Unique destinations within a few hours driving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania abound.
Families with young children shouldn't pass up the opportunity to visit Storybook Forest at Idlewild Park. In Ligonier, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh, Storybook Forest is where your child's favorite storybook characters come to life"¦and where you can take a nostalgic trip back through your own childhood! Meet The Old Woman in The Shoe and tour her humble abode. Watch Jack-Be-Nimble jump over that candlestick and help the cow run away with the spoon!
Oglebay Park in Wheeling, West Virginia truly is a destination for every member of the family. For Dad, there are not one, but two championship golf courses, one of them designed by legendary golfer Arnold Palmer. For Mom, the spectacular Oglebay Gardens feature vibrant, seasonal floral displays. For the kids, Oglebay's 30-acre Good Zoo boasts of more than 80 species of animals and a mile and a half train ride through the zoo. Benedrum Planetarium, in the Good Zoo, features musically choreographed laser-light shows. There's also a lake with paddleboats, playgrounds and a miniature golf course.
November and December bring The Festival of Lights to Oglebay Park. America's largest light show features more than 1 million lights sculpted into dozens of animated, holiday-themed displays, including flying reindeer, the Twelve Days of Christmas, a jack-in-the-box and many more.
And just in case you decide to turn your day trip into a weekend get-a-way, Oglebay Park offers 49 private cottages and the renowned Wilson Lodge for overnight accommodations.
One hundred twenty miles to the west of Pittsburgh, you'll find the World's largest Amish population residing in Holmes County, Ohio. A trip to Amish Country is like a trip back in time. Horses and buggies share the roads with cars and tour buses and the Amish people go about their simplified lives unfazed by the development of electricity technology.
Shopping in Amish Country is a rare treat. Visit shops selling homemade crafts, genuine Amish food and handcrafted Amish furniture. The Buggy Trail Tour is a three-hour, back-road bus tour that visits Amish farms and workshops while a guide narrates the tour with stories about Amish history and customs. There are also several wineries in the area as well as numerous museums.
To the south of Pittsburgh, about an hour's drive, is Laurel Caverns. This cave systems is chock full of local legends of lost spelunkers, lost treasure, ghosts and goblins. Take a 45 minute guided tour or choose the unguided route and take all day to wind your way through the unlighted, underground hide-away.
And 128 miles to the north of Pittsburgh, you'll find a sea-side paradise. Presque Isle (French for "˜almost an island') is located on a scenic peninsula that juts into Lake Erie. The Pennsylvania State Park features seven miles of wind-swept beaches, an historic lighthouse and 11 miles of marked trails which traverse the peninsula's six ecological zones, covering everything from coastline to forest.
