The perfect Sunday drive for keeping your distance.
We’ve binged all the shows. We’ve eaten all the snacks. We’ve stared at all the walls, and napped way more than our bodies require. So why not venture out this weekend for a scenic drive northeast on the Mon-Fayette Expressway toward the National Road, with a side trip to Ohiopyle? There’s plenty of room to keep your distance, too.
1. The Mount Summit Scenic Overlook just past Hopwood
Just do it. The stop is worth it. You’ll gaze upon the scenic beauty of the Lick Hollow Run Gorge, the vast mountainous area known as Laurel Highlands, and enjoy a birds-eye view of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, nestled below in the valley.
2. Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Keep driving and follow the National Park Service signs pointing visitors to Fort Necessity. The old fort sits in a meadow that’s still as scenic as it was when then-Lt. Col. George Washington commanded troops in the French and Indian War.
3. The Mount Washington Tavern
Don’t miss the old tavern at the side of the road, part of Fort Necessity park. Pull into the adjacent parking area from which visitors can admire the structure up close. The historic building is an authentic representation of public spaces in the earliest years of America.
4. Lunch in the parking lot of the Stone House Inn
Lunch in the Stone House Inn is delightful but may not be available or advised in these uncertain times. But the Inn does offer picnic tables in the parking lot and delicious Stone House Smoke House BBQ for an easy mealtime stop.
5. Back roads to Ohiopyle
With a full belly, take a detour on Chalk Hill-Ohiopyle Road for a roughly 20-minute scenic drive through dense forest and bucolic farmland toward the rafting mecca of Ohiopyle on the banks of the Youghiogheny River.
6. Cucumber Falls and Natural Water Slides
On your way to Ohiopyle, follow the signs for access points to view Cucumber Falls and to watch the brave souls race down the natural water slides.
7. Admire the Yough
Ohiopyle is a quaint rafting town with plenty of space to keep your distance. Take a walk along the riverfront park and sit a spell under the shade of the trees as you watch the paddlers navigate the fast water.
posted on July 16, 2020
written by Holly Leleux-Thubron
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