Triangulate our travel? (U.S. northeast/ Ohio/ mid-atlantic)
July 9, 2022 5:31 PM   Subscribe

I want to meet up with far-flung friends in August since it’s been years and one of the friends is visiting from abroad. We’ll all have car access, but in addition to the added complication of kids (aged 1.5 to 8 years old), we… have no idea where to meet! Do you know a lot about destinations in PA, western NY, or northern OH? Please help us choose!

  • Daisy is visiting her hometown of Cleveland, OH (usually lives in super-urban Japan). Driving with husband and two kids (5 and 8 y.o.).
  • Margaret lives in Philadelphia, PA. Driving with partner.
  • I live in Brooklyn, NY. Driving with husband and two toddlers (1.5 and 3 y.o.).
Location-wise, what would make sense? I’ve looked at maps but is Scranton, PA truly the answer?

Constrictions:
Basically everyone is trying their best to keep it cheap (other than gasoline), and minimize driving to 4-5 hours a day max (with my kids, expected drive time always seems to double…).

Preferences:
Kid-friendly; not a huge metropolis.

Personalities:
Vegetarians, photographers, skateboarders, very tired parents. Generally chill people. Kids who need to get their energy out after long car rides.

I’m one of the tired parents and I can’t wrap my brain around this!!
posted by cluebucket to Travel & Transportation around Pennsylvania (10 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: The Finger Lakes near Ithaca would seem to be a no-brainer. I’ve been to Trumansberg and it was lovely.
posted by minervous at 5:46 PM on July 9, 2022 [7 favorites]


Not a person with children but maybe consider Pittsburgh? Not a huge metropolis but tons of stuff to do. Cleveland to Pitt is like 2 1/2 to 3 hours. For all practical purposes Philly & NYC are the same drive from Cleveland - 8+ hours even with all adults in the vehicle (speaking from experience). The Google maps says Philly to Pitt is 4-5 hours.

Nothing against Scranton, of course.
posted by soundguy99 at 5:49 PM on July 9, 2022 [5 favorites]


Best answer: Agree, the finger lakes are beautiful - you can swim, paddle, and hike. There are a number of towns with various amenities/dining options. Ithaca is of course a classic college town. Allegheny National Forest is also lovely - I forget which campground I stayed in, but you could rent small cabins right on the river, which you could swim in. Maybe less ideal for the 1.5 year old though.
posted by coffeecat at 6:17 PM on July 9, 2022 [1 favorite]


I was going to say Ithaca. the best farmer’s market around. take the kids to Buttermilk Falls.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 6:59 PM on July 9, 2022 [1 favorite]


Seconding Pittsburgh - a very family friendly place, lots of stuff to do with kids, especially in the summer. Schenley Park on the east side of town has a botanical garden and some great playgrounds. Highland Park is not far from there, and has a super playground which is currently being rebuilt. It might be open again by the time you visit. The food scene in Pittsburgh is way better than you might expect, thanks to the huge and globally diverse college population there.

If you want to be out in the wilderness, the Finger Lakes are beautiful for sure, but can also be a hassle for drive time. Lots of two-lane roads winding through rolling hills, which could make the kids motion sick. The highway system in western PA is overbuilt for the population because we had a Congressman who chaired the House Transportation Committee for ages and brought home a lot of bacon. Along the PA Turnpike, look around Johnstown or Bedford, or on I-80, State College and Bellefonte. There are loads of rental cabins and state parks in both general areas. These are pretty central for your group and should be no more than 5 hours of driving from any of your starting points.

Let us know what you end up doing!
posted by sockshaveholes at 7:24 PM on July 9, 2022 [1 favorite]


I spent over a decade in Pittsburgh and have extended family in Ithaca and around the Finger Lakes. Both are beautiful but may stretch driving durations. Check out State College in PA. If you are visiting during the summer it’s a great option for family friendly activities when things are quieter than during the college season. Stay away during football weekends.
posted by meinvt at 9:09 PM on July 9, 2022 [2 favorites]


State College is surrounded by pretty countryside. There are state parks nearby. I think of State College as a big small town. Excellent bagels at Irving's bagels. The Creamery on the PSU campus has famous ice cream.

Ag Progress Days are August 9-11 and might have some interest for the family.
posted by sevenstars at 5:31 AM on July 10, 2022 [1 favorite]


This site says that Selinsgrove, PA is the midpoint between all three cities. Zooming out a bit, Lancaster, PA or Lehigh Valley might also be of interest.
posted by oceano at 9:05 AM on July 10, 2022


Lancaster is a shockingly cool place these days. Nice restaurants, art, and an amazing coffee roaster. And you can also get out and see the Amish if that's your bag.
posted by kdar at 9:20 PM on July 10, 2022


Response by poster: 'bout a month later... thanks for all the ideas, everyone :-)
Coincidentally, before I shared the thread with my Cleveland friend, she compiled a list of potential stay-places. most of these were state park camping-type places around PA and NY, but then it turned out we had to book for a week at a time (?) -- or at least, it seemed that way when we were navigating the campgrounds' reservation pages. so, out of the stay-places that remained, we picked a Finger Lakes farmhouse to rent for a few nights -- turns out it was right next to Trumansburg, NY! minervous' pick -- the very first in line!

The lake and adjoining park/playground(s) area was perfect for everyone to chill out, do light swimming, and run around like little kid freaks. Plus, despite the drive, this time no kids got carsick.

We'd love to visit again.
posted by cluebucket at 9:49 PM on September 2, 2022 [1 favorite]


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