Road trip stops near Pittsburgh and DC

If you’re interested in Fallingwater, maybe the rest of your family could check out nearby Ohiopyle State Park. Lots of hiking trails, etc.

Depending on your interests, Pittsburgh has a few smallish museums, such as The Warhol (Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburgh) and the Carnegie Muesem (dinosaur bones exhibit is popular there). We also have a decent Science Center that might be of interest, depending on the ages of your teenagers. The Strip District is another Pittsburgh spot to look at. It’s kind of our local market area, best enjoyed on weekend mornings and early afternoons-come hungry!

The Great Allegheny Passage Trail is a rails to trails path that runs through the I-68 corridor. Might be a good place to stop and stretch your legs with a walk.

Have a great trip!

Reading your post, my thought was that Gettysburg is probably out of your way, coming from DC towards Pittsburgh, but doable if you have the time. PA is actually a big state.

I-68 is a nice East/west route. We have not stopped in Morgantown, but I think we stopped at Sidelong hill. We prefer this to the Pennsylvania Turnpike — it’s pretty and there’s less traffic.

I think either Harper’s Ferry or Antietam would be nice stop, best if you have a few hours. Both have history, well presented by the park service. Harpers Ferry is at a dramatic site, at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac. If you cross the river from Harpers Ferry to Maryland, you could hike up (and I mean up) to Maryland Heights, or to Stone Fort (about 5 miles). There are trails on the WV side and the VA side too. And you have the Appalachian Trail and the C&O Towpath along the Potomac. Many hiking variations, depending on what you want.

Antietam is a beautiful park with a gruesome battle. It’s very hilly. I prefer it to Gettysburg which is more crowded. You have hiking possibilities here too.

In the DC area there is lots to see.

Great Smithsonian air museum near Dulles Airport.
Charlottesville, VA home of the University of Virginia is great.
Annapolis, MD, the capital of MD with the US Naval Academy is a great city to visit.

I agree Harper’s Ferry and Antietam are nice to visit. The Gettysburg battlefield is larger and the town is nice to walk around. Maybe a little out of the way is Luray Caverns. It shouldn’t be busy be too busy in late March.

Right after I-68 becomes I-70 (Hancock) is Hagerstown, and the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. This is a classic hidden gem art museum that punches WAY above its weight. Highly recommend a couple hours to visit and appreciate the collection.

Just west of Antietam is Shepherdstown, WV. It is a popular spot for DC daytrippers and intrepid commuters. Cute downtown main street, great old school German restaurant, historic theater, etc. Frederick, MD is another is another good historic downtown. Brewer's Alley was always a favorite when we were in the area. Finally, just to the north of Frederick is Catoctin Mountain Park. This is a National Park Service site, and is essentially the park that surrounds Camp David. Nice trails, hiking, and interpretation.

You might consider Flight 93 Memorial about an hour and half east of Pittsburgh. Very sobering experience.

Done this drive 15+ times.

Fallingwater is a nice walk around (pay for parking), the house tour is expensive and often sells out. FLW houses are universally small. Urban setting (Grand Rapids MI) but the Meyer May house is free, if in that area.

Sideling Hill is a common rest stop, on the Appalachian Trail.

Always wanted to stop in Cumberland MD but never have.

Harpers Ferry is not directly on the way, pretty setting but really have to look (hard) to find much about John Brown, most of the historical plaques cover civil war battles. It’s like they are trying to cover up the most famous historical event of the town. One of the many post-civil war colleges founded to educate freed slaves is on the top of the hill, Storer College.

My partner and I are both longtime metro Detroiters whose roots are in the Laurel Highlands of PA.

We still have plenty of family and reunions in Somerset county PA. We're both members of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and have a great interest in Fallingwater, Ohiopyle and Kentuck Knob. We both recommend a visit to nearby Kentuck Knob which can be described as a more modest "small" design compared to the more ambitious Fallingwater. Kentuck Knob was originally known as the Hagan House when I was youngster in Meyersdale & Salisbury eating Hagan ice cream.

My partner's interior design career enabled us to spend half day visits in and out of the Fallingwater home and site. Watching the amount of work needed to restore and maintain it has been mind boggling. I've loved every minute I've spent there and cost has not been a concern to us at all. Rafting the Youghiogheny at Ohiopyle is fun as well as biking the Great Allegheny Passage. Near my hometown the Passage crosses over the Salisbury Viaduct, a wonderful reuse of a huge Western Maryland RR trestle bridge. It's really a thrill as is going through the old railroad tunnels as the trail crosses into MD from PA.

When it's in operation a ride on the Western Maryland railroad's steam locomotive train between Cumberland and Frostburg MD has some good scenery and Frostburg is a great university town with a unique Main street. I also have relatives in Grantsville, Frostburg, LaVale and Cumberland.

We always enjoy time on the old National Pike including a visit to the Penn Alps restaurant (although it's not as authentically local foods as it has been in the past). We used to find dried corn and smoked sausage there just like Grandma used to make. Adjoining the restaurant in the forest are seasonal art and crafts booths. The Stonehouse restaurant is reliable and we always enjoy a stay at the Historic Summit Inn with it's mission style design (Henry Ford stayed there 90 years ago). Sadly the Casselman Bridge near Grantsville MD is undergoing repair but it's the first bridge funded by the new US government, signed by James Madison.

Pittsburgh's got many attractions - bird enthusiasts should enjoy the National Aviary and the Pittsburgh Zoo makes great use of the unique terrain. We like staying with our friends near Kennywood amusement park for some rides on it's historic roller coasters. The city's 2 incline trolleys are interesting experiences.

That's just off the top of my head - it's really a colorful historic region. My partner's roots are in Johnstown and Nanty Glo - there's an incline trolley in Johnstown but it may be under repair - not sure about it.

I've got an emotional connection to the stretch of PA turnpike from Somerset to Ohio as my family traveled it hundreds of times - it was engineered for a train and feels like a wild mouse ride at times. It just made me think of visiting Fort Ligonier again - a favorite school 4th grade field trip! We'd take the Donegal exit off the turnpike and drive north to Route 30.

Thank you for all these suggestions. I've now been looking at a lot of pictures along the Great Allegheny Passage.

History buffs can find plenty of French & Indian War sites along the National Pike - Fort Necessity with the Mount Washington Tavern nearby, Jumonville Glen, Braddock's Grave as well as the previously mentioned Fort Ligonier farther north. Our country's history is concentrated there and I was fortunate to have a father who helped his children appreciate it. The view at night from the veranda of the Historic Summit Inn looking west at the expansive valley of lights below is not easily forgotten. It's a destination for weddings and honeymoons.

Take US 219 several miles north from Grantsville MD to Salisbury PA and venture into the countryside to buy maple syrup from a number of Amish farmers. We always take home a gallon from Brenneman's camp. The price and quality are outstanding. There's a yearly Maple Festival a few more miles north on 219 at Meyersdale PA (where I attended elementary school). The Great Allegheny Passage passes through Meyersdale and there's a number of great new B&B's and also an easy entrance to the Salisbury Viaduct trestle bridge.