Recommendations: New Family Vacation Spot Northeast/Mid Atlantic

[steelmooch]

Hello, all...and thanks for your time and consideration.

Hoping that some of the members familiar with PA/OH/NY/VA/WV/MD might help us to identify some new potential family vacation spots.

We've made great memories on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, but the drive from Pittsburgh + the sand-hikes up and over the dunes to the beach are becoming progressively more difficult for the grandparents.

I'm hoping to find something within 5-6 hours' drive from Pittsburgh with relatively easy water access for swimming/fishing/paddle-boarding (freshwater is fine), peace & quiet, and "things to do" with some combination of cute towns, art/crafts/antiques, books, nature/historical sights, etc. Not looking for mini-golf, arcades, maze-of-mirrors, amusement parks, a lot of people, etc.

So far I'm seeing the following:

Lake Erie shoreline (OH/PA/NY): Lots of rentals available - cute places with private docks. Having lived my life in Western PA, though, the prospect of heavy rain + unsafe sewage/bacteria levels in the lake during our stay gives me serious pause.

Lake Anna VA: Looks to be about our speed, but everything I'm seeing for rent along the lake is way outside of our price range. $1000/night mansions, basically.

Deep Creek MD: Perhaps more of a "weekend" destination so close to SW PA, but nice availability of rental homes.

Finger Lakes NY: Solid fit for us, available homes, proximity to Watkins Glen a big bonus...but perhaps a bit wine-centric for our crew. Maybe we missed towns/attractions our last time through, but feeling like a bit more diversity of attractions might be warmly received by the fam.

Hocking Hills OH: Very interesting, lots of available rentals, activities, but perhaps a bit hiking-intensive for part of our group.

Coastal Areas DelMarVa: Some rental houses available, but as a lifelong "inland" resident, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around houses on slow-moving rivers (that look like lakes in the pics) vs narrow alcoves of the Chesapeake vs open shoreline of the Chesapeake vs rivers-flowing-into-the-bay, etc. Safe and OK to swim in? Tide/current safe for kids? Potential motorboat traffic near kids paddleboarding or the family kayaking?

What areas/regions am I missing? Geneva on the Lake? Something on a small lake around Shenandoah? The Shenandoah valley (western side of the mountain range) in WV or VA?

Any recommendations much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Martian]

Sorry that I cannot help you. I know lots of great campgrounds in those areas but being that you want rental houses there might be a better forum out there that can help you. Most of us on this forum have rv's and try to stay away from rentals as we have a very different outlook on where we want to be. Good luck.

 

[Babe2201]

Lake Wallenpaupack comes to mind mostly because we drive by that on the way down south.

What are you using to search for places? VRBO? Air bnb?

 

[Old_Crow]

Sorry that I cannot help you. I know lots of great campgrounds in those areas but being that you want rental houses there might be a better forum out there that can help you. Most of us on this forum have rv's and try to stay away from rentals as we have a very different outlook on where we want to be. Good luck.

This reminds me of the time that my wife and I went on one of those inclusive weekends where they try and sell you a time share. Salesman couldn't (or wouldn't) understand that the wife and I were motorcyclists who liked to travel every day of our vacations and stay somewhere new every night as opposed to traveling to one spot and staying for 2 weeks.
We had a nice stay in Branson anyway and enjoyed the free show.
They also hooked us up with another presentation by an outfit that rented unused time shares. We got a $50 stipend for attending that one, which (at the time) paid the gas for both bikes for the whole trip.

 

[jackiemac]

Adirondacks maybe?