Where to go in PA?

[thiel]

Our road trip has been a bit of a bust this last week, and I’m hoping to make a strong showing for the next couple days.

We are traveling from Wapakoneta Ohio to falling water in Mill run Pennsylvania, and then home to western Massachusetts.

I want to do this part of the trip over a few days, with some stops in between. Any recommendations for where to stop that might be particularly entertaining to my traveling partners, who are a bit worn out?

We have already done Hershey and the museum at Gettysburg, so those are out.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Well, if you haven't been to fabulous downtown Carlisle that's worth the visit (Probably more so if you happen to be into the car show going on the weekend you are here ....).

If you have hit Gettysburg and Hershey, those are the two biggies around here. Past that it's roaming through Lancaster County stopping at the Amish stores for this and that.

Bob

[TheOhioSean]

Originally Posted by thiel

Our road trip has been a bit of a bust this last week, and I’m hoping to make a strong showing for the next couple days.

We are traveling from Wapakoneta Ohio to falling water in Mill run Pennsylvania, and then home to western Massachusetts.

I want to do this part of the trip over a few days, with some stops in between. Any recommendations for where to stop that might be particularly entertaining to my traveling partners, who are a bit worn out?

We have already done Hershey and the museum at Gettysburg, so those are out.

I suspect you'll be able to find something to do in Pennsylvania.

In Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh is home to the Carnegie Museums, the Heinz Museum, and the amazing old inclines that offer amazing views of the city. A bit to the south, at Washington, is the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, which also offers short trolley rides on their demonstration rail line.

In Southeast Pennsylvania, the Amish Country in Lancaster County offers several opportunities. There are a number of interesting restaurants and gift shops. The Strasburg Railroad still offers steam-powered train rides, and just across the street are the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, and the Choo Choo Barn, a massive miniature village. If amusement parks strike your fancy, Dutch Wonderland is in the vicinity.

Northeast Pennsylvania has a number of possibilities, depending upon your interests. Ricketts Glen State Park, about 45 minutes west of Wilkes-Barre, has some amazing scenery packed into a relatively compact area, with a trails through gorges offering close up views of dozens of waterfalls, and wandering through old growth forest. On the Delaware River on both the PA and NJ sides is Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, with good hiking and scenic opportunities. Most of my hiking has been on the NJ side on the Appalachian Trail but I understand there are better waterfall and cave opportunities on the PA side.

Scranton is home to a number of attractions. If you like trains, there's both the Steamtown National Historic Site and the Electric City Trolley Museum, the latter of which offers daily excursion through a pretty valley Thursday through Sunday. The Scranton Iron Furnaces offer a look at the remnants of steel-making technology from over a century ago. The Steamtown Mall once offered good shopping and a great food court, but I don't know if that is still the case. The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour offers the opportunity to see what a coal mine is like. If gambling's your thing, the Mohegan Sun Pocono is located on the outskirts of Wilkes-Barre, just a little southwest of Scranton.

[overlander63]

You can always go to the Little League Museum in South Williamsport. There is also the Corning Glass Center and Museum in Corning NY, about 10 miles North of the border. There's also Pine Creek Gorge (Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon) with the twin state parks of Leonard Harrison and Colton Point bridging the canyon.
There's also Steamtown in Scranton.

[Lineolated]

If you like botanical gardens, try Longwood outside Philly or Phipps conservatory in Pittsburgh. Brandywine valley has art and nice scenery, plus Valley Forge is nearby. The National Aviary is in Pittsburgh. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is south of Pittsburgh.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by overlander63

. . .
There is also the Corning Glass Center and Museum in Corning NY, about 10 miles North of the border.
. . .

I'll second this. A little north of your intended route maybe, but not too hard to go east to Albany and the Mass Pike. This place is fascinating, and hopefully you can time a visit to see glass-blowing in operation. Might be crowded for the next 5-6 days however?

https://www.cmog.org/

I don't know if you have kids with you, and their ages, but the Corning stop might be a big hit educationally IMO. Even we adults really enjoyed the place as a learning experience!

Make your own glass? https://www.cmog.org/visit/make-your-own-glass

Safe home,

Peter

[A W Warn]

Falling Waters (a home designed by F L Wright) is less than 10 miles south of Mill Run, if you are interested in architecture.

And a little further south there is Kentucky Knob, another FLW design

[Silverbee]

Hi,
We made a trip to Pennsylvania in 2016. Our two big destinations were Gettysburg and Lancaster County. However, two side trips we made were to Valley Forge National Historical Park https://www.nps.gov/vafo/index.htm and to the Flight 93 Memorial https://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm
Both well worth the time.

[coasttocoast]

Philadelphia- The Barnes
The true draw of this widely visited museum is the Barnes’ permanent collection, featuring 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes and 59 Matisses, along with works by Manet, Degas, Seurat, Prendergrast, Titian and Picasso — one of the world’s largest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings and African sculpture.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
A world-renowned collection. A landmark building.

Bethlehem- SteelStacks
SteelStacks is a ten-acre campus in Bethlehem, PA, dedicated to arts, culture, family events, community celebrations, education and fun. The campus is in the shadow of the blast furnaces of the former Bethlehem Steel plant.

Quentin Tavern- good food
81 W Main St, Quentin, PA 17083

[Jim J]

Not far from Wapakoneta is Fremont where you can take a tour of the Rutheford B Hayes home.

Other presidential monuments in Northern Ohio:

• James A Garfield in Mentor
• William McKinley in Canton

In Lancaster Pennsylvania, James Buchannon's Wheatland

Allow about 2 hours for these, all have parking on site or nearby for RV's

Also in PA:

• Drakes Oil Well in Titusville
• Gruber Wagon Works in Reading
• Leap the Dips (Oldest wooden roller coaster still standing) in Altoona
• Valley Forge
• Hopewell State Park has a historical Iron works (camping available at SP)

[Wayne&Sam]

Grey Towers in Milford, PA. The home of Gifford Pichnot, the first head of US Forestry Dept. It's right off Rt 84 near the NY border.

[bobmiller1]

I highly recommend “Lake-In-Wood” in Bowmansville, PA, about 20 mins northeast of the Lancaster area, I stay there every year, third week in July site G3, look at their website, any questions feel free to contact me, Regards, Bob

[majorairhead]

Johnstown Flood Museum, both at the dam, and visit downtown. Horseshoe curve national historic site. Trough Creek State Park east side of Raystown Lake. Cowans Gap. Colonel Denning State Park Campground. Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and the town of Wellsboro. Jim Thorpe, Glen Onoko falls, Lehigh river gorge state park.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Intercourse...😏

Bob
🇺🇸

[KMH25TWIN]

I live in the area, geographically speaking. Highly recommend Ohiopyle SP. About 45 min S of PA Turnpike and near Falling Water. Nice camping in the park and the town of the same name has bike rentals for along the river, and river rafting trips of various levels. Several outfitters in town; ice cream and some fun eateries there as well. If you haven’t been to FW before, be sure to check times and dates for tours; availability not always what one might expect. You’ve chosen a great part of PA to visit.

Agree with Gettysburg as a side trip, or probably better said as an extension. It’s a good 3.5 or so hours from Falling Water.

Happy travels.

[thiel]

Thanks all. This is a pretty good list! We are going to do falling water and the. Pick a location somewhere in central pA on our way home.

[Bill M.]

The Rocky Mountain Elk center is pretty nice. In a remote area though.

[GMFL]

Flight 93 Memorial

[thiel]

Originally Posted by KMH25TWIN

I live in the area, geographically speaking. Highly recommend Ohiopyle SP. About 45 min S of PA Turnpike and near Falling Water. Nice camping in the park and the town of the same name has bike rentals for along the river, and river rafting trips of various levels. Several outfitters in town; ice cream and some fun eateries there as well. If you haven’t been to FW before, be sure to check times and dates for tours; availability not always what one might expect. You’ve chosen a great part of PA to visit.

Agree with Gettysburg as a side trip, or probably better said as an extension. It’s a good 3.5 or so hours from Falling Water.

Happy travels.

We drove past OhioPyle on the way to Fallingwater. Looked like a SUPER FUN place to go if you're doing river stuff. Almost like a little town there!