• Where: Cook Forest State Park in Cooksburg, Jefferson County.

• How far: Two hours from Pittsburgh.

• How much: Cost of gas and activities.

• What to do: Hike through the park's old-growth forest to the rocky ledges of Seneca Point Overlook, where you can climb an 80-foot fire tower; rent a canoe or inner tube for a lazy ride down the scenic Clarion River; take the kids fishing in the stocked trout pond behind the ranger's building on River Road, then treat them to a hand-dipped ice cream cone at the Cooksburg Cafe; enjoy a play at the Verna Leith Sawmill Theater; shop for kitschy souvenirs at Parker's Indian Trading Post on Route 36; and search for collectibles at the Leeper Flea Market in nearby Leeper (weekends only).

• Fun factor: 8, because it won't break the bank and there's something for everyone. -- Gretchen McKay