Art, Architecture, and the Ark
Created by Industry Experts at
the Accent Travel Network Conference
Accent East 2025
Discover a thoughtfully designed journey that blends iconic architecture, natural beauty, sustainable agriculture, and immersive American experiences.
Begin in Pittsburgh with soaring Gothic landmarks and historic skyscrapers, then travel to the Laurel Highlands to explore the timeless genius of Frank Lloyd Wright, including the world-famous Fallingwater.
Continue into Ohio for an engaging farm-to-table experience that highlights conservation, innovation, and local flavor, before concluding with a memorable visit to the Ark Encounter and a scenic sunset dinner cruise along the river. This inspiring multi-state tour offers meaningful connections between design, land, and legacy at every stop.
Sample Itinerary:
Day 1 – Architecture & Inspiration in Pittsburgh
- Begin your architectural adventure with an overnight stay at Hotel Indigo Pittsburgh University–Oakland, a boutique property reflecting the creative spirit of the city’s academic district.
- After breakfast, step inside the iconic Cathedral of Learning to explore the internationally celebrated Nationality Rooms—each designed to represent the heritage, artistry, and story of a different cultural group. Continue just steps away to the breathtaking Heinz Memorial Chapel, renowned for its soaring gothic architecture and stunning 73-foot stained-glass windows.
- Enjoy time for lunch on your own in Pittsburgh’s Strip District, a vibrant marketplace filled with global cuisine, specialty food shops, and local cafés.
- This afternoon, dive deeper into the city’s unique skyline with an Antique Skyscraper Tour in Downtown Pittsburgh, where you’ll discover the stories behind the region’s earliest steel-framed towers and their visionary architects.
- Travel to Polymath Park for dinner at the treetop-level, TreeTops Restaurant, nestled into the natural landscape and surrounded by Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design. Overnight at the Hampton Inn Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
- After breakfast at the hotel, spend the morning exploring Polymath Park, home to multiple Frank Lloyd Wright-designed and Wright-inspired homes set within the beautiful Laurel Highlands. Learn how Wright’s architectural philosophies took shape in these natural surroundings.
- Next, travel to Kentuck Knob, another Wright masterpiece, where you’ll enjoy a café lunch followed by a guided tour of this extraordinary Usonian home, perched on a mountaintop with sweeping views of the Youghiogheny River Gorge.
- Continue to Wright’s most famous creation, Fallingwater, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Experience the home that seemingly floats above the waterfall and showcases Wright’s defining principles of organic architecture.
- Following your visit, travel three hours west to Ohio, stopping for dinner en route, before checking into the Holiday Inn Wooster for the evening.
- Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before beginning a day dedicated to agriculture, sustainability, and the journey of food from the ground to the table.
- Your first stop is Seed to Table, where the Wayne Soil & Water Conservation District guides you through soil preservation practices, regenerative farming concepts, and hands-on seed-planting experiences.
- Then, visit The Ohio State University Beef Center, a state-of-the-art cattle handling and research facility. Learn how agricultural science, responsible herd management, and community farming contribute to America’s food supply.
- Continue to Whitefeather Meats, where you’ll explore a regionally renowned butcher shop known for its high-quality local beef and ethically sourced exotic meats.
- Your farm-to-table luncheon will be served at a local farm featuring ingredients grown, raised, and produced right in Wayne County. Before departing, enjoy a sweet handcrafted treat from Hartzler Family Dairy, made onsite from their own farm-fresh milk.
- Travel south toward Kentucky, stopping for dinner along the way, before settling in for the night at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Florence, Kentucky.
- After breakfast at the hotel, arrive at The Ark Encounter at 9:00 AM. Spend the day exploring this world-class attraction featuring a full-size recreation of Noah’s Ark, a beautifully landscaped botanical garden, a zoo, animal encounters, interactive exhibits, ziplines, virtual reality experiences, live lectures, and more.
- Enjoy a plentiful midday meal at the Grand Buffet before continuing your explorations.
- Depart around 4:00 PM and cap off your journey with a memorable Sunset Dinner Cruise aboard the BB Riverboat, offering stunning river views and a perfect ending to your multi-state adventure.
Photos
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