By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey for Main Line Today
In spring, everything’s in bloom—including the impulse to come out of winter hibernation. Here are some of our favorite places to get away, all within an easy day’s drive from Philadelphia's Main Line and western suburbs.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Polymath Park • Acme, Pa.
Drive time: 4 hours.
Rates: $299-$399 weekdays, $349-$425 weekends.
What’s great: You can tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, but you can’t sleep over. At this nearby complex, you can fully experience what it’s like to live in a house designed either by Wright himself (Duncan House) or long-time apprentice Peter Berndtson (Blum House and Balter House). In keeping with Wright’s signature integration of nature and contemporary design, the three houses have been transported to a lovely wooded area. Stay in the Wright frame of mind while dining at the on-site Treetops restaurant.
187 Evergreen Lane, Acme, Pa. (877) 833-7829.
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort • Farmington, Pa.
Drive time: 4 hours, 30 minutes.
Rates: Starting at $159 weekdays, $199 weekends.
What’s great: You won’t find a greater variety of outdoor recreational activities than at this 2,000-acre resort in southwest Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands. For golfers, there are 36 holes of Pete Dye-designed courses. To get the adrenalin pumping, try off-road driving, dueling zip lines and the warm weather version of dog sledding using wheeled carts. Take in the scenery on horseback during a trail ride, or try your hand at fly-fishing. At the end of the day, book a treatment at the spa. Accommodations include two hotels—the palatial Chateau Lafayette, inspired by the Ritz Paris, and Falling Rock, the boutique tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright—plus an English Tudor-style Lodge.
1001 Lafayette Drive, Farmington, Pa. (866) 344-6957.