Two confessions right off the bat—I am a history geek, through and through, so I love historic areas. And two, venturing to the Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area would be a long day trip. But if you are ambitious, you could make a trip out there and back in one day—we’ve actually done it ourselves. Better yet, stay at one of the awesome bed and breakfasts like the Shearer Elegance Inn, where we lodged, and make it an overnight or even weekend trip. What is there to see and do? Well, a lot. Located about five hours from the greater Pittsburgh area, this region is located along …

Once upon a time, Brownsville was a booming area, home to the barge-making and coal mining industries, an area so  prosperous, that it was purported you couldn’t walk on the sidewalks because they were so crowded. Considered the river gateway to the West, like many small towns in Western, Pennsylvania, the prosperous times didn’t last. “There is an old newspaper article that says, ‘Pittsburgh might amount to something if it weren’t so close to Brownsville,” said Brianne Bayer Mitchell, “That is how amazing our economy was.” When the railroads forked away from Brownsville and industry moved to…

Each week in my Day Tripper column, I take you to places I think you would like to visit. This time around, I'm telling you about some of the resources I use to help plan my trips—and that could help you find your own great destinations to explore. I hope you'll share your great ideas with me for future Day Tripper columns. To start, check out local visitors bureaus, also known as convention and visitors bureaus. I get great information for many local trips from my friends at Visit Pittsburgh, Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau and the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. “One of the …

1. McConnells Mill State Park is Great for Hiking, White-Water Rafting McConnells Mill State Park is only about an hour north of here and is a great place to spend a day hiking, rock climbing, white-water rafting, having a picnic or just simply relaxing and enjoying nature. 'The World's Coolest Toy Store' is also a quick drive from the park. 2. Amish Cheeses, Wineries and More in Indiana County Indiana County is home to nearly 300 Old Order Amish families — and their food and crafts. 3. One of the Best Places to Star Gaze is a Short Drive from Pittsburgh Cherry Springs State Park's relatively…

After the packages are open and the dust settles post-Christmas, it’s time to start planning your New Year’s Eve celebration. Of course, Pittsburgh has a great "First Night" celebration each year on Dec. 31. Thousands of people gather in the city for a safe, fun way to welcome in the New Year. Officially called Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2012, there are some great entertainment acts lined up for this year’s event. Things will kick off at 6 p.m., and early visitors can take in the holiday decorations that still are up and glowing around our beautiful city. First Night buttons allow access…

The holidays are just around the corner, but there still is time to pick up some last-minute gifts for your favorite traveler – or for yourself! It always is good to have an extra blanket in the car for long road trips, impromptu picnics or emergencies. TravelSmith, one of my favorite go-to websites for travel accessories and clothing, has a great CoolMax blanket. If you aren’t familiar with CoolMax, the company uses light-weight material that wicks moisture away from the body. When folded, the blanket is very compact, so it's convenient to take with you on a plane trip. At $30, it's also a …

Every once in a while it's great to get away, even for one night. That's why my husband and I decided to stay overnight at the state-of-the-art Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park. You can drive to the Nature Inn from Pittsburgh in about three hours -- and you could do it as a day trip -- but staying at the eco-friendly lodge is a treat.  If you're a regular reader of the Day Tripper column, you probably know I love to be outdoors at every chance I get. So when I learned about the new Nature Inn that the Pennsylvania's state park system created I was thrilled. The Nature Inn, which is about …

“More than a ride...it’s an experience” is the motto for the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pa. "It is an important motto," said Scott Becker, executive director of the museum. "We pride ourselves on providing a great experience for our visitors.”  That experience can include a four-mile round trip on an antique streetcar, a guided tour of the Trolley Display Building and a stop at the visitors center. More than 50 trolleys are on display at the museum, Becker said. “We tell people to allow 90 minutes for a tour so that they can see everything,” he said. The Pennsylvania Trolley …

The holidays bring a variety of seasonal activities, and one of my favorite holiday traditions is visiting the Hartwood Mansion at Hartwood Acres. Every year, volunteers decorate the mansion for the holiday season. A few weeks ago, I had a sneak preview of this year’s adornments. It is a must visit for history lovers as well as for those who enjoy the holidays. Hartwood Acres, which is in Indiana and Hampton townships, is part of the Allegheny County Park system. The mansion was once home to John and Mary Flinn Lawrence. Mary was the daughter of William Flinn, a Pittsburgh construction baron …

A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of traveling to Germany for a tour of the famous WeinhnachtMarkts. Every year during the month of December, thousands of German towns big and small play host to these Christmas markets. Vendors of all sorts sell their wares. The various traditional foods include roasted nuts, bratwurst and sauerkraut, and the very popular Gluwien, a mulled spiced wine, is offered at every corner. We are so lucky in the Pittsburgh area because Germany comes to Historic Harmony for a version of WeinhnachtMarkt every year. This year's market will be Saturday, Nov. 12, …

All three of my children still were in their teens the first time they saw an elk. The first words out of my daughter's mouth were, “This was so worth getting up at 4 a.m.” Pretty strong words coming from a teenager. Not to speak in a cliché, but elks are majestic animals. Huge in stature -- the male elk can weigh as much as 1,000 pounds, the female about 500 pounds -- they slowly amble as they cross fields and stop to munch on grass. As we watched two male elk search for their breakfast, we made a family memory that is stored with many others. We weren’t in Montana or Wyoming when we saw the…

Fall is one of the best times of year in Western Pennsylvania because of our wonderful foliage. There's also plenty to do to celebrate the season, including an array of spooky and fun Halloween events. Cruising for Fall  Take advantage of the last few days of warmer weather and enjoy the changing seasons with a ride on the Nautical Nature during the Fall Foliage Pontoon Cruise at Moraine State Park. On weekends through Oct. 30, you can take the 45-passenger enclosed pontoon boat for an enjoyable cruise. Rides are at 1 and 3 p.m. Fees are $10 for adults; $9 for senior citizens age 62 and older…

It might seem odd that a guy who lives in Philadelphia would write a book about the best attractions in Pittsburgh, but after living in many cities while growing up thanks to his dad’s military career, Pittsburgh is where author Dan Eldridge has lived the longest, and he considers it home. For a guy who has lived in six states and three different countries, that's high praise. Eldridge is the author of the Moon Handbooks travel guide, Pittsburgh. The Avalon Travel guidebook ($17.99) covers many well-known sites, restaurants and attractions of Pittsburgh, along with a few undiscovered …

“Take those old records off the shelf...” If you're like me, you'll be singing every old rock-and-roll song you can think of while driving to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Cleveland is a little more than a two-hour drive from the greater Pittsburgh area. It's an easy drive, too, certainly easy enough for any music lover who wants to visit the museum for a fun-packed day. My daughter, Eliza, and I went to the museum on a girl’s holiday, just the two of us. Even though we are a generation apart, we were both excited for our visit. The museum is a 150,000 square-…

Nestled in Butler County about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, Historic Harmony makes it easy to learn a wealth of information about the bygone days of Western Pennsylvania without driving far from home. Designated as a National Historic Landmark town, Harmony recognizes and honors the Native American, Harmonist and Mennonite settlers of the area with Historic Harmony Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and maintaining the Historic Harmony Museum and the traditions of early pioneers. “Our main museum is located right in the town, but we have eight sites that we maintain,” said John Ruch…

Nearby Saxonburg in Butler County is known as a quaint little town and one that definitely is worth a second look. Founded in 1832 by German immigrant John A. Roebling and his brother, Karl, Saxonburg has an interesting history. Roebling would go on to design the Brooklyn Bridge, and there is a small model of the famous bridge in the local park. He also designed Main Street in the small town. The Roebling brothers named the town after the German state of Saxony. Today, Saxonburg still boasts more than 32 buildings that were built more than a century ago. A walk down Main Street feels like …

If you ask someone about flood disasters in Pennsylvania, the Johnstown Flood of 1889 probably is the first one that comes to mind. But 100 years ago, the sixth worst flood in the United States, and the second worst in Pennsylvania, hit a small town north of Pittsburgh. Austin, PA, was considered a booming town in 1911. More than 3,000 people lived there, many of them immigrants who came to the area to work in the lumber and paper mills. One of those mills was the Bayless Pulp and Paper Company, an industry that helped make Austin the hub of Potter County, according to historians. David …

When you drive through the roads of North East, PA, in September, the scent of grapes permeates the air. The small town on the shores of Lake Erie is home to acres upon acres of grapes, and with all those grapes come wineries. There are eight wineries in North East. Visiting the area is fun any time of year, but the Wine Festival comes but once a year, in September. This year's event will be Sept. 23-25. North East is about a two-hour drive from the Greater Pittsburgh area and about 20 minutes east of Erie. The wineries play host to thousands of visitors every year who come to visit the …

With the 10th anniversary this year of the terrorist attacks, the events of September 11, 2001, are sure to be on everyone’s mind As most people in the Greater Pittsburgh area already know, one of the four ill-fated flights landed in a field not far from us in Shanksville, which just about an hour outside the city. When hijackers took over United Airlines Flight 93, 33 brave passengers and seven crew members took action and tried to take back command of the flight. The plane crashed at 563 miles-per-hour in the lonely field, hitting no buildings or people on the ground. All passengers, crew …

One of Pittsburgh’s biggest treasures is fairly unknown. It's more of a treasure chest with thousands of valuables. St. Anthony’s Chapel on Troy Hill on the north side of Pittsburgh is filled with more than 5,000 religious first-class relics. That's more than any private collection in the world except the Vatican. Sister Margaret Liam Glenane, assistant director at St. Anthony's, is a wealth of information about the small chapel. The Rev. Suitbert G. Mollinger of Belgium founded the chapel, she said. “He studied medicine before he was called to be a priest and was asked to come to the United …