It’s high time to explore a region brimming with history, adventure and recreation
By Erin Albanese
LIGONIER, Pa. — There’s something to see around every bend, up every peak and throughout the quaint towns in a mountainous region set in southwestern Pennsylvania. Laurel Highlands beckons groups to take in year-round natural beauty, observe historic landmarks, admire famous architecture nestled among the trees and enjoy kitschy treasures found nowhere else.
Photo: Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau
Flight 93 National Memorial, Stoystown, Pa.
Groups can choose from myriad destinations and activities in the 3,000 square-mile Laurel Highlands region that includes Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties. An easy drive from Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Columbus, choices stretch endlessly throughout national parks and historic battlegrounds, luxurious resorts, recreational hotspots, villages, eateries and shops.
“Whether you want to be adventurous in the Allegheny Mountains, lay back and enjoy shopping, go to the spa or immerse yourself in history, we’ve got it all,” said Stacey Magda, group sales manager for Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. “Groups love it here.”
A “leaf-peepers dream” in fall, Laurel Highlands stretches with scenic roads, deep ravines and views. One of the best ways to discover the majestic beauty of the area is to experience it in a setting where every detail has been considered by a genius. Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s most iconic work, Fallingwater, a house built over a waterfall, displays Wright’s belief in designing structures in harmony with their environment, as does his Kentuck Knob, which sits high atop a bluff overlooking the Youghiogheny River Gorge. Polymath Park features Wright’s Duncan House. The park also includes The Balter House, designed by Wright’s apprentice Peter Berndtson, and Blum House, also Wright-inspired.
Land of many parks
When it comes to green space, Laurel Highlands abounds with parks and forests, and opportunities for wild adventures. However, parks also include sites where events important to United States history occurred.
One park contains a memorial in observance of a day still fresh in the memories of many Americans. Flight 93 National Memorial is the crash site from when 40 passengers brought down a plane hijacked by terrorists headed toward Washington, D.C. It documents the moments of the crash in detail.
Photo: Joe Ciferno, Laurel Highlands Photo Contest
Reenactor, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, Pa.
“It is an incredibly powerful experience,” said Anna Weltz, group sales manager for the visitors bureau. “People from all around the country and world flock to this site.”
The memorial includes a walkway of flight path of the crashing plane. A new visitors center provides views of the crash site, newscasts from 9/11 and audio of phone calls from passengers.
Several parks document early history important to the region. The Johnstown Flood National Memorial is the site of a dam failure on Friday, May 31, 1889, when 20 million tons of water were unleashed on the town.
The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site preserves traces of the first railroad crossing of the Allegheny Mountains built between 1831 and 1834.
Friendship Hill is the restored country estate of Albert Gallatin, secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations.
Fort Necessity is the site of young George Washington’s first military engagement and the battle that marks the beginning of the French and Indian War.
Recreation and luxury
Photo: Richard Petrovich
Christian W. Klay Winery, Chalkhill, Pa.
For groups looking for a place to relax and play a round of golf, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort offers a PGA-rated golf course, luxury lodging, a spa, fine and casual dining options, and a casino. While upscale in feel and offerings, it works for groups on a budget as well.
Another option, for snow bunnies and sun seekers, is Seven Springs Mountain Resort, a ski resort turned year-round facility with lots to enjoy anytime of the year, from ripping through white powder to ziplining across the sky.
Groups can repose with a glass of wine or they can enjoy something stronger at Christian W. Klay Winery, set on a Fayette Spring Farms in Chalk Hill. The owners recently opened the winery’s sister business, Ridge Runner Distillery, serving moonshine, vodka and other spirits.
Kitschy fun
In Laurel Highlands, there’s a definite neighborly feel. As the birthplace of Fred Rogers, a common greeting in Laurel Highlands is “Welcome to Our Neighborhood.” The Fred Rogers Center, in Latrobe, showcases Rogers’ legacy with artifacts from the PBS show Mister Rogers Neighborhood, including his colorful sweaters, the Neighborhood Trolley and many handwritten texts.
Photo: Big Mac Museum
Big Mac Museum Restaurant, North Huntington, Pa.
The city of Latrobe is the home of the banana split, invented in a little pharmacy called Strickler’s. While the pharmacy no longer stands, groups can enjoy the gooey treat at the annual Great American Banana Split Celebration in August.
Another must-stop spot for history and food lovers is Big Mac Museum Restaurant, located in North Huntington. This is the home of the Big Mac, the restaurant where the sandwich was invented nearly 40 years ago. Groups can come for a taste of “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun” and to see historic artifacts celebrating the Big Mac.
ASK:
Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau
800-333-5661
laurelhighlands.org
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