Dear Diary,

Despite schools being back in session, your family can continue to celebrate summer. The season doesn’t official end until September 22nd, so there is still time to get in a last-minute road trip before the leaves and temperatures start to fall. You don’t have to drive as far as Ocean City or Virginia Beach either. There are plenty of fun, seasonal trips right around the corner! Here are a four family road trips that are located less than four hours from Pittsburgh.

1. Washington, DC: The nation’s capital is filled with fun, educational activities for the entire family. Plus, there are tons of free things to do if you’re balancing your back-to-school budget. Your family can check out attractions, like the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Have a blast at the Air and Space Museum. Go wild at the National Zoo. Or just take a stroll through the National Mall.

2. Baltimore, Maryland: Baltimore is a great aqua adventure for families! The city’s inner harbor is home to a Civil War-era warship, the USS Constellation, and the National Aquarium, where you can make a splash with hundreds of marine life animals like dolphins, sharks and alligators.

Check out the other two trips that lead to family fun here.

About The Author

Vlog Mom/DFTM Creator

Not long ago, Heather Hopson hosted a television show in the Cayman Islands. Today, she's back home writing a different kind of story as a new mom. In her 15 years working as a professional journalist, this by far is her best assignment! Growing up, she dreamed of becoming Oprah Winfrey. She was the features editor for her school’s newspaper and a teen talk show host for her city’s most popular radio station. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Michigan State University. After graduation, she worked as a television producer and reporter at CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates throughout the U.S. Instead of heading to Chicago to join Ms. Winfrey on her set, she bought a plane ticket to the Cayman Islands instead. She arrived five days before a category five hurricane! She lived in paradise for seven years, hosted an award-winning television show and traveled the globe with a government delegation. She also served on the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters and spearheaded a Send a Kid to Camp campaign. Then, she relocated to Washington, D.C. to obtain a teaching certification and instruct 8th grade reading at a high needs middle school. She later returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA to raise her daughter Caitlynn, now 4-years-old. During her 10-month-stint as a stay-at-home mom, Caitlynn inspired her to create this blog, and Diary of a First Time Mom was born on Mother’s Day 2012. Two years later, she expanded the family to include 20+ writers. Currently, Heather serves as the communications director at Allies for Children. In addition, she is the owner of Motor Mouth Multimedia, which ranked #49 in Startup Nation’s Home-Based 100 Competition sponsored by Discover Card and Sam’s Club. Recently, The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments selected Heather to receive an Emerging Black Artist award to develop Diary of a First Time Mom.

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