Help with 2016 trip planning

[Tjuice]

I live in N. Indiana and will be heading to Niagra Falls next July. Will have a 10-year old with us. None of us has been to the Falls or in much of the NE for that matter.
Here's my basic plan; I need fill-ins for things to see and do along the way, or at least not too far out of the way.
Oh, and I've been reading debates about staying on the NY or ON side of the Falls, so I'm thinking of doing both!

Leave SE through Columbus to Gettysburg PA for a few days. Is there anything in OH or E. PA to see?? (10-year old is not into big coasters, so skipping those parks)
Head N to Hershey for a couple days. Go to the park for one day. What else is there?
Head N maybe stay at Wellsboro near the canyon? On our way to NY Falls.
Stay a couple days at NY Falls, pack up, move to the ON side for a couple days.
Head home through CAN to MI, we can drive that in one day if there's nothing to stop and see/do. I mentioned the Henry Ford museum and was vetoed...
I will have about 4 days free with this plan. Maybe a day at PA Dutch country?
10-year old loves nature, and I know there's a lot of history around...we tend to try and avoid big cities.
Please help me fill in?
Thanks!

[jasoncw]

My kids are young (now 11, 8, 8), and every time we go to The Henry Ford (Museum and/or Greenfield Village), they have a blast (as do I!).

[Opie431]

Niagara Falls Canada downtown area has lots of the junky businesses that children that age love. What they have at the falls is great for both adults and children.

[longdrive]

Certainly take the boat ride, very cool looking up at the falls. I stayed at Branches on Grand Island , my kids loved it (9& 12) . We also hit the Erie Canal while there. You can take a boat ride through one of the locks and back, about 2-3 hours total if I remember correctly. Kids liked that too.

[vermilye]

If you like waterfalls, you might think about a day or two at Letchworth State Park. Some photos from one of my trips.

[Tjuice]

Thank you all for the ideas! I will post my finalized trip when it's final...
And yes, we are going to do the touristy stuff around the Falls, why not? that's half the fun! When we get back, everyone will ask if we did the 'boat' 🙂

[NoVa_RT]

The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY is worth a visit, depending on the rest of your schedule. A relatively easy drive from Hershey or N.E. Pennsylvania if you do those suggestions.

[jfkmk]

I'm kind of with Matt on doing Niagara Falls in a day. It really is very tourist trap-like. I think 4 days there is overkill BIG time.

Too bad on being vetoed on Henry Ford...I've never been but from folks I know it sounds fantastic!

I'd do a couple of days at Gettysburg at least. Take a ghost tour (10 yo should love that), tour the battlegrounds and the visitors center. Have ice cream at the Cannonball Malt Shop.

X2 on Knoebels. It's a unique in that they have a lot of rides bought from amusement parks that have gone out of business. It's very family oriented, won't break the bank and you won't wait 90 minutes for a ride. They have their own campground but are others in the area as they fill up.

Check out Steamtown in Scranton. There's also a coal mine in Scranton you can tour.

Lancaster area is very nice but may be a bit boring for a 10 yo. If you're into it, Sight and Sound is excellent.

[magnusfide]

Double ditto on the History Here App. Definitely go to the Shady Maple Smorgasborg and save room for dessert. I recommend a good walk afterward too :w

[TenOC]

1. To go into Canada (to see the horseshoe falls) you will need a passport.

2 Be sure to see Welland Canal.

[Matt_Colie]

I had a bunch of neat things to suggest, but if your contingent is willing to blow off the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village, then I don't know what to suggest.

Gettysburg can kill a day, but hard pressed for more even if you are slow in the displays. You can kill all of Niagara Falls in an afternoon if you don't pay for "Maid of the Mist" (17$us).

Matt

[DrewE]

The Corning Glass museum is worth stopping at for a few hours. It's really more interesting and enjoyable than it may at first sound.

I would try to work out a couple of days or so at one of the lovely state parks in the finger lakes region. Watkins Glen and Letchworth are perhaps the two best known. Ten year old me would have loved Letchworth park; adult me definitely does. (I'm sure the same is true about Watkins Glen and some of the others.)

For someone who didn't like coasters, I might consider stopping at Kennywood (in Pittsburgh) or Knoebels over HerheyPark. Kennywood has a number of unusual non-coaster attractions. Knoebels is nice in being open admission; you can use their pay-as-you-go scheme for people who want to have only a handful of rides. HersheyPark does have plenty of things for most anyone, though--including a very nice water park area, if that's of interest.

I would also suggest attempting to override the veto of the Henry Ford.

[djsamuel]

CloudDriver wrote:
Not too far from Hershey is the Strasburg Railroad, where you can ride a train pulled by a steam locomotive. Right across the street is the Railroad Museum of PA.

When in the area, we always make sure to get a meal at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord. If you go, go hungry.

Some great suggestions in this post. The Railroad Museum is excellent, as is Strasburg RR. I've never eaten at Shady Maple, but if it is on par with other food in the area, I am sure it is delicious. All of this is in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country.

[CloudDriver]

Not too far from Hershey is the Strasburg Railroad, where you can ride a train pulled by a steam locomotive. Right across the street is the Railroad Museum of PA.

When in the area, we always make sure to get a meal at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord. If you go, go hungry.

[mdamerell]

History Channel has an app called "History Here" that might be of some help. It can gps ping where you are at and show things in the area or you can bring up a map and search that way. When you click on the marker it gives you the name and address, you can then open a description of the place.

There's another one called "Food Network on the Road" which shows you the restaurants from the different Food Network shows.