The Laurel Highlands stretch across the Allegheny Mountains about an hour east of Pittsburgh, offering some of Pennsylvania's best outdoor recreation and two of Frank Lloyd Wright's most celebrated houses.
Fallingwater, Wright's 1935 masterpiece built over a waterfall on Bear Run, is one of the most famous private residences ever constructed. The in-depth tour lasts two hours, allows photography inside, and includes the guest house -- it is worth the extra cost. Just seven miles away, Kentuck Knob is a stunning mid-1950s Usonian home with a sculpture garden on the grounds. Book ahead for both, as tours fill up quickly.
Beyond architecture, the Laurel Highlands draw skiers in winter and hikers, cyclists, and white-water rafters in summer. Ohiopyle State Park is the hub for rafting on the Youghiogheny River, and Fort Necessity, where a young George Washington fought his first battle, is a short drive away.