We are driving between Philly and Pittsburgh mid-week in July with 2 kids. As you can guess we will at some point need to pull over for a bathroom stop and some lunch.
Any suggestions for a cute town to stop in and a nice kid-friendly place to have lunch? It does not necessarily have to be 1/2 way between.
Thanks

You'll be driving the PA Turnpike between Philly and Pittsburgh, and unlike other Interstate highways where there are exits every few miles, the exits are few and far between on the PATP (as far as 36 miles), and there are also very few service areas on the turnpike as well.

Your main choices are Carlisle, Breezewood, Bedford and Somerset. The best bet is Breezewood (Junction I-70/76), as they have the most choices in restaurants, and is just over halfway from Philly to Pittsburgh.

There are 8 service plazas on the 250 miles of your route between King of Prussia and New Stanton.

reference http://www.paturnpike.com

I would plan to not stop at Breezewood since the town is a bit far from the toll plaza but esp. because I wouldn't want to get slowed down by the traffic going between there and points south.

Consider Hershey.

I think the town and theme park are about 15 miles from the turnpike (can't remember the exit number but it's probably about 4 hours from Pitt.).

You could have lunch at the amusement park's "factory" -- a replica of a real chocolate factory. The tour is free, if you want take the kids on it. Just block their eyes so they don't see the entrance to the amusement park.

I would suggest that you consider spending a little time in Mt. Gretna (formerly Exit 20). Exit, make left onto Rte. 72 North and follow signs to Mt. Gretna (under 5 miles). Small, quaint, Victorian town in the woods. Try fast food/ice cream at the Jigger Shop or something more substantial at The Hideaway. Stretch your legs with a walk thru the wooded streets after you eat. If time allows, ask for directions to a 15 minute hike to a beautiful observation tower.

I've done this drive more times than I care to say. Harrisburg is about as good as it gets. Hershey is too far off the turnpike for a rest stop.

This is probably not a very useful suggestion, esp. if you are under some time constraints, but I hate the Penn. Tpke so much -- potholes, construction, trucks, winding, boring -- that we once detoured down to one of our favorite highways, US40 (I 68) in Maryland and were very glad we did. You'd take 81 down to Hagerstown and then stay on 68/40 to Morgantown WV and then up to Pittsburgh on I 79. You can also go a little further to I 70 and then down to 68, which looks like a closer connect, but the Breezewood "interchange" is a MESS -- the only redlight on the interstate system as far as I know -- and junk junk fast-food junk everywhere.

It looks like a substantial detour, but it's less of one than you think because the Pa Tpk. winds a LOT. Once you're on 40/68 (which is straighter and less heavily travelled and VERY scenic), there are some lovely Amish/Mennonite restaurants and shops and places to run around west of Frostburg, ca. Grantsville, etc.