A picturesque farm geared toward couples, spots to hike hand-in-hand and the chance to make hearts race while zipping over the autumnal canopy make this a swoon-worthy stay.
Stay Here
The circa 1780s Campbell Farm operates three sweet accommodations for couples looking to hole up. One cottage is tucked between a timber-framed barn and stocked pond and has a queen-sized bedroom, a screened-in patio and Adirondack chairs, while another touts a fireplace, a large deck and a fire pit and is adjacent to a babbling brook, surrounded by 800 acres of undeveloped land. But the coolest option might be the rustic, open-air cabin built in the middle of a meadow, where you can sit on a hickory rocking chair on the covered porch and take in the mountain views, or soak al fresco in the covered freestanding bathtub. // Fort Hill, Pennsylvania; address provided upon booking; $130 per night on average
Day 1
Designed as a weekend home for the owners of Kaufmann’s Department Store, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is a masterpiece in modern architectural design melded with nature. Reserve your tickets well in advance and make this UNESCO site, deemed one of Smithsonian’s “28 Places to See Before You Die,” the first stop of your weekend, touring the cantilevered floors built partly over a waterfall on Bear Run. Afterward, talk about your favorite parts of the house over lunch at Yough Roadhouse Bar & Grille, which serves up subs and sandwiches and wings and a good selection of draft beers.
Check into the farm, relax for a bit and then set off to explore Spruce Forest Artisan Village, an arts center that also preserves the region’s heritage. At any given time, a handful of resident artists and many visiting ones showcase their work and interact with visitors in the log cabins that serve as their studios. The center hosts weavers, potters, woodturners, bird sculptors and metalworkers; check the website for information on tours and re-enactments. Before you leave, stop for a refreshing beverage or coffee at The Cornucopia Cafe, adjacent to the village.
Set on the bank of the Youghiogheny River is River’s Edge Cafe, a bed and breakfast, restaurant and cafe where you can get a table for two inside the 1890s farmhouse or on the wraparound porch overlooking the water and share a bottle of wine paired with bone-in chicken breast finished with a gorgonzola walnut garlic sauce and trout stuffed with spinach and broiled in white wine and butter.
Day 2
Fill up on made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, sausage gravy and biscuits, green juices and smoothies at Ohiopyle Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe. Afterward, discover all there is to do at Ohiopyle State Park, including 79 miles of hiking trails at all levels, wildlife watching, whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing, trout fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding and rock climbing.
A short drive from the park is the family-owned Bittersweet Café, where everything is made from scratch, including the vanilla flavoring used in the coffee. It’s all really good, but the grilled cheese sandwich served on sourdough with provolone and white cheddar—with or without dry-rubbed pulled pork—is what the locals talk about. Save room for a cranberry oatmeal apricot cookie or blackbottom peanut butter mousse pie from the sweet case. Next, continue to immerse yourself in Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision with a visit to Kentuck Knob, a crescent, one-story structure built from red cypress, glass, native sandstone and a copper roof and designed as a Usonian house, a term Wright used to mean “affordable for the average American.” Book a walk-through or in-depth tour and enrich your visit with a walk around the exterior and the woodland trail.
Sip a cocktail at sunset on the romantic porch of the Historic Summit Inn Resort, situated along the National Road in Farmington. Take in the sweeping valley view below; on a clear day or early evening, you can even see the Pittsburgh skyline. Dine at the Stone House Restaurant and Country Inn, which first opened its doors in 1822 to welcome guests seeking vim and vigor from the waters of nearby Fayette Springs. Order a New York Strip steak topped with melted blue cheese and sauteed mushrooms or sustainably raised salmon topped with peach barbecue sauce.
Day 3
Drive to downtown Uniontown for breakfast at Sullivan Brothers Coffee Company, like smashed avocado and roasted tomato toast, an oat bowl or omelette wrap, as well as the freshest coffee in town. Get another cortado to-go to sip while you check out the two floors of “I-need-to-have-this” shopping at Neubauer’s Flowers & Market House. Located in a restored livery stable, the market sells housewares, botanicals, designer goods, greeting cards and gourmet foods. You are bound to find the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for friend and a few items for yourself as well.
Stop for lunch at Falls City Pub, whose self-described “pub fare with a flair!” translates to fun dishes like bang bang shrimp, herb and garlic cheese curds and brisket-topped mac and cheese. Then, offset all those delicious calories on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, the main feature of Laurel Ridge State Park. This 70-mile, year-round trail runs from Ohiopyle to near Johnstown. Yellow blazes every hundred feet keep you on the trail while blue ones designate connector trails leading to parking and shelter areas. Mid-fall, when the leaves turn, is a great time to traverse the four counties that encompass the park by vehicle—Westmoreland, Fayette, Cambria and Somerset.
Camping Essentials
Camping with the one you love? These items will help stoke the fire.
• Before you fill that soaking or clawfoot tub, drop in a fizzy scented bath bomb to make the water feel and smell amazing.
• Made a Spotify playlist of romantic songs for the weekend? A portable speaker will make the tunes sound much better than playing them through your iPhone.
• If you are planning on stargazing on the back porch, small globe string lights will give you both a warm glow.
• Even if your accommodation includes linen service, there is nothing like the feel of high-thread-count sheets brought from home.
This story originally appeared in the Fall Getaways cover story of the October issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.