 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Pennsylvania
Appalachian Trail - Ice Cream
Stop
If you're hiking the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, you can stop for ice cream at the Pine Grove Store.
Gettysburg - Trip Report
We drove up to Gettysburg from Washington, DC on Saturday. It's only an hour and a half drive through the countryside from there - a gorgeous drive. We drove through the Catoctin Mountains - a beautiful area.
Gettysburg is small, and the entire town is pretty much geared towards Civil War stuff. The visitors' center is very easy to find, as there are tons of signs directing you where to go. Vistors can choose to take a bus tour of the battlefields, hire a guide to drive you around (definitely a good option if you are really interested in the battle/war), or you can do a do-it-yourself auto-tour, which is also really easy. You just follow the signs and free map. We did that.
We just drove around all the battlefield and monuments all day, stopping here and there to look at things and hike a bit. It took about 3 hours to do the whole area.
$3 a person will get you into the Cyclorama, a 20-minute show that details Pickett's Charge. There's a 360 degree painting of the charge. For $3, it's worth it.
There are plenty of fast-food and cheesy restaurants along Route 15, right by the visitors' center, but if you go further into downtown historic Gettysburg, there are better places. There's a small college there, too.
It was definitely a nice and easy daytrip from DC. If you're interested in all the battles and Civil War stuff, Antietam Battlefield in Maryland isn't that far away and can be easily combined into a larger trip.
Comments:
I went to Gettysburg on Christmas Day a couple of years ago. The town and battlefield were snowy and desolate and very eerie. Since it was a holiday, we didn't get to the visitors' center or have a CD guide for the car, but it was still amazing.
I can imagine how beautiful a drive you had. For those who like to bike, Gettysburg is good for that as well. About 15 years ago we biked all over the battlefield all day, got some great exercise, and explored the area in a different way from our usual driving tour. We ate dinner that evening at the Dobbin House where the food was excellent and the restaurant was atmospheric. The Dobbin House was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and you can see where the slaves hid from those who pursued them. We've been to Gettysburg so many times that I've lost count ... it's probably going on ten times, I think.
Lancaster County - Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Comments:
If you want to see lots of PA Dutch and Amish you should go to Strasburg (not Stroudsburg!) and Quarryville. If you drive, make sure you don't take out any Amish buggies.
Ohiopyle State Park - Camping, Biking, Kayaking, and Frank Lloyd Wright
Ohiopyle State Park is the centerpiece of the Youghiogheny River Trail and kayaking the Youghiogheny River, and there are campsites in the park. River's Edge Family Campground is nearer to Connellsville than Ohiopyle but is on the river and bike trail. Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park is more heavily used by RV and camper folks. It's a few miles north of the river and trail as well as near Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, a highly recommended sight to see in the area. It's recently been restored - it had been in danger of falling into the river, and a great deal of work was done to shore it up and better preserve it for the future. Another one of Wright's designs, Kentuck Knob, is also in the vicinity for those interested in his architecture. Scarlett Knob Campground is two miles from Ohiopyle. The entire area is scenically beautiful with a lot of outdoor activities and is therefore quite popular. If you're planning on going to Ohiopyle during the main tourist season, definitely ask about reservations for a place to camp. Here's some more info about the general area, including towns and counties.
Philadelphia - Things to Do, Places to Stay
Comments:
I was only in Philly a short time and did mostly touristy stuff but still had a great time. I really like the Benjamin Franklin "house" which is an abstract memorial to the now gone home. Then there's the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (we got a special tour of the roof and clock tower), Christ Church (we got a special tour of the balcony--sometimes it's a plus being a preservationist!), the Betsy Ross House, etc. Ate at a great restaurant in Chinatown. Oh, and there's always the Art Museum and reliving Rocky's moment...
I stayed at the Chamounix Mansion a couple years ago and really liked it. We lucked out, though. I was traveling with 9 of my classmates and they put us in one big room, all together in the carriage house. No one else was staying in the carriage house so we had the run of the place and could let each other in after curfew. For a hostel, though, it is nice and cheap. And the park is beautiful. We had a car, but I think the bus is about a 15 minute walk to take you downtown.
Pittsburgh - Things to Do, Places to Stay, Public Transportation
For things to do in Pittsburgh, check out the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau. The main tourist areas are:
Downtown - The main attractions in the immediate downtown area are Point State Park with its Three Rivers Fountain and the Fort Pitt Museum and Blockhouse and PPG Place . Downtown also has Macy's Department Store and the major live performance venues in the Cultural District. On the upper edge of Downtown along the Allegheny River is the Strip District, a funky neighborhood with restaurants, bars and clubs, shopping, and the Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.
Other Pittsburgh neighborhoods include:
North Side - walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge to PNC Park where the Pittsburgh Pirates play baseball, and from there you can explore other sights on the North Side like Heinz Field that's home to the 2005 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Mattress Factory, Carnegie Science Center, and the National Aviary.
South Side - there couldn't be a North Side without a South Side (pronounced sah-side in Pittsburghese), right? This area has become increasingly popular with restaurants, bars, and nightlife. A walk across the Smithfield Street Bridge from Downtown takes you to Station Square and the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines. The platform at the top of the Duquesne Incline affords the more face-to-face view of Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle. A ride on an incline and a view from the top is pretty much de rigueur for visitors to the city. Station Square is also the docking site for a cruise on one of the boats of the Gateway Clipper Fleet. A new shopping and entertainment venue called the South Side Works is located farther east on Carson Street.
Oakland - this neighborhood is home to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Museum of Art (the Carnegie owns the Science Center and the Warhol, too), and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The Nationality Rooms on Pitt's campus are well worth seeing, and nearby is the Heinz Memorial Chapel that was modeled after Sainte-Chapelle in Paris
Farther out in the city in the Point Breeze neighborhood is the Frick Art and Historical Center and Clayton, the former home of Henry Clay Frick.
If you like old school amusement parks, definitely go to Kennywood! This local park is popular for school picnics, high school band days, ethnic group and community days, and general fun. It's known for its roller coasters, both steel and wooden, and classic rides, including a beautiful 80-year-old handcrafted carousel that's a designated historic landmark.
Public transportation in Pittsburgh consists of Port Authority buses and the T, which is a small subway and light rail system.
More general information about Pittsburgh.
Comments:
PNC Park is great. We went to a baseball game there in its opening year (September 2001), and we loved it. It's such an improvement over Three Rivers Stadium and reminds my husband and me very much of Forbes Field, for which we have great childhood nostalgia, only it's a far improved version.
Definitely go to Kennywood! You can't imagine how much time I've spent there with school picnics and band nights, and my husband and I even spent one of our wedding anniversaries there, just being kids for a day.
Seven Springs Ski Resort - Things to Do, Nightlife
Comments:
Seven Springs is the premiere ski area in SW PA, and it must be good for skiing because it's extremely popular. The Dupres have been in the ski resort business for a long time, and from everything I've heard about it, they know what they're doing. I've known several avid skiers (skiiers?) who went there regularly, and if it wasn't any good, I don't think they'd have bothered. I've only been to Seven Springs twice and didn't ski on either occasion, but on one of those visits we hiked the segment of the Laurel Highlands Trail that goes through the resort and down the side of the ski slopes and I can attest to the beauty of the countryside. Even if you find you're not so fond of skiing after all or by some fluke the weather is too warm for snow, there's a lot of other activities available at the resort as well as many opportunities for hiking in the area.
If you're a first-timer, you should just find somewhere that has a good package on a lift ticket and at the very least a half-day lesson, probably an all day lesson for the first day. Most places are eager to get people hooked on the sport, so they are very happy to provide great first-timer packages. Beyond that, your first few days, you'll be skiing short, flat runs so flying to somewhere with halfway decent terrain and real snow shouldn't be a big concern. Seven Springs will probably be fine. By mid-week after New Year's, the crowd should thin to almost managable levels. If you ski enough days to move up to slightly more challenging slopes, it can be a little rough getting started on the skating-rink style ice in the eastern U.S., but if you can learn to ski on that, you'll be ecstatic when you go out West and ski the actual snow in the Rockies or Sierras some day.
It's the best ski resort in the Mid-Atlantic. It was so much fun and the resort was great! The beginner and intermediate trails were really good; I heard the advanced ones were fun, too. They also have an excellent ski school with good teachers (my snowboarding teacher was the bomb). The food at the resort was reasonably priced and excellent. The nightlife and live music were impressive as well. Make sure to have drinks at The Foggy Goggle.
If you're hiking the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, you can stop for ice cream at the Pine Grove Store.
Gettysburg - Trip Report
We drove up to Gettysburg from Washington, DC on Saturday. It's only an hour and a half drive through the countryside from there - a gorgeous drive. We drove through the Catoctin Mountains - a beautiful area.
Gettysburg is small, and the entire town is pretty much geared towards Civil War stuff. The visitors' center is very easy to find, as there are tons of signs directing you where to go. Vistors can choose to take a bus tour of the battlefields, hire a guide to drive you around (definitely a good option if you are really interested in the battle/war), or you can do a do-it-yourself auto-tour, which is also really easy. You just follow the signs and free map. We did that.
We just drove around all the battlefield and monuments all day, stopping here and there to look at things and hike a bit. It took about 3 hours to do the whole area.
$3 a person will get you into the Cyclorama, a 20-minute show that details Pickett's Charge. There's a 360 degree painting of the charge. For $3, it's worth it.
There are plenty of fast-food and cheesy restaurants along Route 15, right by the visitors' center, but if you go further into downtown historic Gettysburg, there are better places. There's a small college there, too.
It was definitely a nice and easy daytrip from DC. If you're interested in all the battles and Civil War stuff, Antietam Battlefield in Maryland isn't that far away and can be easily combined into a larger trip.
Comments:
I went to Gettysburg on Christmas Day a couple of years ago. The town and battlefield were snowy and desolate and very eerie. Since it was a holiday, we didn't get to the visitors' center or have a CD guide for the car, but it was still amazing.
I can imagine how beautiful a drive you had. For those who like to bike, Gettysburg is good for that as well. About 15 years ago we biked all over the battlefield all day, got some great exercise, and explored the area in a different way from our usual driving tour. We ate dinner that evening at the Dobbin House where the food was excellent and the restaurant was atmospheric. The Dobbin House was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and you can see where the slaves hid from those who pursued them. We've been to Gettysburg so many times that I've lost count ... it's probably going on ten times, I think.
Lancaster County - Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Comments:
If you want to see lots of PA Dutch and Amish you should go to Strasburg (not Stroudsburg!) and Quarryville. If you drive, make sure you don't take out any Amish buggies.
Ohiopyle State Park - Camping, Biking, Kayaking, and Frank Lloyd Wright
Ohiopyle State Park is the centerpiece of the Youghiogheny River Trail and kayaking the Youghiogheny River, and there are campsites in the park. River's Edge Family Campground is nearer to Connellsville than Ohiopyle but is on the river and bike trail. Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park is more heavily used by RV and camper folks. It's a few miles north of the river and trail as well as near Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, a highly recommended sight to see in the area. It's recently been restored - it had been in danger of falling into the river, and a great deal of work was done to shore it up and better preserve it for the future. Another one of Wright's designs, Kentuck Knob, is also in the vicinity for those interested in his architecture. Scarlett Knob Campground is two miles from Ohiopyle. The entire area is scenically beautiful with a lot of outdoor activities and is therefore quite popular. If you're planning on going to Ohiopyle during the main tourist season, definitely ask about reservations for a place to camp. Here's some more info about the general area, including towns and counties.
Philadelphia - Things to Do, Places to Stay
Comments:
I was only in Philly a short time and did mostly touristy stuff but still had a great time. I really like the Benjamin Franklin "house" which is an abstract memorial to the now gone home. Then there's the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (we got a special tour of the roof and clock tower), Christ Church (we got a special tour of the balcony--sometimes it's a plus being a preservationist!), the Betsy Ross House, etc. Ate at a great restaurant in Chinatown. Oh, and there's always the Art Museum and reliving Rocky's moment...
I stayed at the Chamounix Mansion a couple years ago and really liked it. We lucked out, though. I was traveling with 9 of my classmates and they put us in one big room, all together in the carriage house. No one else was staying in the carriage house so we had the run of the place and could let each other in after curfew. For a hostel, though, it is nice and cheap. And the park is beautiful. We had a car, but I think the bus is about a 15 minute walk to take you downtown.
Pittsburgh - Things to Do, Places to Stay, Public Transportation
For things to do in Pittsburgh, check out the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau. The main tourist areas are:
Downtown - The main attractions in the immediate downtown area are Point State Park with its Three Rivers Fountain and the Fort Pitt Museum and Blockhouse and PPG Place . Downtown also has Macy's Department Store and the major live performance venues in the Cultural District. On the upper edge of Downtown along the Allegheny River is the Strip District, a funky neighborhood with restaurants, bars and clubs, shopping, and the Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.
Other Pittsburgh neighborhoods include:
North Side - walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge to PNC Park where the Pittsburgh Pirates play baseball, and from there you can explore other sights on the North Side like Heinz Field that's home to the 2005 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Mattress Factory, Carnegie Science Center, and the National Aviary.
South Side - there couldn't be a North Side without a South Side (pronounced sah-side in Pittsburghese), right? This area has become increasingly popular with restaurants, bars, and nightlife. A walk across the Smithfield Street Bridge from Downtown takes you to Station Square and the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines. The platform at the top of the Duquesne Incline affords the more face-to-face view of Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle. A ride on an incline and a view from the top is pretty much de rigueur for visitors to the city. Station Square is also the docking site for a cruise on one of the boats of the Gateway Clipper Fleet. A new shopping and entertainment venue called the South Side Works is located farther east on Carson Street.
Oakland - this neighborhood is home to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Carnegie Museum of Art (the Carnegie owns the Science Center and the Warhol, too), and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The Nationality Rooms on Pitt's campus are well worth seeing, and nearby is the Heinz Memorial Chapel that was modeled after Sainte-Chapelle in Paris
Farther out in the city in the Point Breeze neighborhood is the Frick Art and Historical Center and Clayton, the former home of Henry Clay Frick.
If you like old school amusement parks, definitely go to Kennywood! This local park is popular for school picnics, high school band days, ethnic group and community days, and general fun. It's known for its roller coasters, both steel and wooden, and classic rides, including a beautiful 80-year-old handcrafted carousel that's a designated historic landmark.
Public transportation in Pittsburgh consists of Port Authority buses and the T, which is a small subway and light rail system.
More general information about Pittsburgh.
Comments:
PNC Park is great. We went to a baseball game there in its opening year (September 2001), and we loved it. It's such an improvement over Three Rivers Stadium and reminds my husband and me very much of Forbes Field, for which we have great childhood nostalgia, only it's a far improved version.
Definitely go to Kennywood! You can't imagine how much time I've spent there with school picnics and band nights, and my husband and I even spent one of our wedding anniversaries there, just being kids for a day.
Seven Springs Ski Resort - Things to Do, Nightlife
Comments:
Seven Springs is the premiere ski area in SW PA, and it must be good for skiing because it's extremely popular. The Dupres have been in the ski resort business for a long time, and from everything I've heard about it, they know what they're doing. I've known several avid skiers (skiiers?) who went there regularly, and if it wasn't any good, I don't think they'd have bothered. I've only been to Seven Springs twice and didn't ski on either occasion, but on one of those visits we hiked the segment of the Laurel Highlands Trail that goes through the resort and down the side of the ski slopes and I can attest to the beauty of the countryside. Even if you find you're not so fond of skiing after all or by some fluke the weather is too warm for snow, there's a lot of other activities available at the resort as well as many opportunities for hiking in the area.
If you're a first-timer, you should just find somewhere that has a good package on a lift ticket and at the very least a half-day lesson, probably an all day lesson for the first day. Most places are eager to get people hooked on the sport, so they are very happy to provide great first-timer packages. Beyond that, your first few days, you'll be skiing short, flat runs so flying to somewhere with halfway decent terrain and real snow shouldn't be a big concern. Seven Springs will probably be fine. By mid-week after New Year's, the crowd should thin to almost managable levels. If you ski enough days to move up to slightly more challenging slopes, it can be a little rough getting started on the skating-rink style ice in the eastern U.S., but if you can learn to ski on that, you'll be ecstatic when you go out West and ski the actual snow in the Rockies or Sierras some day.
It's the best ski resort in the Mid-Atlantic. It was so much fun and the resort was great! The beginner and intermediate trails were really good; I heard the advanced ones were fun, too. They also have an excellent ski school with good teachers (my snowboarding teacher was the bomb). The food at the resort was reasonably priced and excellent. The nightlife and live music were impressive as well. Make sure to have drinks at The Foggy Goggle.