it's comprised of 3 different counties. So that is Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Somerset borders on Maryland. Fayette borders on West Virginia. So that gives you a little bit of an idea in the scope of things where we are. And the reason for the rebrand is actually a really positive thing.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:04:06 - 00:05:12]

It's because our reputation is growing and our markets are expanding and we're getting more of a name for ourselves, but we want it to be instantly recognizable because like going to El Paso or Chattanooga or Madison for the Outdoor Writers Association, when I meet someone for the first time, they don't know automatically where the Laurel Highlands region is. So I like to, to have that. I will often tell them for the past couple of years when I'd go to a national conference, I'd say I'm from Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands. And that was to immediately draw them in and let them know. So they're not guessing, is Laurel in Mississippi? Is it the one in North Carolina? What Laurel are we talking about? And the Laurel Highlands, kind of like our counterparts, the Poconos in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, we're a region. We don't have one big city in it to identify with it. So we have a lot of small towns, a lot of smaller cities. And so that's kind of all grouped together under that Laurel Highlands banner.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:05:13 - 00:05:28]

So to let people know, to let out-of-state people know where we are and just hit them with that immediately so they're not questioning what the Laurel Highlands is and where we are, we wanted to go to that. It's Laurel Highlands Tourism is the brand name.

Howard Fox [00:05:28 - 00:05:28]

Sure.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:05:28 - 00:05:40]

But when you see the logo, it's Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania. So it's automatically letting people know Hey, I know where this is now. I've got an idea geographically of where we are in the US.

Howard Fox [00:05:41 - 00:05:49]

Okay. What is it about the Laurel Highlands? What is the significance of that name and where did it originate from?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:05:50 - 00:06:23]

So it starts, first of all, we've got 9 state parks in the Laurel Highlands, and I think 6 of them have the word Laurel in their domain. Okay. It all relates back to the mountain laurel, which is predominant throughout the region. Okay. And so, yeah, many of the things that we have are from that, that mountain laurel. That's where they get their name. And the newest state park that we have is Laurel Caverns. It's Pennsylvania's 125th state park and the first one underground.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:06:23 - 00:07:05]

And it's actually kind of tied into that, the, the group who was, was running the Laurel Caverns back in the 1950s, one of the gentlemen there said, hey, we need to have an organization representing this area and letting people know about the tourism assets here. And they came up with the idea for the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. And so that's when that launched in 1958. So this, this organization, although Laurel Highlands Tourism and Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania are kind of new brands, There's a long legacy of supporting tourism within our area and with good reason, with all the assets that we have that bring people in.

Howard Fox [00:07:06 - 00:07:28]

Okay. Well, it was interesting what you just shared, and I, and I want to acknowledge I appreciate it. A lot of regions and some of the ones even out east in Tennessee and Virginia, West Virginia, pursued tourism as other industries started to falter. Okay.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:07:28 - 00:07:28]

Yeah.

Howard Fox [00:07:29 - 00:07:35]

And what you just shared, I thought was very interesting. You've been acknowledging the importance of tourism for quite a while.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:07:36 - 00:08:16]

We have been. And that was really forward thinking on their part back then, because we're similar to some of those areas that we're talking about. I mean, this was historically a coal mining region. Like it was, it was feeding into Pittsburgh. We were, we were digging out the coal, we were making the coke that was used making the steelmaking process. So there was a lot of heavy industry in this area. But at the same time, back that long ago in 1958, they were smart enough to realize, hey, we've got some things here that could really draw people in from around the state and around the country. So we really need to focus on that.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:08:16 - 00:08:25]

And that's played a really big role in keeping the region moving forward in the past decades whenever those other industries started to decline.

Howard Fox [00:08:27 - 00:08:53]

Okay. Now, with the Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania, and the tourism in this area, a question I will always ask many destinations, and I did this as I was doing my podcast series with the state of Wisconsin and Destination Madison, I'm going to— is this Laurel Highlands area comprising these communities Is this a, a 4-season destination?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:08:54 - 00:09:43]

Absolutely. I, I think we're the very definition of the 4-season destination because I tend to start out thinking about summer and the warmer weather activities. And so much of it relates back to outdoors. I mean, we do have the other things as well, the pillars, as we like to refer to them, of our tourism. But really, It's almost first and foremost the outdoors that the Laurel Highlands is built around. And so whether you're into hiking, cycling, whitewater rafting, all of those are tremendous assets in the summer into the fall. You mentioned the colors that we get here in Pennsylvania. The Laurel Highlands has been recognized for 7 years in a row as one of the top 10 destinations in the country for fall foliage.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:09:44 - 00:10:23]

by USA Today readers. So that is a huge time for us. We've got some great festivals that are going on this time of year, and we've got people coming in to see those colors. So that's a really important part of it. And then you shift into winter, and this is where I think some of those areas kind of struggle with tourism as things kind of shut down. Winter may be our best season for, for visitation because we have 3 ski resorts. We have Seven Springs Mountain Resort, which is the largest ski resort in Pennsylvania, bigger than the Poconos, not Poconos, but we've got the biggest resort there. We've also got the highest point in the state here in Mount Davis.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:10:23 - 00:11:00]

So we have, for Pennsylvania, we have great skiing and snowboarding, those types of activities. Then Seven Springs is owned by Vail, as is its sister company or sister resort, Hidden Valley, which is not too far away. And then Laurel Mountain is a really interesting one. It's actually owned by the state, but Vail runs it. So we've got those 3 resorts here within the Laurel Highlands that really makes this a getaway destination for Pittsburgh. And Washington, D.C. is a huge market for us in the winter. The people there love to get up here to go skiing and snowboarding.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:11:00 - 00:11:13]

Getting into Philadelphia a little bit more. So some of those big cities, Which is another great thing for us in terms of tourism is we're within a day's drive of about a third of the US population.

Howard Fox [00:11:13 - 00:11:13]

Okay.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:11:13 - 00:11:40]

So we have a lot of markets that we can draw from. The people that want to get out of those big city markets, those metropolitan areas, they love to come here and see us. And then if you want to roll over into spring, that's when we really get into the fishing season where you get the trout going in the cold mountain streams that we have. So yeah, absolutely. 4 seasons of incredible outdoor recreation here in the Laurel Highlands.

Howard Fox [00:11:40 - 00:12:04]

Okay. And you actually answered just about all of the questions I was going to ask you is where are your visitors coming from? So you've got Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh. Where are folks coming from? Perhaps there's no family in the region, but they just heard about it and just had to make the trek. Where are you finding that it's really surprised you? that they're coming from?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:12:05 - 00:12:59]

Well, it gets interesting because we have Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright house that was— that he designed, built over top of a waterfall for the Kaufmann family out of Pittsburgh. And that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So we really do get international travelers who are coming and they're like, hey, if I'm going to the US and I'm going to be anywhere on that Eastern Seaboard, I want to get to the Laurel Highlands. so that I can see Fallingwater because this is a world-renowned building. It's been voted the best all-time work of American architecture by the American Architects Institute. So, I mean, this is, is really a bucket list item for a lot of places. So we do, we target London's Heathrow Airport. We have that fenced so that people there are getting ads for the Laurel Highlands because there's a direct flight from Heathrow to Pittsburgh.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:12:59 - 00:13:27]

And so we're taking advantage of that. We want those people to know what we have here in the Laurel Highlands. So London is a little bit more extreme, but we get visitors all the time from New York City, from the Ohio area, from Cleveland and Columbus and down into Richmond, Virginia. So it is, it is a pretty easy drive for a lot of that, that big circle within 6 hours of us. You can hit a lot of major metropolitan areas.

Howard Fox [00:13:27 - 00:13:57]

Okay. No, I love that. You used the word a few minutes ago, pillars of tourism. And when you mentioned the Falling Waters, the Frank Lloyd Wright home, Frank Lloyd Wright, and I grew up with some of those back in Chicago where I was from. What are these pillars of tourism that you're also attracting people in addition to the outdoor space, which Outdoor Adventure Series, but also You know, the culture, the history, what are these other pillars?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:13:58 - 00:14:47]

And so, yeah, architecture is, is one of those. Not only do we have Fallingwater, but about 7 miles from it is another Frank Lloyd Wright home, Kentuck Knob, which was, is now owned by a, a lord from England and has one of the best views of the Laurel Highlands from out the backyard of it. Incredible place there called Kentuck Knob. And then a little bit farther away is a place called Polymath Park. Which originally had 2 homes designed by one of Wright's protégés, Peter Burnson, and built there. And then 2 other Frank Lloyd Wright designs were relocated from the Midwest. One was in Illinois, and it could no longer be cared for as a Frank Lloyd Wright home has to be. They went out, took it down piece by piece, labeled every one, brought it back, and then painstakingly rebuilt it.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:14:47 - 00:15:17]

And then that worked so well. A few years later, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation said, hey, we've got another place in Minnesota if you guys are interested in doing this. So they've actually rebuilt 2 Frank Lloyd Wright designs in the Laurel Highlands, and you can spend the night there in Polymath Park in a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. So great, great opportunities there. And then one of 'em is family fun. Yeah. We have Idlewild and Soak Zone. Idlewild is, I believe, the 3rd oldest amusement park in the United States.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:15:17 - 00:16:04]

And has been voted multiple times the best children's park in the world. It's really geared towards the younger kids, but because it has that soak zone, the big water park, it does— the families that have the 2-year-old and the 14-year-old can find something for everyone where they— the teenagers may want to get away from mom and dad for a little bit and go to the water park. But yeah, family fun is a big part of that. And so those are some of the pillars there. And then the 5th one that we kind of look at is called the Pour Tour. We do the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour is our craft beverage scene. So that's breweries, wineries, and spirits. As the Laurel Highlands, I like to refer to it as the birthplace of American whiskey.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:16:04 - 00:16:23]

Before it was Tennessee or Kentucky, before America's whiskey was bourbon, It was rye, and more specifically Monongahela rye, which was born right here in the Laurel Highlands. And the oldest continuously distilled whiskey in America, Old Overholt, was born right here in the Laurel Highlands.

Howard Fox [00:16:23 - 00:17:05]

I love it. I, as I was looking at the website earlier and I saw whiskey and I saw rye, it actually brought back a memory for me growing up in Detroit suburbs. I used to go to a lot of weddings and the popular thing of teenagers like me, 13-year-olds, we could go find the old guy who would go up to the bar and he'd get us, he'd get us a whiskey sour and some rye. And it immediately brought back that memory. And I like a good— I love a good whiskey. And it's, you know, I was having a conversation with Cecil Cherry. He and his wife live in North Carolina. He was at the OWAA conference and he's very much into like the hunting.

Howard Fox [00:17:06 - 00:17:26]

whether it's fishing, upland bird hunting, but then coming back and cooking a meal. And that meal is accompanied by a nice glass of whiskey or just hanging out at the campfire. And there's just something about enjoying, let's say, that bottle of whiskey or that rye after a day out, just whatever it is you're going to do outdoors. I think it's pretty cool.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:17:26 - 00:18:12]

And we have, we have one that has kind of tapped into that legacy of the rye whiskey here in Western Pennsylvania, but also into exactly what you're talking about, that kind of cabin feel. The hunting camp, and it's called Pond Faye, and it's in Somerset County. And it just won an award recently for, I believe it was the best rye whiskey in America, the Spirit Award there. And so it is one of the really— it just opened a few years ago, but it's quickly developing a reputation as one of the best rye whiskeys in America. And they have that feel to them of, hey, this is that kind of outdoor woodsy drink for, for the outdoors person to, to go out and enjoy it and then come in and have that rye experience.

Howard Fox [00:18:12 - 00:18:39]

Okay. Okay. I would love if we could take a visit to the website because now that we're talking about rye, the next thing on my mind is food. Food is always on my mind. Okay. And it all dawns on me that the Laurel Highlands area, this whole, these communities, these counties, There's got to be so much good food out there, and I will not put you on the spot of where should you go for a good cup of coffee or a dinner, but I don't want you to do— I don't want to put you on the spot.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:18:39 - 00:18:56]

Well, we've got a whole section of the website that you can find on the Coffee Club. So there's more than a few answers on where to get a good cup of coffee, but I can still direct you to some of the places too of where we need to showcase for the great meals within the Laurel Highlands.

Howard Fox [00:18:56 - 00:19:02]

Sounds like a plan. All right. So I, if, if my technology worked, we should be looking at your website.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:19:03 - 00:19:31]

Yes, absolutely. The New Laurel Highlands. That is the homepage there. You can kind of navigate around it, but this is Ohio Pyle, which is our incredible outdoor adventure town. It was ranked as the best small town in the Northeast by USA Today readers a few years ago. Interesting thing about Ohio Pyle, it has 37 residents according to the census and gets about a million visitors a year.

Howard Fox [00:19:32 - 00:19:36]

Oh boy. So they're probably loving the bed taxes and the—

Eric Knopsnyder [00:19:37 - 00:19:59]

Yeah. So it is the outdoor adventure hub because it's got the, what American Whitewater calls one of the best whitewater runs on the eastern part of the US. So it is a huge adventure town there for the water. It's got great cycling. It's got a 70-mile Laurel Highlands hiking trail that begins and ends there. So a lot going on there in Ohio Pyle.

Howard Fox [00:20:00 - 00:20:03]

Okay. Okay. Love it. And there's Steelers.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:20:04 - 00:20:15]

We are a preferred vacation destination of the Pittsburgh Steelers. And more than that, the Laurel Highlands have been the preseason home of the Steelers Since the 1950s.

Howard Fox [00:20:16 - 00:20:16]

Wow.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:20:16 - 00:20:26]

Every year they come here to Latrobe to St. Vincent College, and that's where they hold their training camp. So yeah, huge connection to the Steelers here in the Laurel Highlands.

Howard Fox [00:20:29 - 00:20:30]

Okay. Bonfires, barrels.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:20:30 - 00:20:41]

And here's our, our bonfires, barrels, and brews. As we talked about that pour tour scene, great craft beverage scene here from the breweries, the wineries, the distilleries, all of that stuff.

Howard Fox [00:20:41 - 00:20:46]

Okay. And you've got upcoming events. Yeah. And there's, there's literally something for everybody.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:20:47 - 00:21:11]

There is. I used to, it's funny, Howard, I grew up here in the Laurel Highlands. And when I was a kid, I was like, oh, there's nothing to do here. I can't wait to move away. And now I've grown up. I've been to every state in the US. I've been to a dozen countries and I come here and I can't do everything that I want to do. My wife says to me, Eric, we've got to stay home and do laundry sometimes.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:21:11 - 00:21:13]

We can't go out and do the fun things every day.

Howard Fox [00:21:15 - 00:21:16]

But honey, yes, we can.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:21:17 - 00:21:32]

How about that photo? Is that not a cool photo of the fall foliage there? That's the, I believe that's the Ohio Pyle High Bridge, which the Great Allegheny Passage Bike Trail runs across and just gives you some of the idea of the colors that you get here in the Laurel Highlands.

Howard Fox [00:21:33 - 00:21:50]

No, that's cool. In fact, I was going to ask you about the bike trail because I, You know, I'd love to be— I did the e-bike when I was in Madison. I was up in Northwest Washington for a conference. I went e-biking and I'm thinking at my age, I think I would love to do an e-bike.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:21:50 - 00:22:14]

It's a great option. And I told you how before we had Jessica and Ashley come in and ride it and they were willing to do the traditional bikes. And I said, hey, look, I've got a lot planned for you. I want you to ride in the morning and then go to another story idea in the afternoon. So I don't want you to be too tired out to do this. So let's just do the e-bikes, do 25 or 30 miles a day, and then we can have a little bit of time in the afternoon to do some things as well.

Howard Fox [00:22:15 - 00:22:21]

All right. So hey, I'm going to, I'm going to put this out there. Hey, you know, you need some podcasting along those trails, you let me know.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:22:22 - 00:22:23]

All right. I like that idea.

Howard Fox [00:22:24 - 00:22:46]

I love it. And what amazes me is that there's a little, there's something for everybody here. And the low— and I would imagine there's a lot of locals like yourself when you were growing up, oh, there's nothing to do, but it, you cannot help but understand there's things going on every weekend, almost every day, somewhere within a short drive, I would imagine.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:22:47 - 00:23:03]

Absolutely. So many things going on here. And like I said, it really, we haven't even gotten into the arts and culture end of it. Those types of things. There are so many things going on. Between that, that the outdoor rec, and I mean, that's one of the great things about it is the majority of the outdoor stuff is free.

Howard Fox [00:23:04 - 00:23:04]

Right.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:23:04 - 00:23:33]

You can go hiking here. Our state parks in Pennsylvania, there's no admission fee. There's no parking fee for, for most of them. So you can go to these places once you get here. And, and you can go from lodging, sleeping in a tent in a state park to all the way up to one of what I believe is, is one of the best luxury hotels anywhere in the US. In Nemecolin. So you can really run that gamut, but you can do a lot of things here really cheaply once you get here.

Howard Fox [00:23:34 - 00:23:46]

I love it. By the way, this view is like perfect for me because I love my morning coffee or afternoon adult beverage. And I think I couldn't imagine a better view than just taking that sight in.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:23:47 - 00:24:07]

Yeah. And there are quite a few of those overlooks here. One of the great things is we are called the Laurel Highlands for a reason. We have a lot of kind of ups and downs. We have a lot of ridgetops, a lot of great overlooks that you can check out views like that. So yeah, absolutely. A lot of spectacular scenery here in the Laurel Highlands.

Howard Fox [00:24:08 - 00:24:11]

Well, this is cool. You also have some dark sky opportunities.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:24:11 - 00:24:12]

Yeah.

Howard Fox [00:24:12 - 00:24:12]

Yeah.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:24:12 - 00:24:30]

Again, we don't have many big cities here, so it's not hard to get out on a back road and find a view like that just a few miles from civilization. So I know that's one of the things my, my wife loves about where we live is on a clear night, you can see so much in the night sky.

Howard Fox [00:24:31 - 00:24:41]

Are you either through the destination, and I know chambers of commerce oftentimes will pursue this, is dark sky communities or dark sky designations?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:24:42 - 00:24:53]

We have not looked at that. I'm not sure what the status is of that, but we do have some, some really good viewing depending on where you are. It's, it's a great opportunity to get out and see the celestial skies.

Howard Fox [00:24:54 - 00:24:57]

I love a good view. I mean, just, you cannot beat it. Okay.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:24:57 - 00:25:18]

And we've been named, I know Good Housekeeping named us the top scenic drive in the Northeast a couple of years ago. So, I mean, it really does speak to all that we have here and the beauty that you can experience. But even if you're not an outdoors person, if you just want to go for a drive, you're going to have some jaw-dropping experiences here in the Laurel Highlands.

Howard Fox [00:25:18 - 00:25:43]

Okay. This is cool. We, we, my business partner and I do this at, for Boulder City when we produce the Chamber of Commerce's podcast. And I love these maps because you can kind of, you know, dial into a particular area. You click on a link and you just get notified of all the cool things that are going on about that particular location.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:25:44 - 00:26:00]

Yeah. And this one, yeah, you get a great view. So like, yeah, that's the Ohio Pyle High Bridge there. You get kind of a view of what it looks like. I'm trying to see if you go back to the view map section there. Yeah. You see Cucumber Falls there, number 4?

Howard Fox [00:26:01 - 00:26:05]

Yes. Okay. Very nice.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:26:06 - 00:26:41]

So yeah, it's a 30-foot bridal waterfall. And the great thing about Ohio Pyle, it's almost like Instagram for, maybe not for dummies, but for people who aren't ready to do a big hike or a big experience to get to the view. This Cucumber Falls, I, I've heard many people say it's probably the most photographed waterfall in Pennsylvania because it's just steps from a parking lot. You don't have to, to put a lot of time and effort into it. You can go there and see this. You can see Bachman Rock, which was that overlook you were talking about earlier. Same thing. It's about 5 miles away from this.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:26:41 - 00:27:09]

You get outta your car, you walk 100 yards, go up a rock, little rock face there, and you've got that view in front of you. So you've got these views that are really easily accessible. In terms of effort and in terms of time. So there's a lot to see and do in that Ohio Pyle area in a day or two. But of course, you want to spend some more time. We want you to spend the weekend, really take it all in. But you can do a lot in a short period of time.

Howard Fox [00:27:09 - 00:27:36]

You know, and that brings up a question. When visitors are coming to this region and not for, say, like a golf tournament, a biking or a marathon, but when they're coming here just for vacation, a holiday getaway, are they coming for a long weekend? Are they spending a week, couple weeks? What do you, what are you generally seeing for the, that visitor that's, this has to come to this area and experience it?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:27:37 - 00:28:20]

I, I think we, we get between that long weekend and the full length, full weekend, full week stay. Yeah. Whenever you're looking at people to come in. And again, it depends on what they're doing. Sometimes in the wintertime when they're coming for skiing, it tends to be more the long weekend. Whereas in the summer where you want to bring the family and kind of have that lazy mountain week-long experience where you can kind of relax in the hammock and look at those stars at night and have the campfire, those things, I think you get more of the week-long stays there. But yeah, it kind of runs the gamut depending on what it is you're actually looking for. If you're coming to spend the night in a Frank Lloyd Wright house, maybe you're spending one night in each of those and then moving on to something else.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:28:20 - 00:28:26]

So depending on what you want to do, there are a lot of great options for how long the visit should be.

Howard Fox [00:28:27 - 00:28:35]

Okay. And I also see you've got— well, you got Frank Lloyd Wright here. You've got a lot of galleries and museums. Also, I just, I didn't want to pass this over because— You know what?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:28:35 - 00:29:13]

That was the other pillar that I forgot to mention was history. So, I mean, we haven't even talked about the fact that the French and Indian War began here in the Laurel Highlands. That's where it first started at Fort Necessity. in Jumonville. And then our history runs all the way up to one of the most significant events in our lifetimes with 9/11, because Flight 93 crashed into a field outside of Shanksville in the Laurel Highlands. Right. So yeah, the history really does run the gamut from George Washington and the, the French and Indian War all the way up to present day, basically.

Howard Fox [00:29:13 - 00:29:16]

Okay. Very cool. Very nice.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:29:17 - 00:29:20]

Have you ever— you've never been to Flight 93, have you, Howard?

Howard Fox [00:29:20 - 00:29:21]

No, I haven't.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:29:22 - 00:29:54]

It's an incredibly moving experience. I say, I think every American should go there at least once. It can be really powerful depending on how much of it you do. It can be overwhelming for some people, but I do think that people should at least get there and recognize what that day was about, what happened, and what those people aboard that plane did to prevent further tragedy, how they stood up against terror and really gave their lives to prevent the loss of other lives.

Howard Fox [00:29:54 - 00:30:17]

No, it's— I think if I was coming to the area, that would definitely be a must-visit just to take it in and just feel the emotion and the history right there. When I was doing my journey from Chicago to Las Vegas, I have good friends that are in Oklahoma City, so we went to where the bombing was there, and I know that was powerful, so I could only imagine.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:30:18 - 00:31:00]

What's amazing about this is that the passengers on board the plane, because that flight took off later than it was supposed to, they actually knew about the planes that had hit the towers. They knew this was part of a coordinated effort, and they knew that they were headed to Washington, D.C. on a plane that was going to crash into something in Washington, D.C. We believe it was the Capitol building. And so they made calls to their loved ones from aboard the plane. And some of those are recorded on, at that time, answering machines. Right. So you can actually listen to what the passengers were telling their family members that, hey, I'm not going to make it home.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:31:00 - 00:31:20]

And I mean, I get chills and start to tear up anytime I think about it, because it's just so powerful that the bravery that they showed to be able to call a loved one and say, hey, I'm not going to be able to make it home, but I want to do something to fight back. And I want to prevent more tragedy if I can. And I'm willing to do what it takes to make that happen.

Howard Fox [00:31:21 - 00:31:44]

Sure, sure. No, it's, that's pretty powerful. So I see you've got your celebrations for the America's 250th. And just before we kind of close down our tour here, is there any other place you'd like to draw attention to while we're here? I know we can get our destination guide if we sign up for it.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:31:44 - 00:32:09]

Yes, which we're actually working on our 2027 one now. That should be out soon. But yeah, I would just tell people the outdoor section is obviously a big one for your audience, for those the outdoors crowd. Check that out, see all the things to do there. And yeah, you can, you can reach out to any of us if you have any questions. Follow us on socials. So yeah, just check out that laurelhighlandspa.com.

Howard Fox [00:32:10 - 00:32:26]

Excellent, excellent. Well, listen, I am going to head us back to just you and I chatting. Thank you again for the, the tour. I, I know we only scratched the surface, and I appreciate the— and by the way, that is a Gorgeous photo. Those colors, the water.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:32:27 - 00:33:04]

We're blessed to not only have incredible resources here in the Laurel Highlands, but also an incredible photographer on staff named Alex Byers, who just continues to give us incredible images. He's been out the past couple of weeks getting the fall foliage. This has been a really good year after a couple of so-so years in fall foliage because of the way the weather developed. But this has been a really good one and he's got some more great images sending to us as he's out and about with all the things that he's seeing in here in the Laurel Highlands. So really fortunate to have someone like him to be able to capture those images.

Howard Fox [00:33:04 - 00:33:17]

I love it. And by the way, I want to make my ask right now for our, for our, our banner for the, uh, the episode. I'd love to get your headshot plus a sampling of some photos we can include in the banners.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:33:17 - 00:33:19]

Absolutely. Yeah.

Howard Fox [00:33:20 - 00:33:49]

Love that. All right. I'm going to stop sharing and we should be going back to just you and I. So I am curious before we head out here is, is you, you know, you grew up in this area. You now know there are so many exciting things to see and do, and it annoys your wife to no end. Honey, we just, we've got to do this chore. Paint the, paint the bedroom, do the, fix the lawn. And honey, I just want to go out.

Howard Fox [00:33:49 - 00:34:13]

But as you look back in this role that you have and the difference you're making when it comes to tourism, and also I want to give a shout out to your team that's a part of, you know, this, this effort. What are, what are your aha moments when it comes to tourism in the Laurel Highlands area? And while you You guys get to do this great work.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:34:14 - 00:34:46]

So it started for me, probably my first couple of weeks on the job. I went to a conference that's called MATPR. It's the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance. So it's a lot of people in roles similar to mine. They represent a destination, they're in PR, and I would go there and these are Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware. So states throughout the Mid-Atlantic. And I'm talking to these people and I'm, they start telling me, oh, well, our top destination is we have a cave. And then I say, oh yeah, we have Laurel Cavern.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:34:46 - 00:35:07]

It's the largest one on the, in the Northeast. And they say, well, somebody else will say, well, we've got this, this great architectural. And I'm like, well, yeah, we've got Fallingwater. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And then somebody else will say, well, we've got hiking or we've got biking. And then I'd start responding. And after a while, I'm like, I probably better just shut up. because I just sound like I'm trying to top them with everything.

Howard Fox [00:35:07 - 00:35:08]

Yeah.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:35:08 - 00:35:49]

But it really was an aha moment that, wow, wait a minute, we've got almost a collection of the greatest hits of some of these other destinations throughout the US or throughout the Mid-Atlantic. And that's not knocking them in any way. We're just so fortunate. And since then, as I've gotten to know these other people, I get that from time to time. They're like, oh man, you are so lucky to be representing the Laurel Highlands. And have everything that you have there. And then I don't know if there was one single moment with, with journalists, but it was the same thing is I started bringing in journalists. My job as PR is to bring in these journalists and content creators and help them tell our story to their audiences.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:35:49 - 00:36:39]

And so I started talking with them and I would get these journalists whose job is to travel the world. They get paid to travel and write about it. And they would come here and they would be amazed by what all we had. And then they— and again, at the conferences, I talk to people and they say, how do I not know about this area? And I say, well, that's why I'm here. That's my job, is because this is a truly incredible region and you need to know about it and you need to be able to tell others about it. So again, coming full circle, that's really part of that rebranding process is to let people know across the US, and our goal is to be a global destination. We want people flying in to go to Fallingwater and to experience that and to ride on the Great Allegheny Passage and to paddle on the Youghiogheny River. We want these things.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:36:40 - 00:36:48]

So those are the goals, is to show these people what we have here and let them understand why it's such a special place.

Howard Fox [00:36:49 - 00:37:24]

I love it. I love it. Before we head out, is there a quote, a book, or perhaps a philosophy, Eric's philosophy of tourism and just taking in this beauty, slowing down? I mean, if you had to, to your friends and their families, kids, and don't do what Eric did, which is, oh, there's nothing to do. What do you say to the folks when it's comes to visiting this area and just slowing down and really taking in everything that it has to offer? What would you share with folks?

Eric Knopsnyder [00:37:25 - 00:38:03]

I think if you're bored most of the time, it's on you. Wherever you are, you know, there are things to do. If you're bored, that's a choice. You need to get out and experience things. Look for— if you're at home and you just explore your backyard, find your local tourism bureau and start looking at their website and seeing what there is to do. Because I'm sure there are a lot of things going on in your area that you don't even know about. But when you come to the Laurel Highlands, absolutely go to laurelhighlandspa.com. Look at the calendar of events, look at the outdoors activities, look at the places to eat, learn where you can get that, that special meal that you're not going to get elsewhere.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:38:03 - 00:38:17]

So it's really incumbent on you. If you want to find the good in life, you can find it. It's out there. And I know it's here in the Laurel Highlands. So check it out. The website laurelhighlandspa.com. I

Howard Fox [00:38:18 - 00:38:52]

love it. Well, you have me sold, and I hope someday to come and join you and experience the best that Laurel Highlands, PA has to offer. Now we're going to provide backlinks to the website as well as your social sites on Facebook and on Instagram. And really just, it's just a wonderful area. And I'm so glad you and I met at the conference and had a chance to finally catch up. Doing this podcast and learning more about Laurel Highlands, PA and everything it has to offer. So thanks for spending some time with us today.

Eric Knopsnyder [00:38:52 - 00:39:04]

Thank you, Howard. I really appreciate what you do. And I appreciate you sharing the word with your audience and helping get the message out there about all the wonderful things that there are to do in the outdoors realm.

Howard Fox [00:39:05 - 00:39:35]

Most definitely. Listen, stay in the line. We're going to do a quick close and you and I can have a final chat. Okay. All right. All right, folks, we have just been chatting with Eric Knopfschneider. He is the director of public relations and community outreach at Laurel Highlands Tourism, Laurel Highlands, Pennsylvania, a really— this community that's made up of a number of counties in Southeast Pennsylvania. You've got Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland.

Howard Fox [00:39:35 - 00:40:29]

And I'm telling you, There's so much to offer here. So get your 2027 plans together and make sure there's a, a very long weekend or a week just to explore this beautiful area. And really any, any time of the year, it's a 4-season destination. And we really appreciate really a lot of the highlights that Eric was able to share with us. Now, again, we're going to provide all the backlinks to the website and social sites on our website. But the website is golaurelhighlands.com and we've got the Facebook and Instagram Laurel Highlands PA and Instagram Laurel Highlands, Laurel Highlands PA as well. We'll have again all those links and we'll have some photos of some of the great destinations, some of which Eric has shared with us. Now, as for this episode, you can find us on our website, outdooradventureseries.com.

Howard Fox [00:40:29 - 00:41:11]

We're also on LinkedIn. And Facebook on our Outdoor Adventure Series pages. The video of this whole episode will be up on our YouTube channel, and that will include the tour of the, of the website. And of course, you can listen to this episode wherever you get your podcasts from. So if you're on that wonderful bike trail, if you're just hiking one of the wonderful trails around the parks, just make sure you download a couple podcast episodes, including this one, and just enjoy yourself. And by the way, I did want to give a good shout out. As Eric and I were planning this episode, he graciously introduced me to Robert Hensley. And Robert and I spoke a couple weeks ago.

Howard Fox [00:41:11 - 00:41:39]

That episode is up and we'll provide a backlink to it. But I can't think of a better area just to disconnect from all the tech and the big business and concrete and just go out there and breathe and take in nature because It's all around you here in this wonderful area. All right, folks, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, go out there, have a fantastic day, and we look forward to having you join us on a future episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series podcast. Take care now.