Thoughts of walking along exotic sand dunes, exploring magnificent castles and seeing at least a slice of the world's great architectural wonders sound both desirable and costly. And they are, if you think you need to travel overseas to see such things. But here's a tip: Traveling over state lines will guarantee just as much to see and do, with the added benefit of saving you a few thousand dollars and uncomfortable hours on a plane.
In eight nearby states — New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois — you can find castles, sand dunes, amazing architectural tours, outdoor adventure, cosmopolitan city shopping and world-class sporting events. So why bother with airline tickets, passports and inevitable delays? The treasures of the world are just a long weekend away.
It is fitting that Fallingwater — Frank Lloyd Wright's residential masterwork — is a favorite destination of tourists who visit the rugged and wooded hills surrounding Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. Fitting, because when Wright designed Fallingwater he intended to create a human habitat that blended seamlessly with the natural environment — and he picked the perfect spot for it. The Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania are within a half day's drive of millions of people; yet there are few places that offer so many opportunities to commune with nature.
Ohiopyle is fewer than 100 miles from Pittsburgh and 200 miles from Cleveland, Columbus, Erie, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and it has been a playground for urbanites from these areas for more than a century. Still, the area retains an unspoiled feel, and despite its many visitors, it offers plenty of room for hiking, fishing, cycling and whitewater rafting for all ages and skill levels.
Nestled in the center of Ohiopyle State Park and on the banks of the Youghiogheny River, Ohiopyle has a year-round population of about 80. But more than 2 million outdoors enthusiasts visit each year, and many of them come for the rafting. The region offers the most varied selection of whitewater experiences in the East, from Class V whitewater on the Cheat River in the spring to one outfitter that promises a tour in which you won't get wet.
And there are plenty of other activities to keep visitors busy when they are finished rafting. Take a hike or ride a bike. Stay in a comfortable bed-and-breakfast or rough it in a tent on a backcountry trail. Fish for trout in mountain streams or angle for lunker bass in the Youghiogheny River Reservoir. And, of course, visit Fallingwater. You can't fit it all in one day, but with a long weekend, you can savor several of the attractions, beginning with the whitewater.
At least four licensed rafting outfitters are based in Ohiopyle, running the Youghiogheny and the Cheat. There's some exciting whitewater in this area, but you don't need to be expert (or daring) to run it. Laurel Highlands River Tours offers float trips for families with children as young as 4 on the mild Middle Yough, a stretch of the river above Ohiopyle that is also a favorite for fishing float trips.
Or travel with Wilderness Voyageurs, which offers exciting whitewater adventures and a historical float trip down a calm stretch of the Yough with a guide dressed in colonial period costume. The guide keeps the raft steady, even while telling stories about the French and Indian War battles that were fought in the area.
In the spring, the adrenaline junkies run the Cheat, the only free-flowing whitewater river in the area, which offers Class IV/V whitewater. Others take small rafts (three guests and a guide in each boat) and run the Upper Yough's highly technical rapids. The lower Youghiogheny, which runs through the state park, provides something in between, with Class III/IV rapids and stunning views through the Youghiogheny Gorge.
Visitors who want a different, drier view of the Youghiogheny can see it from many vista points along the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, a 70-mile, fully maintained wilderness adventure that meanders along the top of Laurel Ridge from Ohiopyle to Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Day-trippers can pick up the trail in the middle of Ohiopyle, at the Ferncliff Peninsula parking lot off St. Rte. 381; however, parking is not allowed at this lot. Hard-core backpackers who want to spend the night on the trail need to find the trailhead parking area at King Road and St. Rte. 381 just outside of Ohiopyle where they can leave their cars overnight. Campers must preregister by phone.
Bikers can visit the 70-mile Youghiogheny River Trail, which passes through the state park. It is part of the Great Allegheny Passage, a 152-mile rail-trail under construction to connect Cumberland to Pittsburgh. Everyone not using a motor is welcome — cyclers, walkers, fishers, canoeists, hikers, birders and cross-country skiers.
And after a day of paddling, biking or hiking, you will need to eat and sleep well. Here are a couple of places where you can do both.
Fans of inns can book a stay at the River's Edge Cafe Bed & Breakfast. The wraparound porch of this nineteenth-century farmhouse overlooks the Youghiogheny River and the bike trail. Behind the restaurant is a cottage-style bed-and-breakfast that sleeps six guests.
A massage can be arranged by appointment at the Stone House Restaurant and Country Inn — a welcome feature for worn-out rafters. Rooms in the original 1822 inn (and in a more modern addition) rent from $75 to $150 a night. The restaurant provides fine casual dining and the Stone Tavern provides liquid refreshment to the weary.
Camping is available at the state park's Kentuck Campground, which offers 226 campsites, including 27 walk-ins. The campground has washhouses with hot water and flush toilets, four children's play areas and a sanitary dumping station. A few campsites have electric hookups.
Whatever else you do, make sure to be one of the 130,000 people who each year experience the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. Completed in 1937, the residence is operated by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which is completing an $11.5 million restoration project that includes major structural repairs, furniture restoration, waterproofing and landscaping.