<p>Ok midwest parents, Please help me in a non-college quest… DH will be spending much time in the office near Pittsburgh / Akron area for the next six to eight months.
He is paid to come home each weekend or I can go there . Kids are all graduated and I have the summer mostly on-line work. We have never been anywhere near there. So, tell us where to visit, brag about your hometown, what are the best weekend get-aways from there? What are the “can’t miss” and the “mmeh”, not so important spots?<br>
We love history, waterfront/maritime stuff, brew-pubs, art, and seafood if that matters.</p>
<p>Dragonmom, where are you coming from?</p>
<p>Please see a baseball game at PNC Park in Pitt. Even if you don’t like baseball, the views are gorgeous.</p>
<p>There are a few museums in Pitt. I have never been to them but I’ve heard good things.</p>
<p>I’ve heard good things about the Point State Park.</p>
<p>This might sound dorky but we went on a duck boat tour through the city and it was a lot of fun. [Just</a> Ducky](<a href=“http://www.justduckytours.com/]Just”>http://www.justduckytours.com/)</p>
<p>You could drive up to Lake Erie… I’ve been there before and the views are pretty.</p>
<p>You could also go up to the rock and roll hall of fame in Cleveland… that’s not too too far from Akron.</p>
<p>If you’ve never been, maybe you want to pop up to Niagara Falls on a weekend trip. That’s probably about a four hour or so drive from where he will be.</p>
<p>If you go to niagara falls you will need a passport if you decide to pop over to the canadian side. I really like the views from over there plus there are a lot more touristy attractions. From either side you can go on the maid of the mist and I believe you can walk behind the falls.</p>
<p>NYT had an article Sunday about visiting the falls–
[36</a> Hours in Niagara Falls - NYTimes.com](<a href=“36 Hours in Niagara Falls - The New York Times”>36 Hours in Niagara Falls - The New York Times)</p>
<p>The closest waterfront area may be my son’s college town of Erie, PA. It’s beautiful in the summer and a little over an hour north of Pittsburgh. Here are some links:</p>
<p>[Welcome</a> | PresqueIsle.org](<a href=“http://www.presqueisle.org/]Welcome”>http://www.presqueisle.org/)</p>
<p>[Maritime</a> Museum](<a href=“http://www.flagshipniagara.org/maritime_museum/]Maritime”>http://www.flagshipniagara.org/maritime_museum/)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.erie.pa.us/AboutErie/SummerEventsinErie/tabid/241/Default.aspx[/url]”>http://www.erie.pa.us/AboutErie/SummerEventsinErie/tabid/241/Default.aspx</a></p>
<p>[Sheraton</a> Erie Hotels: Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel - Hotel Rooms at sheraton](<a href=“Marriott Bonvoy Hotels | Book Directly & Get Exclusive Rates”>Marriott Bonvoy Hotels | Book Directly & Get Exclusive Rates)</p>
<p>if u can steal a fri/monday
drive down to the jersey beaches
avalon/stone harbor/wildwood/cape may
you and your husband will have a very nice enjoyable weekend</p>
<p>Falling Water is very close to Pittsburgh, probably 50 miles. [Fallingwater</a> | Home](<a href=“http://www.fallingwater.org/]Fallingwater”>http://www.fallingwater.org/)</p>
<p>Washington D.C. is only about 4.5 hours; certainly worth the trip for a long weekend. Gettysburg is less than 4 hours. </p>
<p>Sounds like fun!</p>
<p>During the time that I lost my 3 posts from my iPad, others have made the suggestions that I had planned to make. For quick trips within the city of Pittsburgh, we usually take out-of town guests to Phipps Conservatory, the Mon Incline, and the Church Brew Works. The Carnegie Museum has both art and history. The Andy Warhol Museum is on my list of things to do. </p>
<p>I live in the city of Pittsburgh, so if you have any specific questions or need any additional info., please feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh museums are great! The Carnegie Natural History boasts to have the second most complete T-Rex in the country (the first being Sue in Chicago). Andy Warhol museum is a must visit for art/60’s history buffs. The Science Center is great too - even with no little kids in tow!<br>
lotsofquests listed all our other favorites - Mon Incline!! Love Pittsburgh - Go Stillers!!!</p>
<p>If you go to Fallingwater (which is great) plan to stop by [Discover</a> Ohiopyle - The Laurel Highlands best kept secret](<a href=“http://www.discoverohiopyle.com/]Discover”>http://www.discoverohiopyle.com/).</p>
<p>Someone mentioned driving down to the New Jersey shore, maybe to Cape May.</p>
<p>Cape May is beautfiul, but you should know that it is normally about a 7 hour drive from Pittsburgh. In the summer, it will be a longer drive down there on a Friday (or Saturday)and a longer drive back on a Sunday (the weekend traffic around there in the summer is really bad).</p>
<p>I agree with dadinator. Cape May is pretty far to go from Pittsburgh for just a weekend.
Along with other suggestions already made re:Pittsburgh-the Heinz History Museum is also very nice. Kennywood is a nice amusement park. Hofbrauhaus is another brewpub in Pittsburgh on the water.If you do go to Fallingwater,check out Kentuck Knob as well. Ligonier is a nice town to explore in the Laurel Highlands,only about 1 hour east of Pittsburgh.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton,Ohio is interesting.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is my wife’s home town. I was just there Memorial Day weekend.</p>
<p>Second Kennywood, kind of an old school park that a lot of cities used to have, but is so non-Disney (and not flashy) you might just like it.
Check out the cultural district. There is great summer musical theater going on right now at the Pittsburgh CLO. I saw the Fabulous Wonderetts at the CLO cabaret - good times!
Make sure you eat at a place called Pamala’s and bring cash cause that’s all they accept.</p>
<p>dudedad, Since you like Kennywood, have you checked out Idlewild and Story Book Forest near Ligonier(which also has Fort Ligonier)? Idlewild is a cool older park as well.</p>
<p>^^^Will be bucketlisted!!!</p>
<p>Come to Lancaster County. It’s a 3-3 1/2 hour drive from Pittsburgh, and you can tour the Amish farmland. Lancaster has a lot to offer like their Central Market, the quaint town of Lititz where Wilbur chocolate is made, historical spots, Fulton Theater, and the outlets, although you can do outlets and most any place. Message me if you would like more specific information.</p>
<p>If you decided to check out the Lancaster area from Pittsburgh and wanted to take the scenic route, going on Route 30 is intersting. You go through nice towns like Ligonier,Bedford(Bedford Springs Resort), and Gettysburg. Hershey(although not on Route 30) is not really that far from Lancaster and is also interesting.</p>
<p>I think the Bedford Springs Resort sometimes turns up on TravelZoo’s weekly Top 20 list. It was refurbished a few years ago by Omni Hotels and is wonderful; coming upon it off the winding backroad is like stepping back in time. The beautiful spring-fed pool was one of the first indoor pools in the country. The original carpets and wallpapers were reproduced or restored. It would make a romantic weekend getaway but is close enough to the turnpike that you can easily stop for lunch or dinner.</p>
<p>The Bedford Springs Resort is very historical and really has been beautifully restored. The food is very good. Very nice spa and golfing as well. The town of Bedford also has nice shops, a quilt museum.Bedford also has Old Bedford Village and Fort Bedford. Also, Jean Bonnet Tavern(historical and great food). Near Fallingwater/Kentuck Knob is Nemacolin Woodlands Resort-also very nice but of course expensive.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions. I’m taking notes. The resorts sound lovely and Niagra Falls is a must. Restaurants and museums and ball parks noted with glee…</p>