One of my favorite pastimes is planning fun getaways for my family. In this series, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite ideas for quick family trips within a short drive from DC.

Destination: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Distance from DC: 2.5 hours

Best for: Train lovers, farm fun, little kid amusement park

Why I love it:

Trains: The Lancaster, Pennsylvania area is the perfect weekend getaway for families with young kids, especially if your littles are into trains. Strasburg, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County boasts the National Toy Train Museum, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, the Choo Choo Barn, and the Strasburg Railroad, where you can take a scenic ride on a steam train. For an extra magical experience, visit June 17-18, June 22-26, or September 14-18 when Strasburg Railroad will be hosting a Day Out with Thomas where you can take a ride on a train pulled by a full-sized operating Thomas the Tank Engine™ steam locomotive. Get your tickets in advance as they tend to sell out quickly.

Farm Fun: Also nearby is Cherry Crest Adventure farm, which opens for select days starting Memorial Day weekend and offers seemingly endless farm fun for kids. Down the road is the Li’l Country Store and Miniature Horse Farm that offers free admission to visit the animals and affordable horse rides for children Monday-Saturday. Older kids will enjoy learning about the Amish at the Amish Farm & House.

Dutch Wonderland: Lancaster is also home to Dutch Wonderland, an amusement park that has lots of rides geared towards young kids.

Keep in mind that lots of things in Lancaster County, including Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, shut down on Sunday, so if you’re planning a weekend trip make sure to check hours of operation when planning your itinerary.

Where to stay: One thing I love about Lancaster County is that lots of the hotels have fun playgrounds onsite to help keep the kids entertained.

Fulton Steamboat Inn is a popular option that is centrally located to all attractions, has a boat-themed playground, duck and koi pond, indoor pool and hot tub, a small arcade and an on-site restaurant/bar and bar. The Steamboat theme is a little hokey, but they execute it well.

A little further from most attractions is the Eden Resort and Suites which has two outdoor pools, a splash pad, an indoor pool, a playground, and a couple of restaurants including one with a decent-looking cocktail bar.

If you want to go all-in on the train theme, there is also the Red Caboose Motel right near the Strasburg Railroad, where you’ll get to stay in an actual train car!