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OT: Non-Oceanic Vacation Spots Within Driving Distance of Pittsburgh...

TheWerewolfFromTwilight

Athletic Director
Oct 25, 2021
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What are some places worth spending 5-7 days at that are within driving distance of Pittsburgh? Only excluding the ocean because I think most people already know of all those places.
 
Gatlinburg. Just had some friends return from there so I googled it. Didn't realize how developed it was. Looks like fun. Wish I did it last year in conjunction with UT game
 
What are some places worth spending 5-7 days at that are within driving distance of Pittsburgh? Only excluding the ocean because I think most people already know of all those places.
7 days is probably too many, but a combined trip to DC and Annapolis MD. Is a good one if you haven’t done it in a long time and are interested in visiting some sights.
 
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I am going to suggest the entire state of Tennessee lol

Someone mentioned Gatlinburg earlier...plus Smoky Mts, Pigeon Forge, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattannooga and Memphis are all great places to visit. Then there are some amazing lakes all around the state, many with warm, clean swimmable water. Here's some swimming spots:

Plus, at a lot of the bigger lakes, pontoons and other boats are affordable to rent for a day. A hidden gem is Lake Dartmoor near Crossville, TN (and Saint George Lake nearby is nice too).
 
Gatlinburg. Just had some friends return from there so I googled it. Didn't realize how developed it was. Looks like fun. Wish I did it last year in conjunction with UT game
I live in Knoxville. Gatlinburg to me is not exciting unless you like moonshine, people watching, eating crappy food, and playing in the mountains. You are better off driving a bit further to Asheville.
 
I live in Knoxville. Gatlinburg to me is not exciting unless you like moonshine, people watching, eating crappy food, and playing in the mountains. You are better off driving a bit further to Asheville.
If you've never been there, I think Gatlinburg is neat for a day or two. Seeing the small ski town, riding that air tram thing (even in non-skiing season), etc. I did one of those mountain coasters there, was kind of fun. But, yeah, I don't think spending like 5-7 days there would be fun unless it was winter and you were into winter sports.
 
I am going to suggest the entire state of Tennessee lol

Someone mentioned Gatlinburg earlier...plus Smoky Mts, Pigeon Forge, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattannooga and Memphis are all great places to visit. Then there are some amazing lakes all around the state, many with warm, clean swimmable water. Here's some swimming spots:

Plus, at a lot of the bigger lakes, pontoons and other boats are affordable to rent for a day. A hidden gem is Lake Dartmoor near Crossville, TN (and Saint George Lake nearby is nice too).
Is Memphis really drivable ?
Hell I flew there from North Carolina

Hell that’s at least. 12 hour drive
I really liked Memphis - but no way I’d drive there
 
Is Memphis really drivable ?
Hell I flew there from North Carolina

Hell that’s at least. 12 hour drive
I really liked Memphis - but no way I’d drive there
It can be done in 11 :)

But once I started naming places in TENN it didn't seem right to leave Memphis out. But you could spend a couple days in Nashville on the way, head to Memphis for a couple days, and then head to Knoxville for a couple days. In fact, I've done jut that before.
 
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What are some places worth spending 5-7 days at that are within driving distance of Pittsburgh? Only excluding the ocean because I think most people already know of all those places.
How close are we talking here? If it’s bordering states you’re looking for, spend a day at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and then make your way to Put-In-Bay for the rest of the week.

If you’re willing to drive 8-10 hours, I’ll second Asheville, NC. That’s a fun little town to check out. Edit: I’d also suggest Boston if you’re into history, but that might not be the type of vacation you’re looking for.
 
It can be done in 11 :)

But once I started naming places in TENN it didn't seem right to leave Memphis out. But you could spend a couple days in Nashville on the way, head to Memphis for a couple days, and then head to Knoxville for a couple days. In fact, I've done jut that before.
That’s too much driving. Knoxville is over 5 hours to Memphis. Nashville is worth more of your time than Memphis or Knoxville.
 
We spent a couple days in Chattanooga once while on the way to Pittsburgh. They have a large aquarium, a cavern, incline, and Rock Garden up the mountain. It was a good respite.
 
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*I’ll second Asheville, NC. Just a neat, little town with a lot to see.

*If you like Halls of Fame, there’s Cooperstown, NY for baseball and Canton, Ohio for football. If you’re headed for Canton, throw-in side trips to the Rock ‘n Roll HOF and Cedar Point, too.
 
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Chataqua, ny/ Lake Erie.
Summit inn/Nemacolin/Ohiopyle/Deep Creek region.
Williamsburg...near ocean, though.
Breezewood Sheetz.
Chicagoland.
Lake Champlain region.
 
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If you've never been there, I think Gatlinburg is neat for a day or two. Seeing the small ski town, riding that air tram thing (even in non-skiing season), etc. I did one of those mountain coasters there, was kind of fun. But, yeah, I don't think spending like 5-7 days there would be fun unless it was winter and you were into winter sports.

We stayed in Gatlinburg for the game last year. Only one night, but I think we walked up and down the strip at least twice and pretty much hit everything we would have wanted to see on it. I think if you're staying down there for a week you'd have to be into the daytime activities in the mountains. It didn't seem like an "adult nightlife" type of place; everything was pretty much shut down by midnight.

And then we drove through Pigeon Forge the next day, before the game. I would say Gatlinburg is sort of like a boardwalk, whereas Pigeon Forge is kind of like the strip at Myrtle, where you have to drive to everything. It also seemed much more kid-oriented, like Gatlinburg, though. Both were absolutely really cool places. But I think I'd need to take some hiking gear down there and plan on doing the trails, etc. if I was spending a week. I could definitely make that work, but I don't know that someone who isn't active could.
 
How close are we talking here? If it’s bordering states you’re looking for, spend a day at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and then make your way to Put-In-Bay for the rest of the week.

If you’re willing to drive 8-10 hours, I’ll second Asheville, NC. That’s a fun little town to check out. Edit: I’d also suggest Boston if you’re into history, but that might not be the type of vacation you’re looking for.

I definitely need to hit up Cuyahoga Valley for a day trip some time soon. My ex and I were pretty big on taking the dogs to all sorts of those kind of places around here (Mill Creek Park, Cooper's Rock, Ohiopyle, a bunch of different places on the GAP and Montour Trails, McConnell's Mill, Presque, and various other places).

But at some point, I decided I'd rather have a clean car and just walk my dog around the neighborhood, haha. He just had surgery for two torn ACLs, though, so I won't be walking him anywhere in the immediate future. The last few months have been a pain in the ass dealing with all that.

I did do Put-In-Bay for a bachelor party. I'll be honest: My memory of that week is pretty hazy. Seemed like the people who go up there regularly really love it. I remember there being a bunch of soccer leagues up there for older people. My biggest surprise was that there wasn't a beach. I brought a bunch of stuff up expecting it to be more like Presque. I did end up jumping in the lake a time or two, but it wasn't on a beach, and I'm pretty sure alcohol had a bit to do with it. We stayed in some cabins in the woods there, and we were basically surrounded by bachelor and bachelorette parties. It was what I imagine a 4-day Kenny Chesney tailgate would look like. If I ever go back, I'll be treating that cabin area like Chernobyl. Not that I don't like to throw them back or anything; I just could have done without some of the 24/7 frat mentality, haha.
 
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Eating alone is a foodies dream, and all the breweries.
Yeah wife and I spent 5 days there when our son was still a toddler
Tossed him in a jogging strolling , and hiked all over from our Vrbo house .
Granted ya can actually get Wicked Weed now most places.
But not their sours which are super
 
I definitely need to hit up Cuyahoga Valley for a day trip some time soon. My ex and I were pretty big on taking the dogs to all sorts of those kind of places around here (Mill Creek Park, Cooper's Rock, Ohiopyle, a bunch of different places on the GAP and Montour Trails, McConnell's Mill, Presque, and various other places).

But at some point, I decided I'd rather have a clean car and just walk my dog around the neighborhood, haha. He just had surgery for two torn ACLs, though, so I won't be walking him anywhere in the immediate future. The last few months have been a pain in the ass dealing with all that.

I did do Put-In-Bay for a bachelor party. I'll be honest: My memory of that week is pretty hazy. Seemed like the people who go up there regularly really love it. I remember there being a bunch of soccer leagues up there for older people. My biggest surprise was that there wasn't a beach. I brought a bunch of stuff up expecting it to be more like Presque. I did end up jumping in the lake a time or two, but it wasn't on a beach, and I'm pretty sure alcohol had a bit to do with it. We stayed in some cabins in the woods there, and we were basically surrounded by bachelor and bachelorette parties. It was what I imagine a 4-day Kenny Chesney tailgate would look like. If I ever go back, I'll be treating that cabin area like Chernobyl. Not that I don't like to throw them back or anything; I just could have done without some of the 24/7 frat mentality, haha.
Re: Put-In-Bay, I haven't been there for a few years, so maybe things have changed, but....we used to go there once every summer, just to listen to live music and their immense bar scene.

But one thing that you had to be extremely careful about was their extreme enforcement of their "open container" law. For example, one of my friends had bought an alcoholic beverage on the ferry to Put-In-Bay, and had the drink in his hand when he walked off the ferry and onto the dock. Right there, at the end of the dock, they'd stationed an officer who'd wait for new arrivals - who immediately gave my friend a citation for violating the law. Another time, I witnessed a guy who'd bought a drink at one bar, and was headed for another next-door bar (with drink in hand), and he, too, got a citation for an open container violation.

But other strange situations were completely ignored. For example, there was a store that had a kiosk set-up on their sidewalk, and one of their employees was doing nipple-piercings right...on...the...sidewalk...in full view of passersby. Of course, this attracted a large number of guys (with cameras) who surrounded the women who were getting the piercings. The women all seemed fine with it, but it was such a bizarre thing to see this happening so publicly. But on second thought, there was so much drinking taking place that such behavior should've been expected - especially from some of those young ladies (with the bachelorette parties) who were getting wasted.

Again, this was several years ago, so I don't know if any of this is still the norm.
 
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What are some places worth spending 5-7 days at that are within driving distance of Pittsburgh? Only excluding the ocean because I think most people already know of all those places.

cook forest by the national forest.

rent cabins. kayak and tube the river. incredible trout fishing and miles and miles of hiking
 
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Re: Put-In-Bay, I haven't been there for a few years, so maybe things have changed, but....we used to go there once every summer, just to listen to live music and their immense bar scene.

But one thing that you had to be extremely careful about was their extreme enforcement of their "open container" law. For example, one of my friends had bought an alcoholic beverage on the ferry to Put-In-Bay, and had the drink in his hand when he walked off the ferry and onto the dock. Right there, at the end of the dock, they'd stationed an officer who'd wait for new arrivals - who immediately gave my friend a citation for violating the law. Another time, I witnessed a guy who'd bought a drink at one bar, and was headed for another next-door bar (with drink in hand), and he, too, got a citation for an open container violation.

But other strange situations were completely ignored. For example, thee was a store that had a kiosk set-up on their sidewalk, and one of their employees was doing nipple-piercings right...on...the...sidewalk...in full view of passersby. Of course, this attracted a large number of guys (with cameras) who surrounded the women who were getting the piercings. The women all seemed fine with it, but it was such a bizarre thing to see this happening so publicly. But on second thought, there was so much drinking taking place that such behavior should've been expected - especially from some of those young ladies (with the bachelorette parties) who were getting wasted.

Again, this was several years ago, so I don't know if any of this is still the norm.

Entrapment. Five yard penalty. Replay the down.

They probably make a killing off that, because I can't think of too many times there when I didn't have a beer in my hand. I mostly remember people just drinking and wizzing around in golf carts all day.

I wonder if it's an Ohio thing in general, because I remember walking with a beer to a concert in Cleveland once and being told by the locals that they crack down on that pretty heavily around downtown.
 
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What are some places worth spending 5-7 days at that are within driving distance of Pittsburgh? Only excluding the ocean because I think most people already know of all those places.
Fingerlakes if you like wine or more and more recently, beer. Plenty of points of awesome natural beauty (Watkins Glen state park and Letchworth state park to name a couple) to take in while you sober up..
 
Acadia National Park and the Maine coast
Lake Placid, Lake George and The Adirondacks
Shenandoah National Park and Virginia’s I-81 corridor
The Black Hills
Yellowstone
interesting interpretation of "within driving distance" on a couple on this list..
 
Lmao some of you like driving a lot more than I do! Why stop at Las Vegas and Yellowstone? Take a drive to the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu, or take your family to see the Iditarod next year- just a quick cruise through Canada!
 
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