Describe the basic climate of your region, the primary influences on your weather patterns, major economic resources of your region (for example, crops, minerals, ranching, tourism, manufacturing) and how are these affected by climate and weather conditions. (minimum 300 words)
The largest economic resource that I see where I live is tourism. I live in one of the most toured historical locations in the entire United States, Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Once warm weather hits here, the main streets are filled with history and war buffs from all over the world. There are shops of varying degrees that sell old American Colonial wares, civil war garb, memorabilia, and all the luxuries of a regular city for the comfort of its tourists (McDonalds). The tourist season obviously slows down in the winter due to the cold and snow preventing much of the physical exploration of the battlefields here. But I personally enjoy the battlefields in the dead of winter, in fact I find them more spiritually powerful. There are no tourists or mundane distractions to get into the way. There’s only you, the history, and the land.
Another major resource for Adams County is apples. The Lucky Leaf Apple-juice plant is located here (now called Knouse Foods), and there are miles and miles of roads lined with apple orchards. A big part of our economy here comes from these orchards and the small farmers markets (or large manufactured apple products provided by Knouse). We have an Apple Blossom festival, along with several other small country festivals throughout the year that encourage and celebrate the small dutch farmers that are well respected throughout this land.
What I like most about living in the mid-atlantic, having grew up in Maryland and now living about 30 miles north in Gettysburg, is we have pretty well-rounded weather. It’s a continental climate, with humid summers and moist cold winters, but also temperate springs and summers. We get the best of all worlds without being too extreme in either direction. We occasionally have strong thunderstorms, heavy snowfall, or the occasional drought. You have to be prepared for all types of weather when living here, which I like because I feel it gives me that sense of skill for whatever direction I might go in.
Another thing I love about living in Gettysburg is the Appalachian Mountains. On a hot summer day when you drive up into the mountains on a forest-covered road and you feel that cool, tree-filtered air hit you, there’s nothing like that sensation. Or to feel the cold mountain water run-off filter into one of the public swimming holes, there’s a lot to be said for living in a climate with open farm-land and densely forested mountains. The best of all worlds.
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