The weather is warming and spring break is fast approaching. It’s a great time to travel with the kids if you can take time off. Here are 20 lesser-known road tripping ideas within a five-hour drive of the DMV.
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
Ride into an era when steam-driven locomotives were an essential part of everyday life. Take a scenic train ride to the overlook at Bald Knob, the third highest point in West Virginia. Then enjoy historic downtown Cass, where guided tours are available. Grab a bite to eat at The Company Store and soda shop. You can also catch a show at the Cass Historical Theater, visit a lumber railroading museum and see an intricate diorama of the town when it was a logging community. Be sure to check for opening dates. //12363 Cass Road, Cass, West Virginia
Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel
Lace up your hiking boots or grab your bike and head into the dark—and the past. Situated between Waynesboro and Charlottesville, the 4,273-foot-long Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel runs through Afton Mountain in Virginia, and nearby hikes offer striking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Once the longest railway tunnel in the world, the Crozet tunnel is now the centerpiece of a unique trail where visitors can learn about our nation’s railway and transportation history. Be sure to bring a sweatshirt and flashlight or headlamp because it is very dark and damp inside. Then explore the many farms, craft breweries and outdoor adventures in surrounding Nelson County. //West Trailhead: 483 Notched Mountain Highway, Waynesboro, Virginia, East Trailhead: 215 Afton Depot Lane, Afton, Virginia
Cartoon Network Hotel
Kids can have a sleepover with their favorite Cartoon Network characters, immerse themselves in the world of animation—and then walk out the door to neighboring amusement park Dutch Wonderland. The hotel’s themed family rooms feature bunkbeds and character bedding, including the Powerpuff Girls, We Bare Bears and Steven Universe. Splash in multiple indoor (and outdoor, if it’s warm enough) pools and a kiddie splash pad. Work up an appetite and head to the Land of P’Oool Concession Stand featuring a menu filled with summer favorites. Dry off and stop by the Toon Room play area where kids can see their candy creations come alive on the big screen and play cartoon-themed games. Bonus: This hotel is just steps from Dutch Wonderland and offers stay-and-play packages that include tickets and early access entry. Have more time? Check out all that surrounding Lancaster County has to offer. //2285 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Diggerland
You’re used to your kids tearing things up, so how about letting them loose behind the controls of a real bulldozer or excavator? At Diggerland, the nation’s only construction theme park, families can drive, ride and operate specially-engineered real machines. Kids 36 inches or taller can partake in the most rides at this fun zone, which also includes an amusement park, a zipline and, in summer months, a water park. Diggerland, located southeast of Philadelphia, is worthy of a dedicated outing, or it could be a stop-off on a trip up to New York City. //100 Pinedge Drive, West Berlin, New Jersey
Glamping in a Yurt
Combine your love of nature with your love of soft mattresses and running water and go “glamping” in one of the mid-Atlantic area’s many yurts. It’s roughing it—but not really. From Shenandoah to Roanoke, these mini cabins equipped with luxuries such as lighting and mini kitchens allow campers to unplug and enjoy the outdoors, time with family and Virginia’s blossoming spring colors. Options are available throughout the commonwealth, ranging from basic shelters to lavish getaways with multiple bedrooms, lush décor, pool tables, fire pits and elevated decks.
The Greenbrier
One of the country’s oldest resorts (it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places) offers a scenic getaway from the bustle of Washington, plus a multitude of indoor and outdoor activities. Try an aerial adventure course, explore the depths of the Greenbrier’s secret bunker-turned escape room, get up close and personal with birds of prey in a beginner falconry lesson or check the kids into the Adventure Zone for a day filled with programmed fun. If you’ll be there over Easter weekend, the resort also offers an Easter package. //101 Main St. W., White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Go Ape!
For a quick afternoon adventure, don a harness and tackle a treetop obstacle course in Springfield. At Go Ape, the climbing options include a scaled-down course for kids and an adult-size course. Thrill seekers can immerse themselves in nature while navigating suspended bridges, wobbly tree-to-tree crossings and ziplines high up in the tree canopy. If that’s not enough of a challenge, try it after dark. Go Ape’s Nights at Height is available after sunset for a limited time. Those who prefer keeping their feet on the ground can try out the Forest Escape, an interactive outdoor escape room challenge. (For additional high-climbing adventures, check out Climb Upton at Arlington’s Upton Hills Regional Park, or The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends School in Sandy Spring, Maryland.) //7550 Reservation Drive, Springfield
Historic St. Mary’s City
The state’s first Colonial capital on Maryland’s Eastern Shore commemorates the fourth permanent English settlement in North America. Visit the Old Jail Museum and learn from a 70-acre outdoor history exhibit and archaeological site on the banks of the St. Mary’s River. The Woodland Indian Hamlet tells the story of the Yaocomaco people and other neighboring tribes. Learn and experiment with the skills necessary to build and run a small indigenous village. //18751 Hogaboom Lane, Lexington Park, Maryland
Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Escape from the modern day and visit two museums that explore life in the 17th and 18th centuries. Climb aboard replicas of ships that sailed from England to Virginia in 1607, learn about the Powhatan Indians and English colonists, and take a peek inside a re-creation of the colonists’ fort. Both museums can be visited in one day and can be combined with a trip to nearby historic Williamsburg and the Busch Gardens amusement park. //2110 Jamestown Road, Route 31 S., Williamsburg, Virginia
Kalahari Water Park
Take the erratic March weather out of your planning equation and opt for an indoor water adventure. There are numerous options within a few hours’ drive of Arlington. At Kalahari, you can spend the night—and then spend the day careening down rip-roaring slides in the 84-degree indoor water park. Launch yourself into a new realm on the VR waterslide—wearing a Virtual Reality headset—an immersive experience with a new reality every ride. (Other indoor waterparks to investigate include Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia and Massanutten WaterPark in Massanutten, Virginia). //250 Kalahari Blvd. Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania.
Luray Caverns
Walk through the largest underground cavern in the eastern United States. Take a tour along lighted, paved walkways into cathedral-size caves with 10-story ceilings, underground lakes and towering stone formations. Afterward, included in the same ticket, see trains and toys from yesteryear at Toy Town Junction; visit the Shenandoah Heritage Village, a seven-acre re-creation of a 19th-century farming community; and take a spin through time at the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum with more than 75 historic vehicles on display. //101 Cave Hill Road, Luray, Virginia
Massanutten Family Adventure Park
Climb, tube, zip and swim your way through spring break at a 6,000-acre mountain getaway. Ski-focused in the winter, this four-season resort switches to fair-weather activities come spring. Challenge little ones on the kids’ ropes course and climbing wall. Fly down the zip line and bounce at Playland. If the weather is warm enough, check to see if snow tubing has switched over to summer tubing and take turns gliding down a grassy hill. The indoor water park offers enough slides, rapids and pools to occupy a full day. Take a Flowrider lesson and learn to bodyboard on 50,000 gallons of water flowing under you like an ocean wave, or grab a tube and relax on an indoor lazy river. The area also offers numerous treks and trails for hikers and bikers itching to get outdoors. //1822 Resort Drive, Massanutten, Virginia
Natural Bridge State Park
Get your steps in at this park, 15 miles south of historic Lexington, Virginia. Once owned by Thomas Jefferson, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Climb a 137-step stairway to view the 215-foot tall limestone bridge. Then explore six miles of hiking trails, including the Cedar Creek Trail that leads from the bridge to Lace Falls with a 30-foot cascade. Other activities in Natural Bridge include the Caverns at Natural Bridge where you can venture 34 stories below the earth’s surface. Or check out unusual and exotic animals at the drive-through Virginia Safari Park or at the privately owned Natural Bridge Zoo, which has been breeding threatened and endangered species for more than 50 years. //6477 S. Lee Highway, Natural Bridge, Virginia
Pennsylvania Dutch country (and Hersheypark)
Experience the culture and lifestyle of the oldest Amish communities in the country, where tens of thousands still live a centuries-old “plain” lifestyle without modern amenities. Take a tour through Amish farms, go for a horse-drawn buggy ride and visit the covered bridges of Lancaster County. Afterwards, shop for handmade Amish crafts and feast on authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. //Visitor Center: 501 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. If the pace of life gets too slow, stop off at nearby Hersheypark to ride the coasters—and see how chocolate is made. Be sure to check the website for opening days. //100 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Please Touch Museum
Relax and let the kids do what they’re naturally inclined to do—touch everything—at this Philadelphia-area museum focused on learning through play. Hands-on exhibits encourage children to pursue their curiosity. Throw on a waterproof smock and plunge your hands into a pint-sized Schuylkill River, where you can float boats and pump water through pipes, and switch dams and locks to adjust water flow. Imagine your place in a grown-up world behind the wheel of a bus or working at the Please Touch Garage. Then travel down the rabbit hole to Wonderland where you can navigate Alice’s hedge maze on your way to the Mad Hatter’s tea party. (For more kid-friendly fun enjoy the touchable exhibits and IMAX movies at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, one of the oldest science museums in the country.) //4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sesame Place
Sweep the clouds–and the stress–away in a life-size Sesame Street world outside of Philadelphia. Meet Elmo, Big Bird and Abby Cadabbi, see them in shows and parades, and enjoy rides scaled for the smallest visitors–or a thrilling coaster. In the warmer months splash into a water park, with tiny-tot friendly slides. //100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Skyline Drive
Drive through stunning mountain scenery along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. The 105-mile route is the only public road through the park. It takes about three hours to travel the entire length. Expect to make lots of stops to enjoy the views and many hikes Shenandoah has to offer. Make a weekend out of it by camping on the grounds. //Front Royal Entrance Station, by Rt. 66 and 340, Front Royal, Virginia
Treehouse camping
Spend an enchanted, magical forest night camping in a one-of-a-kind rustic shelter. Options include a selection of elevated treehouse cabins or a fun and fanciful retreat in a Hobbit House. Ranging from primitive shelters, to cozy, year-round cottages with electricity and proper beds, the Treehouse Camp in Maryland has 20 acres of wooded campground near the Appalachian Trail. It’s not glamping, but there are hot outdoor showers. //20716 Townsend Road, Rohrersville, Maryland
Virginia Capital Trail
Roll from the present to the past—and back again—on this 51-mile fully-paved trail with dozens of attractions along the way. Bring your own bikes or rent them at one of the many nearby rental shops. The trail connects the Commonwealth’s past and present capitals of Jamestown and Richmond, and more than 400 years of history. Stop-offs of interest to families include the Science Museum of Virginia, the Virginia State Capitol, Jamestown Settlement and Powhatan Village and the Belle Isle Bike Skills Course which includes a pump track and beginner course to practice mountain biking. Find more than 50 places to dine along the trail and check out a list of planned itineraries from 2 miles to 31-plus.
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The captivating sea creatures in this Virginia Beach aquarium include sharks, barracudas, a giant Pacific octopus, sea stars and multiple species of jellyfish. Interactive exhibits highlight why cuttlefish are the magicians of the sea, how disco clams produce light, and more. Kids can watch veterinarians at work in the animal care center (push a button to ask questions). Outdoors, an enormous science play area gives visitors an opportunity to learn about rivers, bays and oceans in creative ways, including water experiments to see how rivers shape the land and pretend play as marine scientists. Kids can also have fun alongside North American river otters on a cleverly designed slide adjacent to a viewing window. The aquarium is also home to an Adventure Park with 17 climbing ropes courses and 33 ziplines. // 717 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach, Virginia