West Virginia - 5 Suitcases

Explore 5 States in 6 Days: A Complete Itinerary for West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and DC

Elle MacRae — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:11:14 +0000

On our quest to visit all 50 states, we embarked on a road trip that would take us to 5 states and Washington, DC. Over 6 days we visited West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington, DC while hugging the Mason-Dixon Line.

Fun Fact: The Mason-Dixon Line separates 4 states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia. It later became known as the border between the Southern slave states and the Northern free states.

All five states would be new destinations for the kids, and New Jersey and Delaware were new for me. We tacked on a day in DC since it’s the kids favorite city (so far!).

Our itinerary has all of the elements of an epic family road trip:

Adventure
Rollercoasters
Waterslides
History
Culture

Seriously, what more could you want?

How We Ended Up Visiting These States

Each year we gift the kids a trip as part of their Christmas gift. On January 1st, we randomly select the name of a state the kids haven’t visited and plan a trip to that destination. For this trip, the kids pulled West Virginia.

Our family of 5 took a road trip from Florida up to West Virginia. Since we were already in the area, it only made sense for us to visit a few other neighboring states so we could add them to the list of states we’ve visited.

Using the strategy outlined in the post above, our itinerary quickly began to take shape, and Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Washington, DC were added to our trip.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Elle MacRae (@5suitcases)

Day One- Davis, West Virginia

After a long drive from Florida to West Virginia, it was time for a bunch of Florida kids to experience some snow! The first stop on our road trip was Blackwater Falls State Park, home to the longest sled run on the East Coast.

The park has a conveyor belt, called the Magic Carpet, that carries passengers to the top of a hill. From there, it’s a quick 1/4-mile descent to the bottom. What an adventure! Smiley, Stinky, and I had so much fun! Scoop and Ashley didn’t love it, but they took advantage of the hot cocoa bar and fire while we went sledding.

West Virginia is known for having wooden “Almost Heaven” swings (pictured left) that are sprinkled throughout the state. We hiked the short, but icy, trail that led to the swing and the gorgeous Blackwater Falls.

Next, we went back to the Canaan Valley Resort. There was plenty of snow on the ground and the kids were dying to go sledding again. Lucky for them, we brought along a set of roll-up sleds. They spent hours zooming down the hills surrounding the resort.

Even Scoop had fun this go around! What a great way to kick off our epic winter road trip!

Dining: Canaan Valley Resort, Mama Mia Pie & Pasta
Lodging: Canaan Valley Resort

Day Two- Gettysburg & Hershey, Pennsylvania

We got up early and made the 3-hour trek to Gettysburg. Not only are we trying to visit all 50 states, but we’re also trying to hit up as many National Park Sites as possible.

Gettysburg was the site of the bloodiest battle in US History. The Battle of Gettysburg was a three-day battle in the American Civil War between July 1 and July 3, 1863, where an estimated 50,000 people lost their lives. The battle is considered the turning point of the Civil War- where the odds turned from being in favor of the Confederacy to favoring the Union forces.

While we were at the Gettysburg National Military Park we:

Visited the Museum and Visitor Center
Paid our respects at the National Cemetery
Saw where Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address
Saw the battlefield

About a mile away from the famous battlefield is another National Park Site- the Eisenhower National Historic Site. This was the home of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and his wife, Mamie. The home was closed for tours during our visit (tours are seasonal), but we were able to explore the grounds. It was nice having the whole place to ourselves.

While we could have spent longer exploring Gettysburg, we had more fun on the agenda for the day so drove an hour to Hershey.

Our final stop of the day was Hersheypark. Our daughter is a total theme park junkie, so I knew we had to visit Hersheypark, a place I visited when I was about her age. When you purchase a regular ticket to the park, you can preview the park the evening before your visit.

After checking in to our hotel, we told the kids we were going out to dinner and surprised them with a nighttime visit to Hersheypark. They thought we were sneaking in (lol) so it made it EXTRA exciting for them.

Check out the video below for their adorable reactions!

Dining: The Chocolate Avenue Grill
Lodging: Holiday Inn Express, Harrisburg

Day Three- Hershey, Pennsylavania

Day three of our trip was all about Hersheypark! Since we visited during the winter months, and on a holiday, the park had limited hours. However, since we previewed the park the night before, we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything.

The park opened a little later that day, so we started our day at Chocolate World which is a large shop that had a few add-on experiences for visitors to enjoy. There’s also an eatery and a free ride that tells how chocolate was made, which we rode multiple times until the park opened.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out at the theme park. The kids had a blast on the rides! Unfortunately, the rollercoasters were all closed due to the cold temperatures, but we made the best of it!

Later in the day, we purchased tickets for the drive-thru light show. We slowly crept through the 2-mile trail of holiday lights.

Dining: Applebee’s
Lodging: Holiday Inn Express, Harrisburg

Day Four- Perryville, Maryland

The next morning was Christmas Day! We got up bright and early and drove about 90 minutes southeast to Perryville, Maryland.

Originally, I considered visiting Philadelphia after our time in Hershey, but with it being a holiday (and many places would be closed), I opted to add a day at the Great Wolf Lodge in Perryville, Maryland to our itinerary, instead. The Great Wolf Lodge is a massive, indoor waterpark and kid’s entertainment complex. They have an arcade, bowling alley, mini golf, ropes course, and much more. What better place to celebrate Christmas?

Sure, it was un-traditional, but the kids had an absolute blast, and in the end, that’s all that matters!

Day Five- Pennsville, New Jersey; New Castle, Delaware; and Baltimore, Maryland

With New Jersey and Delaware so close, we couldn’t NOT visit. I went back and forth between visiting Camden, New Jersey, and Pennsville, New Jersey before ultimately deciding on the latter. Although Camden had way more things to do, it was a little further away. Since we would be backtracking to Baltimore, timewise, it made more sense for us to go to Pennsville.

Pennsville is the home of Fort Mott, which is one of the very few things to do in this part of the state. Fortunately for us, we love a good fort so our kids were thrilled to check it out! Fort Mott is a post-Civil War outpost located on the Delaware River. There was plenty of signage for us to learn about the fort…mostly our kids just enjoyed running around with the muskets they bought in Gettysburg.

Afterward, we drove to New Castle, Delaware. Oh my gosh, ya’ll, it was the CUTEST colonial town! Our first stop was the New Castle Court House, which is part of the First State National Historical Park.

At the courthouse, we learned how Delaware declared independence from Pennsylvania and Great Britain and became the first state. We also learned about the famous Americans who once called New Castle their home.

Afterward, we strolled around the town making stops at the Historical Society, a colonial cemetery (Immanuel on the Green), the old pillory, and other key sites around the courthouse. I seriously could have spent an entire weekend checking out this charming town. It reminded me so much of Williamsburg, Virginia. I guess that just gives us a reason to return!

After a couple of hours in New Castle, we backtracked to Maryland. We took the Fort McHenry Tunnel (our kids’ first tunnel experience) and made a pitstop at Fort McHenry. Fort McHenry was the scene of one of the most influential battles in American History. The Battle of Baltimore was a conflict between the British and the Americans during the War of 1812. The battle was a turning point in the war. After the British invaded DC (and torched it!), they headed north to Baltimore.

The Brits pounded Fort McHenry for 25 hours, but the Americans were able to defend their brick fortress successfully. From this point on, the Americans had the upper hand during the war.

During the battle, Maryland native Francis Scott Key witnessed the chaos at the fort from afar. At dawn, he looked out and saw a large American Flag waving over the fort, which inspired him to write a poem that would later become our national anthem.

We really enjoyed the National Park’s Junior Ranger Program. It was a great way for the kids to learn what happened at Fort McHenry. They completed several different activities in an activity book and earned a Junior Ranger badge for their efforts.

By the time we finished with the fort, it was about 4 PM. We planned to check in to our hotel and walk around the Baltimore Harbor. However, after driving around, we realized that might not be the safest idea. We noticed an increase in police presence, including 2 armed guards at Chick-fil-A. It turns out, the harbor becomes a totally different place at night. We took our dinner to go and walked back to the hotel to hunker down for the evening.

Dining: Chick-fil-A
Lodging: Staybridge Suites- Baltimore Inner Harbor

Day Six- Washington, DC

On the final day of our Mason-Dixon Road Trip, we drove south to Washington, DC. DC is our kiddos’ favorite city to explore, so since we were in the area, we just HAD to make a pitstop.

On our last visit, we spent 4 days exploring the capital. This time, I wanted to hit some of the
sites we didn’t get to see last time.

We started our morning off at the National Museum of African American History and
Culture, one of the newest museums in DC. The museum’s collection focuses heavily on the
slave trade, the lives of slaves, the Reconstruction Era, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Learning about this part of our nation’s history was an extremely somber (but necessary)
experience.

From there, we headed to the National Mall, also known as America’s Front Yard. The National Mall has more than 100 monuments, memorials, and museums. We started at the far end of the Mall and worked our way back toward the National Museum of African American History and
Culture.

Our first stop was the Lincoln Memorial. It was a cool spot to tie in our visit to this morning’s
museum and our time in Gettysburg (the monument has the Gettysburg address engraved in it).

From there, we made our way along the north side of the National Mall. We stopped by the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Constitution Gardens, Signers’ Memorial, and the
Lockkeeper’s House. Next, we cut across to the World War II Memorial before seeing the
Washington Monument.

Our last stop of the day was National Archives where we saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Although we could
have easily popped next door to the National Museum of Natural History or the National
Museum of American History, we chose to get on the road instead. We knew traffic would be
heavy and our hotel was two hours south.

Free Family Road Trip Starter Kit

Ready to hit the road with magic in the speakers?

Don’t forget to grab our FREE Family Road Trip Starter Kit — packed with printable checklists, kid-approved games, and snack ideas for your next adventure!

Includes:

Packing checklist
I Spy game
Travel Bingo boards
Snack list
Activity ideas

Click here to download yours now!

Planning an Epic Road Trip

Now that you’ve seen how we spent 6 days traveling through West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and DC, we hope that we’ve inspired you to take your own road trip.

Here are some handy posts to help you start planning your own road trip!

Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure!

For future reference, save our “Our 6-Day Itinerary for West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and DC.” Pin one of the images below to Pinterest. Read about how you can start your own 50 State Challenge! Go ahead and follow 5 Suitcases on Pinterest while you’re at it!

Save this post to Pinterest
Follow us on Instagram @5suitcases
Follow us on Facebook @5suitcases
Subscribe on YouTube @5suitcases

*This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience

Blackwater Falls State Park: Home to the Longest Sled Run on the East Coast!

Elle MacRae — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 18:14:35 +0000

Our first activity on our Mason-Dixon Road Trip was sledding at Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia. What better way to introduce a bunch of Florida kids to sledding than by sending them down the longest sled run on the East Coast of the US?

While planning out our road trip, I wanted the kids to experience the quintessential snow activity. I hardly think any of of are coordinated enough for skiing or snowboarding, and they’ve been ice skating, so sledding seemed like our best option. Before this trip, Ashley and I hadn’t been sledding in over 30 years, so we were a little rusty…to say the least. But…how hard can it be?

While snow tubing was offered at the resort we were staying at, the nearby Canaan Valley Lodge, I opted to book sledding tickets for the sled run at Blackwater Falls for a couple of reasons:

It is home to the longest sled run on the East Coast of the US (1/4 a mile).
It has a conveyor belt that takes you to the top (as does Canaan Valley State Park).
It would allow us to visit another nearby state park.
We’d get to see the crown jewel of the park, Blackwater Falls.
The park is home to one of the famous “Almost Heaven” swings.

All You Need to Know About Sledding at Blackwater Falls State Park

Tickets

Purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee your slot and skip the line.
Tickets are valid for a 2-hour session
- Session times Thursday-Sunday 10 am – 12 pm, 1-3 pm, 4-6 pm
- Friday & Saturday 7-9 pm
Session dates December 19 – March 2, weather dependent
Same-day tickets cannot be purchased online
Tickets are $28 on weekdays and $33 on holidays and weekends.
Children 5 and under ride free with an adult.
Children 8 and under must ride with an adult.

Check-In

Once you arrive at the park, you’ll check in at the building adjacent to the parking lot.
You’ll receive a tag that you’ll need to attach to your zipper.
You’ll receive a brief safety talk before you’re free to go sledding.

The Magic Carpet

The park has a conveyor belt that guides you to the top of the hill.
The Magic Carpet is the longest on the East Coast!

Tips for the Sled Run

Dress warm! Make sure you bring along the winter gear: snow pants, jacket, boots, gloves, and a hat.
Take breaks as needed. There’s an outdoor fire where you can warm up or step inside for a cup of cocoa.
Pay attention to the safety briefing, especially if it’s been awhile/it’s your first time sledding. They’ll instruct you how to control the sled and how to gracefully crash….

While You're There...

While you’re sledding at the park, be sure to visit the Blackwater Falls and pose with the famous “Almost Heaven” swing.

During our stay, we stayed at the nearby Canaan Valley Resort. There is also a lodge at Blackwater Falls State Park.

Our Experience

Our kids have never been sledding… in fact, they’ve never even seen real snow! Ashley and I hadn’t sledded in 30+ years and it’s been just as long since we’ve seen that much snow. This was sure to be an adventure!

We checked in at the hut and received a quick safety briefing. To be honest, I didn’t do a great job of paying attention since I was attaching everyone’s sled tags to their zippers. I’d later pay for that! I vaguely heard her mention to dip your hands in the snow to steer the sled and to dig your boots in the snow to slow down/stop. How hard could it be?

Since the boys were both underage, they needed to ride with an adult. However, our daughter (10) was able to ride on her own. Since Stinky is our most-reserved and anxious kid, I had him in the sled with me and Ashley took Scoop, our more adventurous guy. The 5 of us rode the magic carpet to the top and prepared for our descent.

Smiley went first, boy did she fly! She’s such an adrenaline junkie and down for absolutely anything so she had an absolute blast.

Next, it was time for the rest of us to go down. Ashley and Scoop went ahead of us and crashed about 1/4 of the way down the run. Stinky and I crashed immediately afterwards. Surprisingly, after the crash Scoop was over it. He had snow get under his jacket and his glove fell off and he decided he was done sledding. Ashley took him inside for cocoa while I kept the other 2 kiddos.

Despite us crashing, Stinky was down for some more fun! Luckily, that was our only crash. After our first time down the run, I had the whole sledding thing figured out. Not too shabby for a Florida girl!

Smiley absolutely crushed sledding. She didn’t wipe out once!

3/5 of us had a blast and would do it again. Later in the day, when we returned to our hotel, Scoop tried sledding (on his own!) and ended up enjoying it.

Sledding at Blackwater Falls State Park was a great way to introduce our kiddos to snow activities. I’m so glad we found out about this gem!

Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure

For future reference, be sure to save our post on Sledding at Blackwater Falls State Park! Pin one of the images below to Pinterest. Go ahead and follow 5 Suitcases on Pinterest while you’re at it!

While we were in the area, we stayed at the Canaan Valley Lodge.

Save this post to Pinterest
Follow us on Instagram @5suitcases
Follow us on Facebook @5suitcases
Subscribe on YouTube @5suitcases

A Complete Honest Review of Canaan Valley Resort: What to Expect During Your Stay

Elle MacRae — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 14:12:44 +0000

Each year we gift our kids a trip for Christmas. I dubbed this year’s trip the Mason-Dixon Road Trip because we would be dancing along the Mason-Dixon Line. The Mason-Dixon Line is a geographical boundary separating Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia.

We kicked off our trip with a stay at the Canaan Valley Resort. During our 2-night visit, we stayed in the Queen Jr. Suite. In this review, we’ll give our honest feedback on the room and the resort itself. We’ll also share other important information about the hotel.

The hotel is just a few hours from Pittsburgh, Washington DC, and Baltimore.

Accommodation Options at Canaan Valley Resort

The resort has 160 rooms, 23 cabins, and 59 campsites. The several different lodging options offer something for everyone.

Standard King Room

Sleeps 2

Includes:

Complimentary high-speed internet
37-inch flat-screen television
Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot
Spacious bathroom with granite countertops
Individual climate control
Hair dryer
Iron and ironing board
Balcony rooms available

Standard Queen

Sleeps 4

Includes:

Complimentary high-speed internet
37-inch flat-screen television
Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot
Spacious bathroom with granite countertops
Individual climate control
Hair dryer
Iron and ironing board
Balcony rooms available

King Jr. Suite

Sleeps 2

Includes:

Complimentary high-speed internet
37-inch flat-screen television
Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot
Spacious bathroom with granite countertops
Individual climate control
Hair dryer
Iron and ironing board

Queen Jr. Suite

Sleeps 4-6

Includes:

Complimentary high-speed internet
37-inch flat-screen television
Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot
Spacious bathroom with granite countertops
Individual climate control
Hair dryer
Iron and ironing board

King Suite

Sleeps 2-4

Includes:

Complimentary high-speed internet
37-inch flat-screen television
Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot
Spacious bathroom with granite countertops
Individual climate control
Hair dryer
Iron and ironing board
Fireplace, balcony, and separate living and sleeping rooms (only in 1-bedroom suites)
Note: King and Governor suite rooms are connected to a separate Queen balcony room that may be rented for the same dates when available. This is a great option for larger families to stay together in a common space.

Queen Suite

Sleeps 4-6

Includes:

Complimentary high-speed internet
37-inch flat-screen television
Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot
Spacious bathroom with granite countertops
Individual climate control
Hair dryer
Iron and ironing board
Fireplace, balcony, and separate living and sleeping room.
Note: Queen suite rooms are connected to a separate King balcony room that may be rented for the same dates when available. This is a great option for larger families to stay together in a common space.

Governor Suite

Sleeps 2-4

1 king bed and bathroom, plus separate living area, kitchenette/dining area, fireplace, and half bath. Governor suites are located on the top floors.

Note: King and Governor suite rooms are connected to a separate Queen balcony room that may be rented for same dates when available. This is a great option for larger families to stay together in a common space.

Check In/ Check out at Canaan Valley Resort

The Canaan Valley Ski & Golf Resort lobby was incredibly inviting and the staff was very welcoming and helpful. The lodge is quite large- spanning 2 separate buildings so I was a little surprised when I checked in and they simply handed my key. I had to ask where my room was, and it’s a good thing that I did since we were in a different building.

Canaan Valley Resort Amenities & Activities

Championship golf course
Indoor and outdoor pool
47 slopes/trails for hiking, biking, skiing and snowboarding, XC Skiing, Snowshoeing
Snow tubing
SNO-GO Biking
Ice Skating
Sporting Clays
Conference center
On-site restaurants

Our Honest Review

The Canaan Valley Resort was the first stop on our Mason-Dixon Road Trip. The resort came highly recommended on one of the Facebook groups I look to when planning a road trip so I had high hopes for it. The resort is just outside the charming, quaint, small town of Davis, West Virginia.

When approaching from the south, we had to take several country highways to reach the resort. I’m glad we had plenty of gas because we passed nothing but deer for miles and miles. Pulling into the resort was a welcome relief.

The resort was cozy but the color scheme made it feel a bit dated. We booked a Queen Jr. Suite (pictured above with details), that was perfect for our family of 5. The couch pulled out into an additional bed for our daughter.

The room came with a small refrigerator, microwave, and coffee pot, which gave us a place to store our leftovers and a way to heat them up.

Our room was very comfortable, and overall the hotel was quiet. After putting the kids to bed, we went downstairs to check out the bar. Our room was located in the north tower, and the bar/lounge and lobby were located in the main building. Fortunately, the two buildings were connected on the first floor so we didn’t have to venture out into the snow.

As we explored the resort, we continued to note that it was a bit tired. There’s an old indoor pool that had a broken hot tub, an old-school arcade, and several conference rooms that were poppin’.

I think with a bit of a remodel, this resort will be excellent! As is, it’s still a wonderful place to camp out and enjoy the area.

Location & Booking Information

The Canaan Valley Resort is located at 230 Main Lodge Rd.
Davis, West Virginia 26260.

Visit the website directly to book your stay and review the current offers.

Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure

While in the area, we visited Blackwater Falls State Park, home to the longest sled run on the East Coast! Check out our video on YouTube to experience this awesome adventure for yourself!

Save this post to Pinterest
Follow us on Instagram @5suitcases
Follow us on Facebook @5suitcases
Subscribe on YouTube @5suitcases