Who's ready for a road trip?
This deep into summer, people start craving an adventure with fresh scenery and new places to eat, drink and be merry.
Allow us to suggest these five road-trip destinations for Beaver Valley-ites.
Keeping in mind gas prices and hotel costs, don't worry: We'll have you back home the same night that you leave, with your vehicle's tank at least half-full.
Columbiana County, Ohio
Just 18 miles from Chippewa Township, this homespun haven for fun boasts an enviable craft beer, cider and wine scene.
Sip suds outdoors by the bonfire at Ill Will Brewing while playing a game of chess with child-size chess pieces. Get there early for the farm market next door, or head across the street to Firestone Farms Plaza at the eastern end of the county seat, where people pop into SunDog Ciderhouse and Winery, BrewLounge craft brewery and patio or the upscale-meets-casual Homestead Kitchen & co*cktails.
BirdFish a few miles west is where craft beer drinkers gather for made-on-site brews enjoyed with live bands, weekend food trucks and two rooms filled with pinball machines and arcade games.
For a more relaxing vibe, drink a toast lakeside on the outdoor patio of The Vineyards at Pine Lake, just past the Old-Fashioned Christmas in The Woods Festival grounds familiar to Beaver County residents.
Families might want to cool off in Columbiana's public swimming pool and large water slide at The Harvey S. Firestone Recreational Park.
Wheeling, W.Va.
About 80 minutes from Beaver County lies the jewel of the Upper Ohio Valley, Wheeling, W.Va., with pleasurable riverfront views and 24 miles of rails-to-trail for walkers, joggers, cyclists and rollerbladers.
Famed as a Christmas lights destination, Wheeling's Oglebay Park offers an abundance of summer recreation, too, like fishing and pedal boating on Schenk Lake, horseback riding, wooded walking trails, the photo opp-worthy Bissonnette Gardens, the Crispin Center outdoor pool and splash pad, the Museums of Oglebay Institute and two professional golf courses designed by acclaimed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones and legend Arnold Palmer.
The historic Centre Market district is home to locally owned shops, boutiques and eateries.
Pulaski-Volant-New Wilmington
Closer to home, you'll find a trail of shopping and beverage delights in Lawrence County.
Start your day in Volant village, visiting 25 quaint shops and eateries on an old-fashioned main street nestled among rolling hills. Amish buggies glide past the gristmill built in 1812 and now housing an Americana and antique specialty shop. Other Main Street shops offer Victorian collectibles, homemade arts and crafts, Christmas specialties, pottery, music-related items and contemporary fashions.
If you start getting thirsty or tired, pull up a wooden chair outside the Knockin Noggin Cidery and Winery specializing in sparkling hard cider crafted in Pennsylvania."Fresh pressed fruit with a gluten-free apple base is a crafted experience in every sip," notes Visit Lawrence County.
Eleven miles to the west of Knockin Noggin is the Nova Destinations in Pulaski, a spacious rural compound with a lake in the middle of it, surrounded by the Nova Cellars Winery, Brew 32 Craft Brewery and Scallywag Distilling craft distillery.
Or kick it low-key, strolling around nearby New Wilmington, home of Westminster College, the Apple Castle orchard and farm market, Hop Asylum Brewery and the Borough Park Amphitheater’s “Arts in the Park” summer series offering all types of family entertainment like a July 26Movie Night: "Taylor Swift Eras Tour," an Aug. 10 Beatlemania concert and the Aug. 16 "Super Mario Brothers" movie screening. Full schedule at livenewwilmington.com.
Ohiopyle-Fallingwater
Just under two hours away from central Beaver County lies Ohiopyle State Park, where the Youghiogheny River affords some of the best kayaking and whitewater boating opportunities in the Eastern U.S., as well as fishing and access to multiple waterfalls.
Hiking and horseback riding are other popular activities at the 20,500-acre park and gateway to the Laurel Highlands.
Before heading there, schedule a tour at nearby famed Fallingwater, the famed architectural wonder and National Historic Landmark built as a residence by Frank Lloyd Wright. Gates are open daily (except Wednesdays) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with bookings at 724-329-8501 or at fallingwater.org.
Washington-Canonsburg
Maybe this is the summer you see the Washington Wild Things play ball. Minor League Baseball is a rich part of the National Pastime, with cozy 3,200-seat Wild Things Park, just outside Washington, Pa., a prime place to root, root, root for the home team. Upcoming promotions include Kids Eat Free Sunday versus the New York Boulders (July 28), Fireworks Friday versus the Sussex County Miners (Aug. 2), Thirsty Thursday beer specials versus the Florence Y'alls (Aug. 8), and Halloween Night versus the Schaumburg Boomers (Sept. 1.)
Maybe afterward, you'll want to visit the nearby Hollywood Casino & Racetrack at The Meadows, or beforehand enjoy a few scoops of deliciousness at Sarris Candies' old-fashioned ice cream parlor just up the road in Canonsburg.
More: Beaver Falls' Vanesa Campagna co-wrote song in acclaimed Celine Dion documentary
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Road tripping ideas: 5 spots for a getaway day for Beaver Valley folks
