Welcome to swPenna.com The new and growing site for activities, recreation and history in Southwestern Pennsylvania!

YOUR NEW STARTING POINT FOR THE BEST OF SOUTHWESTERN PA... Hello! I'd like to welcome you to swPenna.com - southwestern Pennsylvania's online guide to fun, recreation and local history. Whether you are looking for the specific web site of a local attraction or searching for things to do in a certain area, you've come to the right place. The idea behind this site is to provide a central starting point to discover western Pennsylvania's diverse array of recreational opportunities and historical heritage. Unlike other area guides, swPenna offers structured methods for browsing and finding information quickly. This allows smaller, lesser known attractions to have the same visibility as the larger ones, especially those outside of Pittsburgh. swPenna provides equal exposure to all the counties, not just focusing on Allegheny County and a few major attractions outside. Part of what I want to accomplish is to put a spotlight on cool places that most people have never heard of. Hopefully by the time you finish here, you'll discover some new spots to visit and try out. BROWSE BY 3 GEOGRAPHIC LAYERS: REGIONAL, COUNTY OR TOWN... Browse on the county level to find well known attractons, colleges, media sites and geneology in each of 12 local counties. Then zoom in further by checking out more detailed areas of the counties: discover lesser known attractions and local favorites, as well as links to schools, municipalities and churches in the area. All the info for planning a day trip, all in one place!

SEARCH BY KEYWORD If you know the name (or part of the name) of a particular location or attraction, use the search box in the upper right hand corner of the main page. Typing "yough" will return both "Youghiogheny River Trail" as well as "Yough School District". Be sure to watch your spelling! The search page will allow you to specify if you are searching for an event, school website, municipal website or similar pages, as well as searching for attractions.

USE THE FORUMS AND GUESTBOOK Forums have become a popular way to communicate inside a community of others that share a common interest. I have included several forums so that you can post questions or comments. Find out where the best hiking trails are, or what events are worth attending. Share with others some local urban legends and folklore (The haunted house forum is popular in October). If you wish to post a general message about this site or just sign in, there is also a guestbook available.

EXCLUSIVE QUIKKAST WEATHER Check the local area forecast at a glance, without all the bells and whistles. See if tomorrow will be decent or kind of rainy. Simplistic weather pictures accent this useful feature in a humorous way. I update the weather each morning - but sometimes I might miss a day or go on vacation - sorry!

OPINION POLL Voice your opinion on issues relating to the local area. Even though this is far from a scientific, it can be fun and intersting to see if others share your views.

PHOTOGRAPHY As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and what better way to present southwestern Pennsylvania than through scenic photos of attractions and points of interest. I am by no means a professional photographer, but the pictures presented on the county pages will help to enhance the site. More photos are on the way now that I've got a digital camera. If you would like to share some of your own photograhy on this site, send me your work via email attachment. You'll be given the proper credit and a link to your website, if desired. Thank you for your participation!

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE? Explore the site! If you have any suggestions on activities, places, or events that should be added, let me know. I try to incorporate what I can, but I certainly don't know everything that's out there. If you have any photos, suggestions or tips, feel free to email them to me at info@swpenna.com.

Thanks, Brett Cobbey Owner / Webmaster

Copyright 2004