Local Adventurer: Central Pennsylvania’s Blue Lagoon

Word to the wise, this is not an actual sightseeing spot to put into your GPS. Nope, don’t even try! It’s so hidden, in fact, that even as a Central Pennsylvania native who attended a nearby college, I had never even heard about this place until this year. Turns out, yes… it’s real. And no, it’s not open to the public. But the reason I chose to write about the Blue Lagoon isn’t so that you will seek out its eery, aquamarine waters (trust me, if it was open to the public I totally would fill you alllllll in, but alas). This place taught me a lesson that I hope maybe you can relate to as well.

So as I said earlier… I spent most of my early adulthood literally within a minute’s walk to the Blue Lagoon, as did all of my friends and classmates. But we had never heard even a whisper about this place. Trust me. If we did know about this place, this would’ve been our secret hangout to drink wine and do our tradition of writing our fears onto paper and burning them into nothingness with matches (we really did do this). Anyway, after realizing its proximity to what I once considered to be a played out area, I really got to thinking about the incredible amount of time one could be living in one place and how little of it they actually see. Here’s this little bitty college town where I walked to and fro for years, and within less than a mile a weirdly stunning lake was waiting to be seen. Which got me to thinking… What else haven’t I seen or explored around this area? Is there another unseen place waiting around the other side of town? Why do I always end up sticking to my routine spots?

That’s the hitch, right? Here I am spewing out the idea of travel as one of many means to inspire… and sometimes I can really get down on where I’m located. Here’s the deal. I grew up in Central Pennsylvania, I went to college in Central Pennsylvania, and now I live in Central Pennsylvania. And I don’t know about you, but sometimes that can really get me down. Internal monologue… Shouldn’t I be living somewhere else? I’m young right? I’ve worn this place out. I’ve literally done everything this is to do here. You get the idea. And I’m sure maybe a few of you may even have felt this struggle. But these questions and sentiments are based on routine and comfort. And I’m hoping to break the mold.

Then came along a new perspective of being a Local Wanderer. Yes I capitalized the term, I’m that serious about it! (You might remember this term from this recent post.) Stay with me. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, for however long you’ve been there… I hope you might take on this role with me. Let’s strip away the routine, the familiarity, the deep memory attached to your location. Let’s take back the adventure of life. Let’s see our spaces with open eyes and without attachment. Let’s be the local guides of our town. You’ll be seeing a few of these Local Wanderer posts every now and then here, just wait! What do you guys think? Want to join in on the fun?

Okay, now back to the Blue Lagoon! Again, this place is not open to the public. But it’s stark and strange beauty deserves some attention right? I’m not entirely sure how or why this sensationally bright blue water occurred in a random forest of Pennsylvania, but hey I’m glad it did. Anyone know what’s up with the coloring? I’ve gotta say though, the empty, dark branches of the trees that slowly fade into the brightest, bleached white bark as they enter the water are what really threw me. Eeeeeerrryy. This place is basically our local version of Iceland’s famous geothermal spa (beautifully shot by one of my favorite travel bloggers here)… except I have some serious reservations to actually jump into the water. Call me crazy! I’d love to come back to this place during a bright, fall day to see the change in the water’s color and added contrast with yellow and orange leaves. Yes, I am trying to design the perfect day in this spot already!

I heard about this spot through the grapevine and an occasional photo or two shared through mutual friends. I’d like to know who was the first discoverer of this place. They definitely earned themselves a boy scout badge or two.

Do you have a favorite hidden spot where you live? I’d love to hear about them!