Pittsburgh, PA
The northern part of Pennsylvania extends to Lake Erie which I also wanted to see. I rented a car, again through Booking.com that was cheaper that directly form car rental agencies. I do not want to sound like a commercial here, I simply share my experience.
It takes 2 hours to drive from Pittsburgh to the city of Erie. My attempt to see something interesting en-route failed. The only place that appeared to make sense to visit was a tiny Amish village of Volant. Reports said it is a charming place with a lot of character. I thought that perhaps I could buy there some local produce like homemade jam and to see real Amish people, left the highway and for 20 minutes, I drove along country roads to Volant. The village looked deserted, no Amish anywhere. According to a few signs the shops sold candy, pizza, cigars, and spirits (!). I returned to the highway having wasted one hour on the detour to Volant.
Another interesting place in Erie is the Maritime Museum which hosts an exact replica of the brig, USS Niagara, that was the flagship of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. The ship played a major role in the battle with the British during the war of 1812. These days, she is a training vessel for those who want to learn skills of traditional seamanship and experience a highly authentic onboard living.
A surprise find was a Russian Orthodox church in Erie Downtown. Apparently, this area was popular with immigrants from Russia who had been persecuted for their religious beliefs in the 19th century.
The city of Erie was an important shipbuilding, fishing, and railroad hub. It gradually lost its importance as an industrial center and now, it becomes a tourist destination. I drove all over the city and liked it very much. Two days later, I was back to Pittsburgh, returned the car at the airport and flew home in Colorado. My husband was glad to see me back in one piece and I was glad too that my long-planned trip came true.