September is the perfect season for a history-filled fall road trip. Starting and ending in Detroit, my friend Lisa and I spent 2.5 days driving through four states – Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania – connecting six fascinating but lesser-known National Park Service sites. From the stories of First Ladies to aviation history, this autumn adventure is a fun fall road trip. Plus I was checking off sites 259–264 in my quest to visit all 433 National Park Service sites.

Day 1 Morning: Detroit to Canton, Ohio

We left Detroit at 6:30a.m. and drove 3.5 hours to Canton, Ohio, to visit the First Ladies National Historic Site.  It’s only open Wednesday-Saturday so plan accordingly. Don’t miss the guided tour of Saxton-McKinley House.

The site has two parts: a visitor center in a restored 1895 bank building and the Saxton House, home of Ida Saxton McKinley, wife of President William McKinley. Exhibits in the visitor center showcase the evolving role of First Lady from Martha Washington to Melania Trump. Upstairs, step up to a podium to read speeches once given by Eleanor Roosevelt and Nancy Reagan.

After a quick break at Carpe Diem Coffee Shop, we joined the noon tour of the Saxton House. Our guide Dave painted a vivid picture of Ida’s life from her seizures to the 4,000 pairs of slippers she knitted for charity. Five presidents, including Hayes and Garfield, stayed in the house.

Fun fact: Ida Saxton McKinley despised the color yellow but loved blue. Much of the house is decorated in shades of her favorite color.Day 1 Afternoon: Canton, Ohio to Farmington, Pennsylvania

 

From Canton, we made our way through small Ohio towns, dipped into West Virginia for a few minutes, and crossed into Pennsylvania. By late afternoon, we reached Friendship Hill National Historic Site near Point Marion after a nearly 3 hour drive.

This estate belonged to Albert Gallatin, who served as Secretary of the Treasury for 13 years under Jefferson and Madison. He financed the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the National Road. Touring the house gives a sense of frontier life. Some trails on the grounds have glimpses of the Monongahela River.

Fun fact: Gallatin was nicknamed the “Father of the National Road,” which later became part of U.S. Route 40.

We spent the night at the historic Summit Inn Resort, which opened in 1907. Perched high on a ridge, the inn feels like stepping back into the golden age of mountain resorts. Its wide porches are perfect for sunset viewing. The rocking chairs have sweeping views of the Laurel Highlands.

Day 2 Morning: Fort Necessity National Battlefield

About 8a.m., we did the short drive to Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Here, a 22-year-old George Washington fought the first battle of the French and Indian War in 1754 and suffered his only surrender. The original log fort was built in five days and burned by the French as part of the surrender deal. Don’t miss taking a scenic drive to the picnic area built by the CCC and to see Braddock’s Trace.

Since Mount Washington Tavern doesn’t open until 10a.m, we grabbed a quick breakfast at Fuel Coffee Works. It’s a gas station turned coffee shop with a fun retro vibe. When we returned to Fort Necessity, we were the only ones exploring the tavern. Built in the 1830s, it was a stagecoach stop along the National Road, where passengers swapped stories over rye whiskey and hearty family-style meals.  Don’t miss stopping in the visitor center, which is filled with exhibits on the National Road.

Fun fact: The historic Braddock Road later became part of the route used in the early 1800s as the eastern legacy of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Walking the trails here means you’re literally stepping on the same ground that helped launch America’s push westward.

Before leaving the area, we made a quick stop at Braddock’s Grave and enjoyed a short hike at Jumonville Glen, where Washington’s militia ambushed French soldiers in May 1754. The half-mile trail leads to a rocky outcrop known as Washington’s Rocks. Standing in that quiet ravine, you can almost hear the chaos of a 15-minute skirmish triggering a war spanning two continents.

Fun fact: Out of the 32 French soldiers in the glen, only one escaped and walked 60 miles to Fort Duquesne (present day Pittsburgh) spreading word of the attack called “Jumonville Affair.”

Day 2 Afternoon: Ancient Earthworks and Buffalo Soldiers History in Ohio

Back on the road, we drove nearly four hours west to Chillicothe, Ohio, home of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves monumental earthworks built 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell people. Walking around the Mound City Group, I was struck by the scale and precision of these ceremonial enclosures. Some of the mounds once held elaborate burials with artifacts sourced from as far away as the Rocky Mountains and Gulf of Mexico.

Fun fact: Nowhere else in the world has such a high concentration of geometric earthworks so close together.

From there we drove 50 minutes for a quick late afternoon stop at Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce. Although the visitor center was closed, it was powerful to see the home of a man born enslaved in 1864 who went on to graduate from West Point, lead Buffalo Soldier regiments, and become the first Black superintendent of a national park. This site is only 30 minutes from downtown Dayton.

Fun fact: Charles Young supervised the building of roads in Sequoia and General Grant National Parks in 1903.

We wrapped up the day in Dayton at the brand-new Hotel Ardent. The boutique property opened in early 2025. Its sleek design and central location made for a comfortable modern contrast after a day spent deep in history.

Day 3: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

We started the morning with lattes at Winans Coffee & Chocolate before strolling along the Great Miami River. With a crisp breeze and early fall color, it was the perfect way to ease into our last day.

Our main stop was Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, which celebrates the Wright brothers and their legacy. The Wright Cycle Company Complex is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  A kind maintenance worker let us peek inside the bicycle shop where Orville and Wilbur dreamed and worked. We walked through Wright-Dunbar Village, admired the Victorian homes, and visited the Wright Brothers Memorial overlooking Huffman Prairie, where they made their first sustained flights in 1904–05.  We also stopped at the Wright Brothers Memorial and Huffman Prairie Flying Field.

Fun fact: Local banker Torrance Huffman lent the Wright brothers use of Huffman Prairie free of charge. His cow pasture became the birthplace of practical aviation.

After a stop at the Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, we made our way back to Detroit. That closed the loop on a road trip filled with history, culture, and a few off-the-radar treasures.

Why This is a Great Fall Road Trip

In less than three days, we connected six fascinating yet under-the-radar National Park Service sites while enjoying scenic drives. This is a great road trip to balance big history of George Washington’s first battlefield, the Wright brothers’ first flights, 2,000-year-old earthworks with local coffee shops, historic inns, and the kind of small-town charm you only find on backroads.