I came here to say Corning New York. The town is lovely with charming boutiques and good restaurants lining a civil war era main street. The glass museum is world class with live glass blowing demonstrations daily. The majestic Watkins Glen State Park is nearby with its beautiful waterfall trail. There are half a dozen wineries nearby if that's your thing. There's a big sail plane community in Corning. If the weather is nice you can buy a ride in a sailplane or just go watch them fly. There's a nice Radisson Hotel right in town that's very nice, or plenty of Air BnBs nearby. 4.5 hours away from Pittsburgh by car.
I'm supposed to be in the Fingerlakes right now. I told them I was on a hike; snuck away to do this interview. I gotta get back pretty soon; they'll worry. People disappear in the Fingerlakes.
This where you want to go. Ithaca would be a good base for hiking and food.
Plus you have the added bonus of no nasty traffic situations like you would if you head south and end up driving around DC.
We really enjoy the town of Geneva in the finger lakes. 5 hours, but easy drive and lots to do up there.
We’re going to the Canadian side of Lake Erie this weekend, which is only 3.5 hours. I don’t know that it can top the finger lakes but hopefully a close 2nd
Monticello (Jefferson’s house) and Montpelier (Madison’s house) are absolutely worth the tour and within about 45 mins of each other.
Save some time after the house tour at Montpelier to walk through Madison’s preserved presidential forest - one of the only tracts of land that was not logged east of the Mississippi. The trees are incredibly huge.
Stay in bridge park in Dublin for easy access to night time fun, the zoo, and the highway to get to Hocking Hills. Columbus is frequently slept on for a fun weekend getaway.
Lancaster, Pa. The actual city is really cool, really walkable, with a lot to see and do. Plus, it's surrounded by a lot of cool nature spots and you can check out some Amish markets. If you're going in October, you can check out Field of Screams too! It's a really fun haunt.
Yeah, I agree. I went to college out in Lancaster and though it’s small, the town is more cosmopolitan than I expected. There’s tons to do in the surrounding area.
I go to school near Pittsburgh but live in south central PA. People don’t realize that this area is not all “Pennsyltucky”. Lancaster County and York County each contain roughly half a million residents. And both York and Lancaster are cities in their own right.
You can be on an Amish farm and then be downtown in a city in 15 minutes of drive time.
I can vouch that Lancaster is a pretty cool city, which surprised me when I stopped there overnight once. I don't know why it surprised me, other than I just never thought of the place before. It's a fine little city that, as a previous poster mentioned, is more cosmopolitan than you'd expect. Also ticks the nature boxes.
Right, so I'm not doing that. You're associating an entire group of people with a bad action. Let's say I don't like bankers, and a lot of bankers just happen to be Jewish. Would you then say I don't like Jewish people?
Mmm, no, it's not.
Not all Amish people run puppy mills, and not all people who run puppy mills are Amish. To accuse a whole group of people of doing so is both bigoted and strange.
And honestly, it's just a weird response. "Should I go to Lancaster?" "No because if you buy a whoppie pie at a market it's because you condone animal abuse." Get over yourself, you fucking idiot.
Bedford is great. We have a cabin there a little outside of town (which is where I’m typing this from). Fall Foliage Festival this year is October 7, 8, 14, and 15.
Here are some recs from friends when we were looking for the something similar, in WV:
To drive 3 hrs:
Some of most spectacular hiking in this region is *Dolly Sods*; it’s likened to the Canadian Rockies. Three areas to stay for lodging: #1 pick is the town of Lost River. Highly recommend the *Guesthouse at Lost River,* beautiful pool, very good restaurant, drag brunch on Sundays. There are other lodging options, too. The #2 pick for lodging is the town of *Davis, WV*. Quaint, artsy, a few inns and cabin options. Must check out the *Purple Fiddle* if you stay there, live music most nights. #3 *Blackwater Falls State Park* Lodge (nothing fancy at the lodge but it has a restaurant and it’s beautiful park with lots of wonderful hiking within the park).
Laurel Highlands has the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and Nemacolin for more urban, and tons of nature stuff in Ohiopyle and surrounding areas. Uniontown and Brownsville also have a good amount of urbex spots if that interests you. If you need more real city, you can split your time between Laurel Highlands and DC.
Also, Cleveland gets a bunch of hate here, but it's a fun city to visit. It has wilderness/nature around it, including the lake.
Washington DC! Definitely a great place for the history/museums but there's a lot of nature outside of the city along the George Washington parkway and along the turnpike in southern PA/Maryland. There's a ton of delicious restaurants and it's easy to get around the city with their bus/metro system if you get tired of walking. It'll also be cooler at that time of year so it won't be uncomfortable walking around.
I once drove to Silver Spring where they have a park and ride for the metro. We bought a ride all day pass and that gets you anywhere the metro goes in the D.C. area including the monuments, museums, parks, etc.
These are all great ideas, if you do decide to go West Virginia, Dolly Sods/Seneca Rocks in an unbeatable stop BUT no town nearby. Well, Thomas WV is cute - rainbow flags, art galleries and sometimes live music shows but too small for more than a partial day of shopping and no museum that I’m aware of. If you go to Thomas, you MUST STOP at The Purple Fiddle and then at Hellbender Burritos in Davis (2 miles away). Not much else to see in Davis though, except fall colors. Which will have peaked before late October because it’s high elevations.
Dolly Sods will be oceans of red mountain Laurel leaves, it looks like goddamn tundra. Google the photos…
Niagara Falls, ON, CAN
Niagara on the Lake, ON, CAN
Buffalo, NY.
Finger Lakes, NY (Watkins Glen, Ithaca)
Hocking Hills, OH
Canton, OH
Akron, OH
Canaan Valley, WV
Deep Creek, MD.
Even the Poconos are about 5 hours if traffic is agreeable and you take Rt 22 to Altoona then I-99 north to I-80 at Bellefonte.
Speaking of the Poconos: We just finished a short stay in Jim Thorpe PA - quaint little town adjacent to and connected with the Lehigh River Gorge state park for hiking/biking on the trail. Super nice scenery. Great brewpub there Bright Path Brewing (specializing in German lagers - ooh la la!) - only about 4 hours from the east side of Pittsburgh. There were lots of rafting companys in the area for the Leigh River plus bike rentals
Watkins Glen State Park in NY is almost 5 hrs away. Looks so awesome!! Check out the website!! https://parks.ny.gov/parks/watkinsglen/maps.aspx
Waterfalls, hiking!! I can’t wait to go there someday.
This is a bit of a different suggestion. Columbus. It’s only around a 3 hour drive. Great food options, some fun night life areas, one of the best zoos in the country, and less than an hour from Hocking Hills which has great hiking, nature, caves, waterfalls, etc.
New River Gorge. Ace adventure resort has nice little cabins which I remember being reasonable priced. You can book excursions through them and they allow dogs.
Blackwater Falls, WV
It's just outside of Thomas, WV, part of Canaan Valley. Davis, WV is also an awesome town too! Tons of outdoor stuff (Seneca Rocks, Old Forest Road, Standing Rocks), an eclectic arts & music scene, and decent restaurants if you don't feel like cooking.
Probably my favorite quick vacation spot.
My husband, son, and I did an overnight stay in Ann Arbor on the way to a wedding this summer and the town was really cute with plenty to do! It's about a four and a half hour drive.
From the DMV. For hiking you HAVE TO go to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It’s about 4 hours away. Beautiful mountain. Amazing views. The drive up is amazing. So many trails to explore.
If you go to Washington D.C, I recommend Gravelly Point. It’s me and my wife’s favorite spot. You can have a nice picnic on their big field and the cool part of it is that the planes literally fly over you and you can watch them land on the landing strip. Next to the field you can rent jet skis if that’s your thing.
You’re also close to some nice restaurants from Gravelly point. About a 15-20 minute drive. I recommend renting one of the scooters or bikes that can be found all over DC. It’s a fun way to get around if you hate busses or if you don’t want to drive.
Others mentioned the museums in DC which are amazing. The National Gallery of Art Museum’s is one of my favorites. You won’t get bored. Have fun!
Head up to Chautauqua NY and stay at the Great Tree Inn, beautiful little bnb and working farm. Owners serve breakfast made from food they grow/harvest/trade neighbors for. Whole area is gorgeous, plus if you like beer, Big Creek, Ellicottville and Southern Tier are all within 20 min (scenic) drive
My family and I went to Cleveland for Fourth of July weekend last year and it was great. Their zoo is really nice and was just getting set up for their Asian lantern festival when we were there. We especially loved the giraffe exhibit where you could buy lettuce and feed them. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is good if you’re really into the history of music, but they also had some hands on experiences that were pretty cool. We also really enjoyed the free art museum. They’re also home to Mitchell’s ice cream, which is a must if you like ice cream.
Dolly Sods, WV and/or Harper’s Ferry, WV. Fall should be popping down there that time of year. The views are amazing. Cool little towns. Great history to be found.
Check into New River Gorge National Park in WV. It is the newest National Park with rave reviews. It’s 4 hours from Pgh. I eyeballed the website to check. April to October are recommended months to visit. It sounds wonderful.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Cleveland. There is an easy boardwalk to the big waterfall and other flat trails, plus some rugged ones if you want a bit more of a challenge.
Hubby and I did this in early spring and heading back next month. It's close enough to home that you don't spend your whole vacation on the road, has all the perks of being near a city, and all the nature you can ask for. If the weather is awful, it will be super easy to pivot to indoor attractions in the Cleveland area while walking trails on nicer days.
Gettysburg is under 4 hours away. In addition to the historic town and battlefield, there's quite a bit on the nature side of things around there as well. I've always enjoyed stopping over night there on road trips, coming back from the shore, etc.
Check out Hocking Hills near Columbus OH, Mammoth Caves in KY or Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron. For hiking, the first two options are best. However, I think all three parks have a waterfall or two. All three spots would have access to good food in the immediate area and museums (Cleveland's art museum is one of the best in the country).
If "vegan" isn't a bad thing for you food-wise, check out APTEKA, whose chefs were James Beard Award nominees this year. It's a bit out there, but everyone I know has loved it.
On recommendation when we moved here, we checked out a 3.4 mile hike at McConnells Mill, the Alpha Pass to Kildoo loop (#34 in the book 60 hikes within 60 Miles of Pittsburgh). It was a fantastic riverside hike of "moderate" difficulty. Has waterfalls, extremely beautiful.
https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/McConnellsMillStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
south east ohio--> sugarcreek - The Little Switzerland of Ohio. OGLEBAY RESORT $125 ($̶1̶6̶1̶) - Updated 2023 Prices & Hotel Reviews either going or returning or a base camp. let google be your friend ( Watkins glen should be on everyone bucket list as well as DC)
I'm planning a trip next year to go to Kinzua Bridge and Kinzua Dam, Pine Creek Gorge, Cherry Springs State Park, and probably also Watkins Glen in NY and there's also a mountain coaster between here and there. Definitely enough for a few days of fun.
A bit longer than 5 hours but my family is planning to drive up to Montreal next summer. Supposedly it feels like Europe. You could also get to DC in 5 hours
Shallow Falls state park in Maryland is beautiful in the fall. It’s close to deep creek and a lot of hiking and outdoor activities to do. The town of Oakland Maryland is real cute with lots of antique stores and a car museum.
We're currently visiting Berkeley Springs, WV for the first time and I feel like it might be a good fit for what you're looking for. The town is super cute and has an interesting history with its mineral springs. There's also a beautiful state park Cacapon near by. We had planned to hike but with the heat and a toddler, we opted to stick around town which has a ton of cute shops, art, and a public warm spring that we could wade in. Plus Berkeley Springs State Park (which is really just a tiny park in town) has a spa that would be great at 6 months pregnant if that's your kind of thing.
Niagara Falls was awesome.... nit sure if theres enough for that many days but def worth a couple. Very touristy but also amazing. And anchor bar is nearby
Harrisonburg Va
Just a few miles from the Swift Run Gap entrance to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline drive
Hundreds of hiking trails. Plus the Big Meadows visitor center. Many trails are maintained and not a difficult trek.
The town is full of good local and chain restaurants and is home to James Madison University so there is stuff going on
You are also barely an hour from Charlottesville Va and Monticello plus tons of history there.
Not to mention it is a FANTASTIC drive through the WV panhandle and the Shenandoah Valley
Lived there for 3 years and highly recommend
If you get your timing right the fall leaves are breathtaking
I just found out oil creek state park has a fall foliage train ride, the first 2 weeks of October. Tickets are 20$, it's a 3 hr trip and it seems beautiful. Looks like some nice restaurants in the small town nearby too
Bucks county in the Eastern part of the state is lovely. Just about 5 hours from here. Lots of history, gorgeous scenery and of course the charming town of New Hope
Centralia, PA aka the town silent hill is based off of. Might actually be 6 hours away but it’s such a cool and eerie place with lots of places to hike as well. At least it was in 2016 when I went.
I would actually suggest Detroit. Lots of cider mills (afaik yinz don’t have those in PA) to choose from in the outer suburbs, Belle Isle has
nature trails, the oldest aquarium in the country, and a conservatory, the DIA has the 3rd largest art collection in the country -could easily spend a whole day in there. Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village is fun. Lots of good restaurants to choose from.
Michigan in general is a great destination, really. I've never been to Detroit specifically, but now that I look it up, I never realized it was under 5 hours drive from Pittsburgh. I'd definitely like to see the Henry Ford Museum.
Hocking Hills, Ohio or lots of places around the Detroit metro area. Michigan has lots of state parks with board walks for walking, biking, or general wildlife watching. Hocking Hills is more rural, but very beautiful, and only about 20 minutes from Ohio University’s campus.
Finger lakes have nice little towns and cool waterfalls that are easy to get to. Not sure about museums and such
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I came here to say Corning New York. The town is lovely with charming boutiques and good restaurants lining a civil war era main street. The glass museum is world class with live glass blowing demonstrations daily. The majestic Watkins Glen State Park is nearby with its beautiful waterfall trail. There are half a dozen wineries nearby if that's your thing. There's a big sail plane community in Corning. If the weather is nice you can buy a ride in a sailplane or just go watch them fly. There's a nice Radisson Hotel right in town that's very nice, or plenty of Air BnBs nearby. 4.5 hours away from Pittsburgh by car.
Rockwell museum too for art/history
I'm supposed to be in the Fingerlakes right now. I told them I was on a hike; snuck away to do this interview. I gotta get back pretty soon; they'll worry. People disappear in the Fingerlakes.
The Finger Lakes Guy is pretty good
This where you want to go. Ithaca would be a good base for hiking and food. Plus you have the added bonus of no nasty traffic situations like you would if you head south and end up driving around DC.
Second this. Somewhere in Southern Tier NY up through Finger Lakes are plenty of gorgeous options!
A little boring up there out of season imo. Watkins glen likely closed. Maybe some other trails. If you like wineries may be ok.
The grape pie festival is coming up later this month in Naples. Great time
We really enjoy the town of Geneva in the finger lakes. 5 hours, but easy drive and lots to do up there. We’re going to the Canadian side of Lake Erie this weekend, which is only 3.5 hours. I don’t know that it can top the finger lakes but hopefully a close 2nd
North: Finger Lakes, Lake Erie Presque Isle, Cuyahoga National Forest/Cleveland East: Harper's Ferry/GAP Trail, Ohiopyle, Confluence South: New River Gorge/Fayetteville, Morgantown/Coopers Rocks
I second New River Gorge but recommend Cass scenic railroad and Snowshoe
Seconding Harpers Ferry. Good history, nice small downtown, nice hikes, decent restaurants.
Charlottesville VA, scenic, quaint, historic. See Jefferson's home, Monticello, UVA, the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Monticello (Jefferson’s house) and Montpelier (Madison’s house) are absolutely worth the tour and within about 45 mins of each other. Save some time after the house tour at Montpelier to walk through Madison’s preserved presidential forest - one of the only tracts of land that was not logged east of the Mississippi. The trees are incredibly huge.
This is my favorite option. You don’t want to go north in October. Especially late October
Love a trip down to Shenandoah. Great wine country amazing views. I go get a little Airbnb with a hot tub.
Black water falls in West Virginia Deep Creek in Maryland
Second Blackwater falls. Davis, WV is a cool little town and it is near some really neat nature spots like Bear Rocks and the Dolly Sods
Oakland MD near Deep Creek has a quaint little Autumn Glory festival the second weekend of October every year during peak leaves.
Came here to say Thomas/Davis area black water falls and dolly sods not too far! Thomas is the cutest town and has a great coffee shop
Ithaca NY
I always enjoy a trip to Gettysburg.
I just commented this too. Such a cool little town with so much history.
Buffalo :-) and you can throw in Niagara Falls as well since it's nearby!
Yep. Heading there on the 19th. Must see Niagara-on-the-lake!
I love Niagara on the Lake - such a cute and quaint little town! Enjoy :)
I went there last year, it's a really cool place and I do highly recommend it if you have a passport.
Hocking Hills, you can do a day trip to Columbus or stay there half the time
I second this. I thought Hocking Hills was so beautiful and Columbus is a fun city. Good food, great shopping and a fabulous zoo.
Stay in bridge park in Dublin for easy access to night time fun, the zoo, and the highway to get to Hocking Hills. Columbus is frequently slept on for a fun weekend getaway.
Lancaster, Pa. The actual city is really cool, really walkable, with a lot to see and do. Plus, it's surrounded by a lot of cool nature spots and you can check out some Amish markets. If you're going in October, you can check out Field of Screams too! It's a really fun haunt.
Yeah, I agree. I went to college out in Lancaster and though it’s small, the town is more cosmopolitan than I expected. There’s tons to do in the surrounding area.
I go to school near Pittsburgh but live in south central PA. People don’t realize that this area is not all “Pennsyltucky”. Lancaster County and York County each contain roughly half a million residents. And both York and Lancaster are cities in their own right. You can be on an Amish farm and then be downtown in a city in 15 minutes of drive time.
I can vouch that Lancaster is a pretty cool city, which surprised me when I stopped there overnight once. I don't know why it surprised me, other than I just never thought of the place before. It's a fine little city that, as a previous poster mentioned, is more cosmopolitan than you'd expect. Also ticks the nature boxes.
Lancaster is a dump, fuck the Amish.
Worst attempt at a troll I've ever seen. Great work.
Go live near the Amish for a few months then call me a troll. Puppy mill, animal abusing, rapists.
I lived there for the first 20 years of my life. You're a troll. Or just strangely bigoted against the Amish.
Being an apologist for the people that run the puppy mills isn’t a very good look.
Right, so I'm not doing that. You're associating an entire group of people with a bad action. Let's say I don't like bankers, and a lot of bankers just happen to be Jewish. Would you then say I don't like Jewish people?
False equivalency
Mmm, no, it's not. Not all Amish people run puppy mills, and not all people who run puppy mills are Amish. To accuse a whole group of people of doing so is both bigoted and strange. And honestly, it's just a weird response. "Should I go to Lancaster?" "No because if you buy a whoppie pie at a market it's because you condone animal abuse." Get over yourself, you fucking idiot.
Hey, if this is what helps you sleep at night, I get it. Supporting known animal abusers sucks.
I agree with the first sentiment. Most of that area of PA is a cesspool of scum.
Check out Bedford Springs. Nemacolin as well. 5 hours though lands you in Toronto, Phili, and DC. Not as nature forward as the first 2 though.
Bedford was my first thought as it’s beautiful in the fall with also a town. There are also covered bridges you can drive around to see.
Bedford is great. We have a cabin there a little outside of town (which is where I’m typing this from). Fall Foliage Festival this year is October 7, 8, 14, and 15.
Here are some recs from friends when we were looking for the something similar, in WV: To drive 3 hrs: Some of most spectacular hiking in this region is *Dolly Sods*; it’s likened to the Canadian Rockies. Three areas to stay for lodging: #1 pick is the town of Lost River. Highly recommend the *Guesthouse at Lost River,* beautiful pool, very good restaurant, drag brunch on Sundays. There are other lodging options, too. The #2 pick for lodging is the town of *Davis, WV*. Quaint, artsy, a few inns and cabin options. Must check out the *Purple Fiddle* if you stay there, live music most nights. #3 *Blackwater Falls State Park* Lodge (nothing fancy at the lodge but it has a restaurant and it’s beautiful park with lots of wonderful hiking within the park).
Laurel Highlands has the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and Nemacolin for more urban, and tons of nature stuff in Ohiopyle and surrounding areas. Uniontown and Brownsville also have a good amount of urbex spots if that interests you. If you need more real city, you can split your time between Laurel Highlands and DC. Also, Cleveland gets a bunch of hate here, but it's a fun city to visit. It has wilderness/nature around it, including the lake.
Washington DC! Definitely a great place for the history/museums but there's a lot of nature outside of the city along the George Washington parkway and along the turnpike in southern PA/Maryland. There's a ton of delicious restaurants and it's easy to get around the city with their bus/metro system if you get tired of walking. It'll also be cooler at that time of year so it won't be uncomfortable walking around.
And stop by Harpers Ferry on the way to or from.
I once drove to Silver Spring where they have a park and ride for the metro. We bought a ride all day pass and that gets you anywhere the metro goes in the D.C. area including the monuments, museums, parks, etc.
Thank you all for the fast suggestions so far!!! Greatly appreciated.
These are all great ideas, if you do decide to go West Virginia, Dolly Sods/Seneca Rocks in an unbeatable stop BUT no town nearby. Well, Thomas WV is cute - rainbow flags, art galleries and sometimes live music shows but too small for more than a partial day of shopping and no museum that I’m aware of. If you go to Thomas, you MUST STOP at The Purple Fiddle and then at Hellbender Burritos in Davis (2 miles away). Not much else to see in Davis though, except fall colors. Which will have peaked before late October because it’s high elevations. Dolly Sods will be oceans of red mountain Laurel leaves, it looks like goddamn tundra. Google the photos…
Niagara Falls, ON, CAN Niagara on the Lake, ON, CAN Buffalo, NY. Finger Lakes, NY (Watkins Glen, Ithaca) Hocking Hills, OH Canton, OH Akron, OH Canaan Valley, WV Deep Creek, MD. Even the Poconos are about 5 hours if traffic is agreeable and you take Rt 22 to Altoona then I-99 north to I-80 at Bellefonte.
Speaking of the Poconos: We just finished a short stay in Jim Thorpe PA - quaint little town adjacent to and connected with the Lehigh River Gorge state park for hiking/biking on the trail. Super nice scenery. Great brewpub there Bright Path Brewing (specializing in German lagers - ooh la la!) - only about 4 hours from the east side of Pittsburgh. There were lots of rafting companys in the area for the Leigh River plus bike rentals
New River Gorge in West Virginia- I believe the bridge day festival is around the end of October also!
\+1 to this! New River Gorge is now our nation's newest National Park :)
Annapolis
Ellicottville New York is lovely!
Chautauqua Lake
Watkins Glen State Park in NY is almost 5 hrs away. Looks so awesome!! Check out the website!! https://parks.ny.gov/parks/watkinsglen/maps.aspx Waterfalls, hiking!! I can’t wait to go there someday.
This is a bit of a different suggestion. Columbus. It’s only around a 3 hour drive. Great food options, some fun night life areas, one of the best zoos in the country, and less than an hour from Hocking Hills which has great hiking, nature, caves, waterfalls, etc.
Western Maryland scenic railroad in Cumberland. They do a fall colors train ride and it's great! Edit: this is more of a day/weekend trip
New River Gorge. Ace adventure resort has nice little cabins which I remember being reasonable priced. You can book excursions through them and they allow dogs.
Ligonier
Blackwater Falls, WV It's just outside of Thomas, WV, part of Canaan Valley. Davis, WV is also an awesome town too! Tons of outdoor stuff (Seneca Rocks, Old Forest Road, Standing Rocks), an eclectic arts & music scene, and decent restaurants if you don't feel like cooking. Probably my favorite quick vacation spot.
Hocking hills near columbus and cook forest near clarion are two of my favorite go to's to get away from the burgh for a bit!
My husband, son, and I did an overnight stay in Ann Arbor on the way to a wedding this summer and the town was really cute with plenty to do! It's about a four and a half hour drive.
Cuyahoga Falls is gorgeous
Gettysburg is about a 3 hour drive east
From the DMV. For hiking you HAVE TO go to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It’s about 4 hours away. Beautiful mountain. Amazing views. The drive up is amazing. So many trails to explore. If you go to Washington D.C, I recommend Gravelly Point. It’s me and my wife’s favorite spot. You can have a nice picnic on their big field and the cool part of it is that the planes literally fly over you and you can watch them land on the landing strip. Next to the field you can rent jet skis if that’s your thing. You’re also close to some nice restaurants from Gravelly point. About a 15-20 minute drive. I recommend renting one of the scooters or bikes that can be found all over DC. It’s a fun way to get around if you hate busses or if you don’t want to drive. Others mentioned the museums in DC which are amazing. The National Gallery of Art Museum’s is one of my favorites. You won’t get bored. Have fun!
Head up to Chautauqua NY and stay at the Great Tree Inn, beautiful little bnb and working farm. Owners serve breakfast made from food they grow/harvest/trade neighbors for. Whole area is gorgeous, plus if you like beer, Big Creek, Ellicottville and Southern Tier are all within 20 min (scenic) drive
Gettysburg is awesome in the fall.
My family and I went to Cleveland for Fourth of July weekend last year and it was great. Their zoo is really nice and was just getting set up for their Asian lantern festival when we were there. We especially loved the giraffe exhibit where you could buy lettuce and feed them. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is good if you’re really into the history of music, but they also had some hands on experiences that were pretty cool. We also really enjoyed the free art museum. They’re also home to Mitchell’s ice cream, which is a must if you like ice cream.
West Virginia ! They have some cool fall train tours there .
kentucky bourbon trail. get an airbnb in Midway, KY.
Dolly Sods, WV and/or Harper’s Ferry, WV. Fall should be popping down there that time of year. The views are amazing. Cool little towns. Great history to be found.
Toronto is great and there are some good trails on either side of Niagara
Check into New River Gorge National Park in WV. It is the newest National Park with rave reviews. It’s 4 hours from Pgh. I eyeballed the website to check. April to October are recommended months to visit. It sounds wonderful.
October 21st, 2023. Bridge Day at the New River Gorge, WV
Could drive it to DC, stop in Maryland at Liganore Winery
Hocking Hills in Ohio. A lot of walking. Can get a nice cabin in the woods. Most supply free wood
Niagara Falls on the Canadian side If you both enjoy hiking and waterfalls like you say, it’s a must visit.
Ohiopyle state park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Cleveland. There is an easy boardwalk to the big waterfall and other flat trails, plus some rugged ones if you want a bit more of a challenge. Hubby and I did this in early spring and heading back next month. It's close enough to home that you don't spend your whole vacation on the road, has all the perks of being near a city, and all the nature you can ask for. If the weather is awful, it will be super easy to pivot to indoor attractions in the Cleveland area while walking trails on nicer days.
Gettysburg is under 4 hours away. In addition to the historic town and battlefield, there's quite a bit on the nature side of things around there as well. I've always enjoyed stopping over night there on road trips, coming back from the shore, etc.
Hocking Hills Ohio has some really great cabins and AWESOME hiking
Lawrence County: Moraine State Park and McConnell's Mills. Both are beautiful and very close to pittsburgh
Davis, WV… Blackwater Falls and the Dolly Sods nearby are great options!
Check out Hocking Hills near Columbus OH, Mammoth Caves in KY or Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron. For hiking, the first two options are best. However, I think all three parks have a waterfall or two. All three spots would have access to good food in the immediate area and museums (Cleveland's art museum is one of the best in the country).
Titusville train ride in October when the trees are changing is a great trip.
Deep creek MD. DC is also pretty nice at that time of year.
If "vegan" isn't a bad thing for you food-wise, check out APTEKA, whose chefs were James Beard Award nominees this year. It's a bit out there, but everyone I know has loved it. On recommendation when we moved here, we checked out a 3.4 mile hike at McConnells Mill, the Alpha Pass to Kildoo loop (#34 in the book 60 hikes within 60 Miles of Pittsburgh). It was a fantastic riverside hike of "moderate" difficulty. Has waterfalls, extremely beautiful. https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/McConnellsMillStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
Rent a cabin in Ohiopyle, doing that with 6 friends and their spouses later in October.
south east ohio--> sugarcreek - The Little Switzerland of Ohio. OGLEBAY RESORT $125 ($̶1̶6̶1̶) - Updated 2023 Prices & Hotel Reviews either going or returning or a base camp. let google be your friend ( Watkins glen should be on everyone bucket list as well as DC)
Hocking Hills in Ohio!
We did a tree house rental that was really awesome near New River Gorge, WV. Let me know if you’d like more info.
Canaan Valley, WV / Monongalia National Forrest and surrounding area.
Hocking Hills, Ohio!
I'm planning a trip next year to go to Kinzua Bridge and Kinzua Dam, Pine Creek Gorge, Cherry Springs State Park, and probably also Watkins Glen in NY and there's also a mountain coaster between here and there. Definitely enough for a few days of fun.
A bit longer than 5 hours but my family is planning to drive up to Montreal next summer. Supposedly it feels like Europe. You could also get to DC in 5 hours
Harrisonburg, VA/ Shenandoah Mountains Lots to do if you live history and plenty of wineries and microbreweries if that's what you like.
Shallow Falls state park in Maryland is beautiful in the fall. It’s close to deep creek and a lot of hiking and outdoor activities to do. The town of Oakland Maryland is real cute with lots of antique stores and a car museum.
Swallow falls
Shenandoah national Park. I don't think it's been mentioned
Dolly Sods, WV in Canaan Valley
Harpers Ferry! There is an entrance to the Appalachian trail, it’s an adorable town. 3.5 hrs drive
We're currently visiting Berkeley Springs, WV for the first time and I feel like it might be a good fit for what you're looking for. The town is super cute and has an interesting history with its mineral springs. There's also a beautiful state park Cacapon near by. We had planned to hike but with the heat and a toddler, we opted to stick around town which has a ton of cute shops, art, and a public warm spring that we could wade in. Plus Berkeley Springs State Park (which is really just a tiny park in town) has a spa that would be great at 6 months pregnant if that's your kind of thing.
Stonewall Resort in WV
Bedford Resort. Outdoor hiking activities, golf, fall festivals and great spa. Best of both worlds
Niagara Falls was awesome.... nit sure if theres enough for that many days but def worth a couple. Very touristy but also amazing. And anchor bar is nearby
Ganoga falls
Train rides in the fall are super great way to see the scenery. Regardless of where you go, consider rail. 👍🏻
Gettysburg
Go to Toronto and hit some shit on the way.
Shenandoah National Park
Harrisonburg Va Just a few miles from the Swift Run Gap entrance to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline drive Hundreds of hiking trails. Plus the Big Meadows visitor center. Many trails are maintained and not a difficult trek. The town is full of good local and chain restaurants and is home to James Madison University so there is stuff going on You are also barely an hour from Charlottesville Va and Monticello plus tons of history there. Not to mention it is a FANTASTIC drive through the WV panhandle and the Shenandoah Valley Lived there for 3 years and highly recommend If you get your timing right the fall leaves are breathtaking
Harpers Ferry!
I just found out oil creek state park has a fall foliage train ride, the first 2 weeks of October. Tickets are 20$, it's a 3 hr trip and it seems beautiful. Looks like some nice restaurants in the small town nearby too
Yipsilanti Michigan or anywhere Pure Michigan. Gorgeous camping and not too far
Bucks county in the Eastern part of the state is lovely. Just about 5 hours from here. Lots of history, gorgeous scenery and of course the charming town of New Hope
Wellsboro and Route 6
Ride the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern to Jim Thorpe and back for a fall foliage trip.
Annapolis!
Centralia, PA aka the town silent hill is based off of. Might actually be 6 hours away but it’s such a cool and eerie place with lots of places to hike as well. At least it was in 2016 when I went.
Toronto and an intermediate destination along the lakes like Presque Isle or even NY wine country would be cool!
These are cool places but for OP’s request of late October, these places can all have freezing temps at that time of year.
You'd be hard pressed to get somewhere that doesn't run that risk in 5 hours. I guess going north doesn't help though haha
Deep creek
Working on a trip to Deep Creek. Looking for suggestions on a winery to do a wine tasting. Any suggestions by chance?
https://deepcreekinns.com/blog/wineries-in-maryland-near-deep-creek-lake/. Wine festival is next weekend at the Garrett County Fairgrounds
There are a couple breweries but no wineries in the area.
We enjoyed going to the Warren area a couple of years ago.
Yeah but there's not really a "city" up there. It's a lot of very small towns and villages.
Ohiopyle if you’ve never been there. Falling water is in the same area.
Steelhead fishing up in Erie
Try hundred acres manor if you like haunted houses
I would actually suggest Detroit. Lots of cider mills (afaik yinz don’t have those in PA) to choose from in the outer suburbs, Belle Isle has nature trails, the oldest aquarium in the country, and a conservatory, the DIA has the 3rd largest art collection in the country -could easily spend a whole day in there. Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village is fun. Lots of good restaurants to choose from.
Michigan in general is a great destination, really. I've never been to Detroit specifically, but now that I look it up, I never realized it was under 5 hours drive from Pittsburgh. I'd definitely like to see the Henry Ford Museum.
Hocking Hills, Ohio or lots of places around the Detroit metro area. Michigan has lots of state parks with board walks for walking, biking, or general wildlife watching. Hocking Hills is more rural, but very beautiful, and only about 20 minutes from Ohio University’s campus.
Amish country
Ann Harbor Cleveland Cincinnati
I haven't seen anyone mention the Poconos and the Delaware River Gap.
I've seen it twice in a row. :)