We are looking at taking a short trip over Easter (3 nights), so need someplace fairly close (we will be driving). We have done trips to Chicago and DC, so are looking for someplace different. We are a family of six (four children, ages 11 to 19). Any ideas?

Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, NYC?

DO you want a city or something different?

Charlottesville, Virginia. Take in Jefferson's Monticello and Monroe's home(ten miles away) on one day. Do Skyline Drive and Luray Caverns another day. Natural Bridge, Lexington (home of VMI and Washington and Lee University)and Highland County another day.

Both Land Between the Lakes & Louisville come to mind. Outside of Pittsburg, the other places mentioned (so far) would be outside of reasonable driving range (for me anyway). Also, Hocking Hills, if you like the outdoors.

Great Smokey Mountains or Chimney Rock/Asheville area.

Another alternative is a leisurly drive through the blue grass horse country of Kentucky, not too far south of you. When my kids were a bit younger than your oldest, we made the loop from Dayton to Lexington to Louisville and back to Dayton making stops at a couple of the horse farms open to the public. They really enjoyed it and it was short enough so they didn't get bruned out riding for hours and hours. It could be done in one day but we took three and were glad for the extra time.

Niagara Falls/Niagara-On-The-Lake - Canadian side.

I have to ask this & I'm not pooh-poohing anyones' suggestions, they are all quite good for long-weekend type trips. However, most are over 400+ miles away. Does anyone know where Dayton is ? lol

Another suggestion - Mammoth Cave National Park, KY. It's about 235 miles from Dayton.

Having been born in Dayton and living there for many years, Hocking County was always one of my favorite weekend destinations. Perfect in the spring for a family.
Brown County, Indiana is another favorite.
Or simply rent a cabin at nearby Indian Lake, visit the Ohio Caverns and the Piatt "castles" near Bellefountaine, the Neil Armstrong space museum, and even the Annie Oakley museum at Greenville.
Here's a fun website with tons of things to do in that part of the state:

http://tinyurl.com/2l859u

I'll vote with GeargeW, but with 4 kids, I would pare it back to Monticello, Univ of VA (never too soon 4 college prep) and SkyLine Drive.

In other words, spend the entire weekend in a car driving with four kids?
Dayton TO Monticello is 8 hours each way non-stop.

NeoP - didn't know we came from the same neck of the woods. I grew up near Hocking Hills & went to college @ Wright St.

Born in Dayton, went to school in Farmersville (now Valleyview Schools), and after college (Bowling Green) taught school at Oakwood in Dayton for 5 years before heading to Florida. About the only thing I miss is The Pine Club.

I remember the Pine Club. I've not lived there since '90, but still get back on occasion for my college pals. Spent most of my time in Kettering after school.

NeoPatrick, Brutforce - I'm another one from the Dayton area. Born in Toronto, immigrated to US in early 60s(San Francisco) and ended up living in W. Carrollton for 40+ years! My son went to Wright State also.

Hocking Hills is one of my nearby favorite places to go. I often go out to Yellow Springs to walk at Clifton Gorge and go to their street fairs. Dayton now has the Schuster Center where Rike's was located downtown. The riverfront downtown has been developed to "Riverscape" where many summer and fall festivals take place, and there is skating in the winter.

NeoPatrick, I always read your posts - I'm a daily lurker!

Well stop, lurking and post! See. Look what I already learned today.

P.S. My brother lives between Miamisburg and West Carrollton. Is Woody's supermarket still there?

Woody's was torn down last summer after being empty for a number of years. Remember how popular the bakery was? A couple of the cake bakers/decorators opened their own shop after Woody's closed. It was so successful and needed more display / production room that they built a new store on the old Woody's site. Drove by last night and it's close to being open.

I live just a few streets from the Miamisburg city limits...could be close to your brother!

All I remember about Miamisburg is a pretty good restaurant (the name I don't recall)& the annoying car dealer w/the bad commercials that ended "...in downtown Mammysburg..."

The Peerliss Mill was probably the restaurant in Miamisburg. Don't remember that car dealer, but after a huge hailstorm, once my father bought a new car at a terrific price because the hail damage had been repaired, but the insurance had already paid the dealer for the car. Within a few months, all the paint on the car started peeling -- worst repair job in the world. My father had that car for about 5 years -- blistering, peeling paint and all. I'll bet it was that place with the obnoxious commercials.