Pennsylvania Roadtrip-a-Matic

The summer months are here. And just look at all that vacant calendar time waiting to be claimed. With the Pennsylvania Roadtrip-a-Matic, you can use our pre-planned vacations to fill in those empty calendar boxes two and three at a time. It’s pretty simple, really. We scour the state for the best things to do, see and experience plus find great places to eat and stay along the way. Then we collect them all and package them for you in two and three-day itineraries. You just pick the one, two, three or ten that interest you most and leave the planning to us.

If you’re interested in art, the Tour d’Art might just be the very thing you are looking for. There’s a spectrum of things to see in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the surrounding countryside as broad as the color spectrum itself. Just pick the destination and make sure to take time to stop and appreciate the wealth of art each trip has to offer.

In Philadelphia, for example, you can see the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings in the world. Yes, in the world. This summer, the Barnes Foundation makes its Philadelphia debut, opening its doors to reveal the largest collection of Renoirs in the world and more Cézannes than all of France. Of course, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and its famous “Rocky” steps) is a must-see, but the city’s art extends beyond the walls of museums and galleries to murals and gardens as well. Robert Indiana’s famous LOVE statue sums it up pretty nicely: there’s a lot to love about art in Philadelphia.

The countryside is also brimming with art. Traveling the roads outside the city, you’ll get to know some of Pennsylvania’s own artists in their home state. The James A. Michener Museum in Bucks County houses a world-class collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings. In Doylestown, you can actually watch ceramists making tiles. And at the Brandywine River Museum, you can see an impressive collection of works by three generations of Wyeths. The museum is also known for its landscape paintings. But as you take in the Brandywine landscape, you may start to wonder if the natural landscapes aren’t also a work of art.

Did you know that Andy Warhol took his first art class at the Carnegie Institute? And that Pittsburgh is home to one of only three museums in the country dedicated exclusively to cartoon arts? And that’s just the start. In addition to the collection of nearly 900 paintings, 100 sculptures and 4,000 photographs at the Warhol Museum and comic and cartoon art of the Toonseum, a three-day trip to Pittsburgh will also have you exploring performing art, public art, botanical art, American art, the art of the city’s own architecture and more.

If the combination of sticky fingers and “Don’t Touch” signs makes you a little nervous, the Kidsylvania roadtrips are right up your alley. These roadtrips to and through Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and The Alleghenies, are designed for the curious, hands-on crowd.

In fact, there’s a museum in Philadelphia where touching the exhibits is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. Fittingly enough, it’s called the Please Touch Museum. Here, kids can go from Wonderland to the hospital to the rainforest and even space, crawling, jumping, playing and learning the whole way. Of course, as the birthplace of independence, Philadelphia also offers the unique opportunity to have the little feet in your family trace the steps of the country’s founding fathers. But unlike Franklin and Jefferson, your family can take a little break for some water ice between historic milestones.

On the other end of the state, Pittsburgh is home to one of the most exciting museums designed totally with kids in mind. At the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the philosophy is simple – play with real stuff. From doing actual wood working to editing their own mini-movie, kids have the chance to create stuff with their two hands. And what family trip would be complete without a stop at an aquarium or a zoo? At the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, you have the rare chance to see both in one place. In fact, with so much kid-friendly stuff around the city, in Pittsburgh, you can see and do it all.

Ever wonder where the oldest roller coaster in the world is? Lakemont Park. That’s where. When you make the roadtrip to see the wooden coaster, not only do you get to experience the thrills of Leaps and Dips but also the peaks and valleys of the beautiful Alleghenies. It’s a picturesque trip to the Johnstown area accented by amusement parks, museums, history, arts and crafts and plenty of photo-ops.

Tour d’Art and Kidsylvania are just two of the dozens of ready-to-ride roadtrips you can choose from. Maybe you want to get in touch with Mother Nature and explore some trails. Maybe you want to kick back and experience some small-town charm. Or maybe buffing up on your history and checking out some historic landmarks is your cup of tea. Whatever piques your interest, Pennsylvania has it. And the Roadtrip-a-Matic already has your adventure planned for you.

To learn more about these roadtrips and dozens more, check out visitpa.com/roadtrips.