One Last Summer Day Across Three States
Summer isn't over yet, and if you've got one Saturday left before the season winds down, we know exactly how to spend it.
This itinerary takes you through all three states in the Appalachia's Front Porch region in a single day. Kentucky in the morning. West Virginia in the afternoon. Ohio by evening. And the best part? You're never more than 30 minutes from one state to the next. Three completely different experiences, one totally doable day trip all with kids in tow.
Here's how to do it.
STOP 1: MORNING IN KENTUCKY
Good Morning Ashland | Ashland, KY
Start the day the right way. Good Morning Ashland is a new local brunch spot that's already earning its place on everyone's must-try list in the region. Before you hit the road and start crossing state lines, fuel up here. If you are loading up on something hearty or keeping it light, this will set the tone for a great day.
Ashland is the perfect launch point for this itinerary. You're minutes from the West Virginia and Ohio borders, which means once brunch wraps up, the adventure is right there waiting.
📍 Good Morning Ashland, Ashland, KY
1001 Winchester Avenue, Ashland, KY 41101
Mon-Fri: 7AM-2:30PM | Sat-Sun: 7AM-3PM
STOP 2: AFTERNOON IN WEST VIRGINIA
Hermitage of the Holy Cross | Wayne, WV
This is the stop that will surprise you most, and the one you'll be talking about long after the day is done.
Tucked into 180 acres of rolling Appalachian hills just outside of Wayne, West Virginia, the Hermitage of the Holy Cross is an Orthodox Christian monastery that has been quietly rooted in this landscape for decades. Most people in the region have never heard of it. That's exactly what makes it worth finding.
The monks who live and worship here handcraft everything on-site including hand-painted icons, incense, soap, and other liturgical items, all made by hand within the community. The gift shop is open to visitors and carries these handcrafted goods, making it a genuinely unique place to pick up something meaningful and locally made.
Even if you're not seeking a spiritual experience, the grounds alone are worth the visit. The quiet, the hills, the sense of stepping into something that runs deeper than the everyday. It has a way of slowing you down in the best possible way. Kids tend to get surprisingly curious here. There's something about a place this tucked away that sparks their imagination.
Upcoming events: Hermitage Feast of St. Panteleimon is August 8-9, 2026
This is the hidden gem of the itinerary. Don't skip it.
📍 Hermitage of the Holy Cross
505 Holy Cross Rd, Wayne, WV 25570
STOP 3: EVENING IN OHIO
Spare Time Recreation | Ironton, OH
After a morning of good food and an afternoon of peaceful hills, the kids are ready to burn some energy, and Spare Time Recreation in Ironton is exactly the right place to let them do it.
Bowling, laser tag, skating, arcade games, and a snack bar serving up pizza. It's all under one roof and open on Saturdays from 1pm to 11pm, which means you've got plenty of time to roll in after your West Virginia stop and make a full evening of it. Grab a lane, grab a slice, and let the kids run the show for a couple of hours.
This is a classic evening out that fits right into the rhythm of a great family day.
📍 Spare Time Recreation
2216 S 3rd St, Ironton, OH 45638
📞 (740) 533-1222
Total Drive Time:
Good Morning Ashland to Holy Cross Monastery: 55 minutes (37 miles)
Holy Cross Monastery to Spare Time Recreation: 59 minutes (39 miles)
What are you waiting for?
Three stops. Three states. One Saturday. And the whole thing is connected by the thing that makes this region unlike anywhere else, you can cross state lines before your coffee gets cold.
This is what Appalachia's Front Porch is all about. Not one big destination you have to drive hours to reach, but a whole connected region full of things worth finding right in your own backyard. The brunch spot that just opened downtown. The monastery hidden in the hills. The bowling alley where your kids will beg to come back next weekend.
It's all here. You just have to go.
