Break Time

The Baltimore Sun | February 24, 2002

As reported by Peter Jensen, in The Baltimore Sun  February 24, 2002:

” Why should just the kids get a spring break? Here are 10 affordable places for families to vacation together.

Your children don’t have to be the only ones counting down the days until spring break.

The minivan drivers in the family deserve to have some fun, too. But are Mom and Dad ready to take advantage of this once-a-year travel opportunity?

Eileen Ogintz thinks you should be. The nationally syndicated family travel columnist says she’s seeing deals galore, from cheap fares at western ski resorts to bargain hotel rates in Orlando.

But for those with a smaller budget, there are plenty of destinations within a six-hour drive of Baltimore that won’t break the bank …..

1. Williamsburg, Va. …

2. Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, W. Va. ….

3. Philadelphia, Pa. ….

4. Ocean City, N.J.  ….

5. Wilmington, Del. ….

6. New York, N.Y. ….

7. Gettysburg, Pa. ….

8. Assateague State Park, Assateague Island, Md. ….

9. Snowshoe, W. Va. ….

10. Weatherbury Farm, Avella, Pa.

Psst, Dale and Marcy Tudor may not be prepared to welcome everybody from Baltimore to stay, but it’s a good bet they could handle a few at their unusual farm bed and breakfast in western Pennsylvania. Youngsters (and adults, too) get to help out with daily chores ranging from feeding grain to the goats to collecting eggs from Araucana hens that lay blue, green and pink ones that seem particularly Easter-appropriate.

FYI: There are only four guest rooms at $85 or so per night, so get your reservations in early. Once the kids have milked enough cows, head to nearby Pittsburgh to see what the city slickers are up to. If Weatherbury is booked, check out this Web site, www.pafarmstay.com, for links to other bed-and-breakfast farms.

Contact: Weatherbury Farm at 724-587-3763 or weatherburyfarm.com/newsite

Drive time: 4 hours 45 minutes “