Admission was provided to these venues. Opinions are strictly my own.
Living in Ohio, we are close to many states that offer very different adventures. Last month, our family spent 12 days exploring southern Pennsylvania and you should, too! We spent a week and a half making our way east towards Philadelphia in our motorhome. Pennsylvania did not disappoint. Whether you travel by RV, car or plane, destinations in Pennsylvania are easily accessible and friendly for families of all ages. For reference, our kids are 7 and almost-10 which is the perfect age to start having fun with both educational opportunities and full days at amusements parks.
Pittsburgh
@ 2-hour drive from east side of Cleveland
Pittsburgh hosts a wealth of family opportunities. It would be easy to spend many days there. Here is what we did in the short time we had. Next time we'll go back for longer!
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
No matter what the age of your kids, there is something for them to do at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. Our girls are 7 and almost-10, and they fit right in the middle of all the fun this museum has to offer. They made devices work by building circuits, climbed inside a wall, were virtual mannequins, went in an anti-gravity room, made shadow art, learned how much they weigh in chickens (chickens!), rode a Harley Davidson, splashed in water and played with ice. Phew! We also had a delightful lunch in their cafe. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and plan to go back and spend more time exploring the things we missed.
Duquesne Incline
The Duquesne Incline is a century-old cable car that opened in 1877, so workers didn't have to take the 1,400+ stairs to-and-from work each day. Our girls thought riding up the steep incline in the cable car was a blast! At the top, there is a pristine view of downtown Pittsburgh, and you can see where the three rivers connect. We also got to tour the machinery room to see how the incline works.
Idlewild & SoakZone
@ 3-hour drive from east side of Cleveland
Idlewild & SoakZone is an amusement park and water park made for families. Larger parks have sections dedicated to smaller kids, but at Idlewild, everything goes! We had so much fun exploring Story Book Forest, where stories from childhood are brought to life, climbing the Net Climb, getting wet on the Loggin' Toboggan and so much more. We spent the morning riding rides, had lunch and then got on our swimsuits.
I have to admit that SoakZone was my favorite part of the day. It is just the right size for our family. There are four slides, a lazy river, the best wave pool we've ever been in, Captain Kidd's Adventure Galley, which has six waterslides and interactive spray features (a water playground for kids) and a tipping bucket that got us soaked. We will be back!
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Gettysburg
@ 5-hour drive from east side Cleveland
We thought we would need only one day in Gettysburg, but I'm glad we ended up having two. A destination for U.S. history buffs and those just learning, Gettysburg is a must visit, especially for families. Some of the content went over our 7-year-old's head, but she still understood the gravity of this location. Our almost-10-year-old, though, soaked it up. We spent a day at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center seeing a film, the cyclorama and touring the Museum. I was very impressed with the Museum and the way they present the massive amount of content. We stopped at the Ranger desk before entering and got a Junior Ranger packet which helped keep the younger ones focused.
Day two we spent exploring the battlefield. There are many different ways to see the 20+ miles of road that goes through the expansive battlefield. There are bus tours, ranger tours, bike tours, Segway tours and self-guided tours. We rented bikes on our own for about an hour (it was a hot day!) and then drove the rest of it. There are Audio Tour signs to guide you through the battlefield and signage at every major stopping point to tell you what happened, oh-so-long ago, right where you are standing.
Gettysburg left a heavy impression on me. I'm glad we took the extra day to explore the battlefield and feel the ground beneath our feet.
Turkey Hill Experience
@ 5-hour drive from east side Cleveland, 1 hour from Gettysburg and @ 40 minutes from Hershey, PA.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
The Turkey Hill Experience is a must-do when in southern Pennsylvania. Turkey Hill is famous for the ice cream, and it turns out they have a juice and iced tea line of which I was unfamiliar. I can't say that anymore!
The Turkey Hill Experience isn't at the actual Turkey Hill factory, but it gives a great showing of how the products are made, and there is taste-testing, too. We first went through the exhibits where we got to make our own virtual ice cream by selecting flavors, develop product packaging and even make a tv commercial! Then we went to the lab which was the best. We each received a bowl of vanilla ice cream. We added our own flavor, mixed in inclusions and added swirls of our choice. Then, we ate it all! YUM!
Hersheypark and Hersheypark Camping Resort
If you are going to stay overnight in Hershey, Pennsylvania and enjoy Hersheypark and Chocolate World, I highly recommend staying at the Hersheypark Camping Resort. The campground offers sites for RVs and tents as well as cabins.
Not only is the campground beautiful but it has a big pool, hot tub, playgrounds, a store where you can buy your Hersheypark tickets but also a shuttle that runs to-and-from the park every half hour. This was the biggest winner for us. Traveling in an RV and with a dog, this meant we didn't have to unhook every day, and it meant our pup could stay in air conditioning while we were gone. Also, with your stay at the Hersheypark Camping Resort, you get a Sweet Start pass which means you can preview the park for 2.5 hours the night before and also show up an hour before it opens to the public the morning of your visit. Sweet indeed!
We were in Hershey two nights. The first evening, we hopped on the shuttle bus to check out Chocolate World. While this is not the factory where Hershey chocolate is made, it sure feels like it! We took a ride through the Hershey's Chocolate Tour and learned how the sweet confections are made. We made our own candy bars in the Create Your Own Candy Bar activity (a favorite) and shopped until we dropped in the store. There are other activities in Chocolate World including the 4D Chocolate Mystery, Chocolate Tasting Experience, and Trolley Works.
After getting our chocolate on, we headed next door to Hersheypark for the preview. From 7:30 - 10 p.m., we got to walk around the park, get the lay of the land and ride some rides. After a good night's rest, we spent the whole next day at Hersheypark and ZooAmerica. The park is clean, well laid out and full of rides for all ages. We rode kiddie rides, daring roller coasters and got wet on the water slides and East Coast Waterworks!
I never thought we would be an amusement park family between Idlewild & SoakZone and Hersheypark, our kids are begging for another full day at the park... and I'll be happy to go, too!
Other Pennsylvania sites we visited:
Flight 93 Memorial
Historical Philadelphia
Pennsylvania, which is just next store to Ohio, has so much to offer. We barely hit the tip of the iceberg on our adventure to southeastern Pennsylvania and back. We can't wait to explore more of the Keystone State!
