Happy Valley Indeed

Report from Happy Valley
We're finally back from Penn State after a l-o-n-g, nine-hour drive through the rain. It was a terrific trip -- two wet sleeping bags notwithstanding. They call State College Happy Valley and with good reasons.

In recent years the annual Blue-White spring game has attracted 40,000 people when it hasn't rained. Given that there were 18,000 people there yesterday, wanna guess what the weather was like? Suffice it to say, we got a little wet before and after the scrimmage. Fortunately we had seats under the second deck of the end zone that kept us dry -- if not warm -- through the scrimmage.

The Penn State folks put on a pretty good show for spring game. There were vendors in the stands selling hot chocolate (among other things). Programs cost $3. The PA announcer called out names and the video screens showed replays. The Blue Band sat near us and played off and on throughout the game. The best part: There was no charge to park or to get in. That's a far cry from the fall when tickets are just about impossible to get.

Outside the stadium there was a midway with a Ferris Wheel and other rides as well as games of chance. There was a stage where several musical acts took turns entertaining the crowd and there was a bar-b-que stand. All around there were motor homes with towering flagpoles featuring an assortment of blue-and-white PSU banners and with dashboards smothered under piles of stuffed Nittany Lions.

The kids and I strolled into town before the scrimmage for the requisite grilled stickies at Ye Olde College Diner (the PSD back in my day) and after the game enjoyed Peachy Paterno cones at the Creamery, which had a line despite the cold and rain.

I'd guess we probably spent two hours walking in and out of 8-10 downtown shops looking for PSU souvenirs. We eschewed the Penn State cue balls, birdhouses, dog food scoop and the like and instead came away with a hat, three sweatshirts, a stuffed Nittany Lion that plays the fight song, a leather "hat-helmet" (don't ask) and more.

All in all, a terrific trip for us and a nice, quiet weekend at home for Mom and the golden retriever Cooper.