Central Pennsylvania — the area between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, where not much lies to attract travelers other than Penn State University, Lancaster Amish country and secluded getaways. If your journeys do bring you to this area of the state, though, you can find plenty to indulge your luxury side if you just know where to look.
Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa boasts a history stretching back to 1806. A Historic Hotel of America, it’s a 2,200-acre resort with access to long-revered mineral springs. A luxury spa provides health and beauty treatments and a recent $120 million restoration promises only the utmost in rural retreat. The location can’t be beat, either, as it’s just two hours from D.C. and three from Philadelphia.
Looking for a different kind of spa? While it can’t offer mineral springs, The Spa at The Hotel Hershey does offer plenty of chocolate. The chocolate escape experience (starting at $385) includes a whipped cocoa bath, chocolate bean polish or chocolate sugar scrub, chocolate fondue wrap and cocoa massage. While you enjoy the sweet escape, the kids can head over to Hershey Park for a day of rollercoasters and other rides.
Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail
Wine-lovers may be surprised at the bevy of vineyards and wineries located throughout central Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail features 16 different wineries and special events throughout the year. The Heartland Christmas celebration is a highlight, with guests receiving a gift of an elegant wreath to adorn with ornaments from each of the wineries on the trail.
© Mary Aulisio | Dreamstime.com
Plan a wine weekend in the region, and stop for the night in State College, where the historic Nittany Lion Inn boasts a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence. The inn also frequently hosts wine-centric events, including tastings and educational, luxury dinners with guest appearances from famed wineries from around the world.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
If you’re not up for chasing wine around the region, plan your trip to the area around the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, the state’s premier art event, highly ranked and regarded around the country. Artists flock from far and wide to display their paintings, sculptures, photography and more, while musicians, thespians and other performers vie for a spot in the week-long entertainment line-up. There are plenty of kids’ activities during the festival as well, from kid-friendly performers to hands-on science experiments hosted by Penn State students to a makeshift water park.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedDestinations
Sep 6, 20246 Guided Tours to Take with Younger Travelers
A recent survey showed millennial and Gen Z travelers are more likely to book a guided tour compared to older generations. If you have millennial or Gen Z travelers in your family, here are some immersive guided tours to book for your next family travels.
Sponsored Content
Travel to Madrid with the Family and Find Activities to Keep Everyone Happy!
If life were a city, it’d be Madrid. Sometimes it can be quite the challenge to find a destination just right for the whole family. Different tastes and ages make agreeing on where to go seem impossible. Unless, of course, the destination you have in mind is Madrid. With all of its new immersive museums, musicals, soccer stadiums and monuments like Royal Palace, anyone who suggests coming to the capital is sure to get a unanimous yes!
Destinations / North America
Sep 6, 2024Salem, Massachusetts, Offers Plentiful Activities in October
Add a little spookiness to family travel this October with a visit to Salem, Massachusetts, busily preparing for its annual Salem Haunted Happenings, a month-long celebration of Halloween that attracts visitors from around the world. Destination Salem offers a visitor’s guide, mobile application and dedicated website detailing the month’s many initiatives.
Destinations / North America
Sep 5, 2024Family-Friendly Stops to Make While Leaf-Peeping Through Rhode Island
Leaf-peeping is something of a fall tradition in America. When Mother Nature turns on the charm and transforms much of the country into a canvas of color, driving through regions where the leaves change colors can be an amazing experience for family travelers. Rhode Island, home to some of America’s most beautiful landscapes, is the perfect place to head each fall to see nature at its best.
Sponsored Content
Share Miles with Family and Friends with United Airlines
As you look ahead to winter travel, United Airlines and its MileagePlus loyalty program introduced MileagePlus miles pooling, which allows members to contribute and combine miles into a joint account. Groups of up to five members can now share and redeem miles in one linked account. As the first and only major U.S. airline to offer this feature, United also allows any MileagePlus member, whether relatives or close friends, to be in a pool with other members.
News
Sep 5, 2024Remembering Rainer Jenss
WhereverFamily expresses its condolences on the passing of Rainer Jenss, founder, Family Travel Association, part of the inspiration behind the launch of the WhereverFamily brand. Dedicating himself as an advocate for family travel as an essential part of every child’s education, Jenss created Family Travel Association to have a collective, unified industry voice to help change the way families travel.
ShareThis