Groundhog Day - An American Tradition

posted by AmericanRV @ 12:51pm, Tuesday 31 January 2012.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
What's the difference between a woodchuck and a groundhog anyway? According to Henry, a groundhog who lives at the Museum of Life and Science in North Carolina, there is no difference between a groundhog and a woodchuck. They are “a rodent that has the ability to climb trees and swim. Their scientific name is Marmota monax”. The average Marmota monax weighs about 12 to 15 pounds, and they can whistle when alarmed! But that's not the only time you’ll hear a groundhog whistling. During the spring, two groundhogs will whistle while courting. Isn’t that sweet? Speaking of spring...

Groundhog Day occurs every year on February 2nd and as the legend goes, if a groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of dreary winter. If the groundhog does not see his shadow, spring is on its way!
The official groundhog used in this prediction of weather goes by the name Punxsutawney Phil - or Phil for short. The ceremony takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Phil is scheduled to leave his burrow at 7:20 a.m. so if you want to be there for the show, you’re going to have to get there early. If you do plan on going to visit Phil this year and you’re traveling from out of town, there are other events leading up to the big one. Starting on January 28th you can have breakfast with Phil and enjoy a special reading time for the little ones. February 1st is when things really start getting fun. You’ve got the 18th Annual Groundhog Day Souvenir Sale, Groundhog Day Art Show, Vendors in the Park, Phantastic Phils Walking Tour, a scavenger hunt, and tons more. You can check out the list of events on the Groundhog Day website.  If you can’t make it there by Groundhog Day, that's ok, Phil will be having breakfast with visitors each morning through February 4th! We heard its a buffet with eggs and pancakes (and nuts with lots of greens for Phil).


Visiting Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania makes a great weekend get away and what a great educational experience for the children and/or grandchildren! Good news for our RV’ing friends, RV parking is available at Wal-Mart or Punxsutawney Plaza. There is a shuttle bus that runs from both of these locations. For more information on where to stay, times of events, and ticket prices, please visit the Groundhog Day website. And if you do go see Phil, take lots of pictures and don’t forget to share your amazing experience with us either on our blog or on our Facebook page, we love hearing about all your adventures!

Both images sourced from www.groundhog.org

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