Falling Water and Flight 93 Memorial

Crowe wrote:
Just a head's up there was a fire at the Flight 93 Memorial. You might want to call ahead and see if they've had to close.

Doesn't look like there is much left to close.

Flight 93 Memorial Fire

Just a head's up there was a fire at the Flight 93 Memorial. You might want to call ahead and see if they've had to close.

We went last year just before the construction started on the Memorial Visitors Center. We stayed at Benners and drove the TOAD all around. The Johnstown flood museum was OK and educational. The state parks may be limited services. I do think I would do the trip again in the summer.

Shawnee is a great park! Shouldn't have much worry of snow 3rd week of Oct. If it snows, it's a freak occurance. I seem to remember there is decent parking for trailers at the 93 memorial, and yes, it's a work in progress, but don't miss it! Talked to one of the volunteer rangers and she lived only about a mile away. Her detail of the day it happened was riveting. You'll likely not forget your vistit there.

October in the Laurel Highlands is beautiful but the weather can be anything. Normally, 60 to 70 during the day, 30 to 40s at night. Snow can happen in October, but the norm is in November.

Sorry, no recommendations on a campground. Friendship in Bedford has a good rep.

Friendship Village for Flight 93 and Benners for Fallingwater. Enjoy!

Make sure you also go to Kentuck Knob, another Frank Lloyd Wright house nearby Falling Water. It is one of his Usonian Houses - a bit less dramatic, but lovely and in a lovely area. It is currently owned by an English lord, who loved Falling Water so much, he had to have his own FLW house. Lucky for him, there was one up for sale in the neighborhood. He has filled the large grounds with a lot of sculpture and outdoor installations.

If we ever go again, we will spring for the more expensive and comprehensive tours - esp at Falling Water.

I was there in October a few years ago (not camping) and I have no memory of the weather either way, so it must have been mild.

Lantley wrote:
I visited both. Flight 93 is a work in progress. Falling water is interesting and unique. WE styed at Kooser state park.

I agree Kooser is a great little park (only about 30 sites) and may not be open then. Another is Laurel Hill about 5 miles from Kooser but it may also be closed.

We stayed at Friendship Village in Bedford when we went to the Flight 93 Memorial, it was about a 30 minute ride from there. There were a few spots for rv parking there but the ride up and back was very nice but lots of curves at times and a couple of climbs, we did it in our Smart car not a rv.

We visited the Flight 93 memorial near Shanksville, PA this summer. The visitor center construction was underway in July. The wall of names and memorial walkway that passes the crash site are open to visitors. There is a parking lot close to that walkway with a group of pull thru RV sites that can handle large units.

No campgrounds in Shanksville or at the memorial. We were traveling further on down the road, but Shawnee State Park looks good and is open until December, (so October is probably still OK weather-wise), located east of the memorial. Other commercial park options are in Bedford or to the west in Somerset.

You might also find the Johnstown Flood National Historic Site interesting (up at the dam location), not very far to the NW. In Johnstown itself there's a museum on the subject.