Looking for a few ideas for day or weekend trips that are close by and affordable? Here's the Beaver Valley Macaroni Kid "What's In . . .?" feature. I've picked out a few places that have lots of family-friendly things to do but are close enough that you won't be filling up your gas tank more than once on your trip!
Next up is . . . Laurel Highlands. Laurel Highlands encompasses three southwest Pennsylvania counties: Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland. It's really a beautiful part of Pennsylvania and offers so much to do, including some fantastic state parks, a cave that you can take a guided tour through, one of the top children's parks in the country, and an architectural wonder. There's many places that younger kids and teens would enjoy.Idlewild and SoakZone --Idlewild is a beautiful kids' park that is often ranked at the top of the list for family amusement parks. There are many (MANY) kids' rides, including roller coasters, a large outdoor water park that just added a wave pool, entertainment, huge play areas, and Storybook Forest. I remember going to Storybook Forest when I was young, and I love bringing my kids now so that we can walk through together, reading the nursery rhymes and talking about the stories we love.
At Storybook Forest -- The Good Ship LollipopSeven Springs and Hidden Valley: In the winter, these are great resorts for skiing. In the summer, there's still a ton to do. Seven Springs Resort has lots of festivals and events during this time year, and if you're looking for a place that offers activities that kids and adults can enjoy together, you should stop here. There's bowling, an arcade, miniature golf inside the lodge, and outdoor activities that include an alpine slide, summer tubing, fishing, hiking, crafts, and paintball. There are also indoor and outdoor pools. Hidden Valley offers lots of activities too, and has an Idlewild package available if you're interested in staying at the resort when you go to the park.
Laurel Caverns --Laurel Caverns is the largest cave in Pennsylvania. Guided tours are available daily from the beginning of May until the end of October. The tours are around an hour long, and they leave about three times an hour, so you won't wait for long.
A couple things you should know: there's a steep downhill grade when entering the caverns, so be sure to wear shoes that you're comfortable in--leave the stilettos at home :) Also, there are bats. They don't bother anybody, but they live in and around the cave area, so don't be surprised when your tour guide mentions them. Some areas of the cave are dark, so if your kids aren't into that, warn them ahead of time. You're allowed to take pictures in the cave, but not video. The temperature in the caves remains 52 degrees year round--bring a jacket.
Inside the cavesFallingwater: Celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater in the 1930s for the Kaufmann family. If you only know Fallingwater as "the house that was built over a waterfall," then you should definitely visit to see why it's so spectacular. It's full of paintings, sculpture, drawings, and furniture, and yet you feel very close to nature even while you're in the house. While this is a must-see, kids under the age of 6 aren't allowed on the regular tour. There's a family room that kids under 6 can play in with a parent while others are on the tour. You also must either reserve your tour spot or buy tickets ahead of time.
Ohiopyle State Park: Ohiopyle boasts many scenic overlooks of the Youghiogheny River as it wends its way through the park. It's a favorite place for whitewater rafters, hikers, and cyclists. There are large (Ohiopyle Falls) and small waterslides in the park that you can visit, and there is even a natural waterslide at Meadow Run. (There's also a natural waterfall at Linn Run Park near Somerset.) We once rented bikes with a trailer attached and rode the kids around town and on the Great Allegheny Passage. There are guided and non-guided paddling, canoe, and boat trips offered for families that can include kids as young as 5 (kids have to be 12 for whitewater rafting).
At Ohiopyle FallsFort Ligonier--This is a full-scale, reconstructed French and Indian War fort. It includes officers’ mess, barracks, a guardroom, and buildings such as a hospital, a smokehouse, a log building and a forge.
Latrobe--It sounds like the NFL owners and players will be reaching an agreement very soon, which means that training camp will be underway at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Training camp is free and open to the public!
If you're planning a trip to the Laurel Highlands, be sure to check out the Laurel Highlands website. It's a great resource and trip-planning site!
