Sip, Stroll, and Step Back in Time: Peters Township’s 2026 Bus Trips

Peters Township Parks & Recreation is turning day-tripping into an art form in 2026. Two signature excursions, Tea with Knotts in Morgantown, WV and Babushkas & Hard Hats in Pittsburgh, offer residents curated, all-inclusive ways to explore regional history, food, and culture without ever touching a steering wheel.

Tea with Knotts: A Day in Don Knotts’ Hometown

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
Time: Approx. 7:00 a.m. – 8:15 p.m.
Ages: 18 and over
Fee: $160 (includes transportation, lunch, admissions per itinerary, meal and taxes)
Registration deadline: Monday, March 16

If you love small-town charm, classic TV nostalgia, and a good cup of tea, Tea with Knotts is your kind of day.

The morning begins as the motorcoach departs Peters Township and heads south to Morgantown, West Virginia, the hometown of beloved actor Don Knotts. After a scenic drive into the hills, the first stop sets the tone: a hearty breakfast at Apple Annie’s Bakery, known for its homemade pastries and generous, old-fashioned portions. It’s the kind of place where you can linger over coffee and a warm slice of something straight from the oven before the day’s exploring begins.

From there, the group rolls on to Mal’s Produce Stand, a local favorite packed with seasonal fruits, vegetables, and regional goodies. It’s an easy spot to pick up something fresh for home, snap a few photos, or simply enjoy the local color.

Back in town, the tour shifts into the heart of Morgantown’s personality. You’ll explore downtown shops, browsing boutiques and small businesses that give this college town its eclectic flavor. A highlight of the morning is a visit to the Don Knotts statue, where fans of “The Andy Griffith Show” and other classic roles can pay tribute, grab a fun photo, and hear more about Morgantown’s famous native son.

Midday, the tempo softens with lunch at The Tea Shoppe, a cozy tea room known for its relaxed atmosphere and carefully prepared sandwiches, scones, and sweets. Think delicate tea service, conversation with friends, and a chance to slow down in the middle of a full day.

In the afternoon, the focus turns to the rolling hills around the city with wine tastings at Forks of Cheat Winery. Here, you can sample regional wines, enjoy sweeping views, and soak in the quiet of the countryside before the final stop of the day.

The trip wraps up at Miller’s Greenhouse, a perfect last call for anyone who loves gardening, porch pots, or just being surrounded by color. Browse plants and garden décor, gather ideas for your yard, or bring home a new addition for your landscape. Throughout the itinerary, there’s room for side discoveries too—artisan galleries, historic sites, and scenic overlooks that showcase the relaxed charm of Appalachia.

By the time the bus pulls back into Peters Township around 8:15 p.m., you’ll have enjoyed a full day of food, history, shopping, and scenery—all with no driving, parking, or planning required.

Babushkas & Hard Hats: Steel, Stories, and Immigrant Heritage

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time: Approx. 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Ages: 18 and over
Fee: $210 (includes transportation, lunch, admissions per itinerary, meal and taxes)
Registration deadline: Monday, May 4

If Tea with Knotts is about quiet charm, Babushkas & Hard Hats is about big stories, big structures, and the people who helped build the region.

This immersive day trip keeps you closer to home, focusing on Pittsburgh’s steel heritage and the communities that grew around it. It’s a powerful option for anyone who loves history, industry, or local roots.

The day begins with a visit to the Bost Building, once the headquarters of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. Today it serves as a gateway to the region’s labor and steel story, setting the stage for everything you’ll see next. Exhibits and interpretation here bring the late-19th-century industrial boom to life, from the men on the mill floor to the families who filled nearby row houses.

From there, the group travels to the Carrie Blast Furnaces, one of the most dramatic surviving structures of Pittsburgh’s steel era. Standing beneath these massive furnaces, you get a sense of the scale, heat, and noise that defined daily life for steelworkers. Guides share stories about work inside the mill, the technology that powered it, and the global reach of the steel that once poured out of this site.

The itinerary also includes the Pump House, closely tied to the 1892 Homestead Strike, one of the most significant labor conflicts in American history. Here you’ll walk the same ground where workers, Pinkertons, and industrial leaders collided, shaping labor law, union movements, and corporate power for decades to come.

Mid-day, you’ll sit down to an immigrant-inspired lunch that celebrates the cultures—Eastern European, Italian, Irish, and many more—that fueled the mills and shaped neighborhood life. The “babushkas” in the trip’s title nod to the women, families, and traditions that carried these communities through hard work and hard times.

By mid-afternoon, you’ve connected industrial sites, personal stories, and landmark events into one continuous narrative. The bus returns to Peters Township by about 4:30 p.m., leaving you with a deeper appreciation for how steel, immigration, and labor shaped the region we live in today.

Why These Trips Are Worth Booking Early

Both Tea with Knotts and Babushkas & Hard Hats are designed as turn-key experiences:

Transportation is fully arranged—no city driving, directions, or parking to worry about.
Lunch and admissions are included in the fee, so once you’re on the bus, you can relax and enjoy.
Each trip features a guided, themed itinerary, making them ideal for individuals, couples, or small groups of friends who want something more meaningful than a generic sightseeing tour.

With registration deadlines well ahead of the travel dates and space typically limited, these are the kind of experiences that reward early planners.

To reserve your seat:

Visit the Peters Township Parks & Recreation online registration portal and navigate to Bus Trip – Tea with Knotts (May 7, 2026) or Bus Trip – Babushkas & Hard Hats (July 23, 2026).
Review the full trip description, departure details, and refund policy.
Complete your registration and payment before the listed deadline to secure your spot.

Whether you’re drawn to tea rooms and mountain views or blast furnaces and labor history, Peters Township’s 2026 bus trips offer a ready-made way to get out, learn something new, and come home with a story.

Sip, Stroll, and Step Back in Time: Peters Township’s 2026 Bus Trips

Sip, Stroll, and Step Back in Time: Peters Township’s 2026 Bus Trips