It’s Groundhog Day again and we are celebrating. For us critter hunters, it has always been an interesting holiday, but now that we have been to Punxsutawney where Phil lives, it is more special. Since we all love the movie, including our mom, last year seeing where it was filmed was also a special event. So we celebrate this goofy day, year after year. The only souvenir I have is this t-shirt.
Since I visited both places that are famous because of Groundhog Day on road trips to my nose work trials, I’m in charge of posting every year. Last year, Nelson and I visited Woodstock, Illinois where the movie was made. We had no idea before that trip that it was not really filmed where Phil lives.
If you have the chance, we recommend visiting the real deal but not on Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is so much fun. There are groundhogs everywhere for one thing. It is also fun to see where it all takes place on TV each year.
There is information all over the grounds about the special day, as well as a visitors center with books and souvenirs. When we visited in December 2022, it was very cold and icy. Mom only took one dog out of the car at a time because it was so slippery, thus no group photos.
Madison found the main entrance to the stage where the TV event takes place. She was all puffed up to stay warm.
Being “my” trip, I got to go up onto the big stage. It is hard to imagine all the people that are here each year for a few hours in the morning waiting to see Phil.
Watch the TV today and you will see this very log where Phil comes out of to see if he sees his shadow. He was sleeping when I was there. I knocked, but he never came out. It would have been great to meet him, but I get it that he needs his winter sleep. It’s Groundhog Day again, will Phil see his shadow or not? Watch the TV or listen to the news to find out!
We’re joining our friends at Living Laughing and Barking in Our Backyard for their Nature Friday blog hop.
We will be watching! Yesterday, our weatherman predicted a cloudy day and an early spring. We will see what Phil has to say!
We think Phil will tell us spring is already here. Such a dreadful winter it has been, more like torture. Let’s either get a snowstorm or move on to spring.
I vote for that!! The trees say early spring.
oooh what a super place… and we love the movie… we have no groundhogs here… can we use a mole?
I think a mole would be to small and probably killed by a cat.
What a great place to visit, a bit chilly but that didn’t seem to matter!
It was very icy, but we worked around that. The whole town lives from the Groundhog.
We read he is only correct 40% of the time, do you agree? We think maybe you would do a better job predicting than he does …
and oh, spoiler alert: our news says he has just predicted SPRING. An early spring! How bout that, would be nice if he is correct this year … some good news for a change.
We are wishing for some massive blizzards and cold as we love winter but it hasn’t happened this year. It figures he would see spring early since it has been spring all winter here.
I know you wanted more winter and snow but it doesn’t look good. But you never know March is always a good snow month
Minnesota is a good winter place, but not this year. First time ever it has been so bad. We have pretty much given up but we can still hope.
WHAT FUN OMDs. Gobblers Knob and seeing Phil’s wee front door. thank you for sharing
Hugs Cecilia
It is a great place to go to in the off season. This week it would be nuts. They are dog friendly everywhere too.
Notwithstanding the trusting of a rodent, we hope today is fun for pups and peeps everywhere.
We have sunshine but fun is kind of on hold until the mud pit which was formerly our yard dries out. This warm snowless winter has done a real number and now it is a huge disaster.
First, we always LOVE seeing the fun places you visit!!!
Lastly, we think you may not like the news Phil brought this year….
xoxo,
Sunny and Rosy
We are not surprised. It has been spring here the whole winter. All of us are hoping for a huge blizzard and cold, but hopes are dwindling fast. Mostly, we are looking forward to next winter at this point.
Love seeing those pictures on Groundhog Day! We will see if the prediction is accurate. We think that depends on where in the country one lives. Right now here in the West we are having lots and lots of rain!
It’s really a silly thing relying on a critter to predict such things and as a generalization, but it is still fun as long as you don’t take it seriously. Visiting Punxy is a super fun thing to do, and those people really have a good time with this day.
We don’t have groundhogs in the UK.
Are they fun to chase?
Just curious…
Toodle-oo!
Nobby.
We would love to chase them, but we don’t see them in the residential areas. They are furry critters and any furry critters that move, we love to try to catch!
Groundhog Day is one of my favorite holidays. Nothing to buy, no special foods to make, just enjoy it and watch the weather.
It’s a goofy day and you know we love goofy at our house, so we enjoy all the hubbub and it is more fun now that we have seen these places.
That had to be such a fun trip and we did see that exact log on the TV today!
It is the exact place where it takes place every year and in the off season you, and dogs are allowed to go everywhere on the grounds.
We did watch! We can’t believe all that Phil has to put up with — the crowds and everything! Looks like a wild time. Hope you are having a good weekend. your friend Chester
We are glad we were there in the off time. It would be way too crazy to go there around Groundhog Day!