Relax amid Pennsylvania's forests and Lake Erie shore

Western Pennsylvania earned early fame as the birthplace of the nation's oil industry and the home of steel mills, but today it attracts travelers with offerings that include skiing, fishing, golf, hiking, camping and sightseeing.

Whether you're driving in or arriving by air, you'll likely start your visit in Pittsburgh. The local Convention & Visitors Bureau -- www.visitpittsburgh.com/ -- provides tips on sights including the Duquesne Incline, the 400-foot cable cars up the city's Mount Washington. This is also a handy site for looking up places to stay in the city.

Outside the city, the CVB's Pittsburgh & Its Countryside -- www.pittsburgh-cvb.org/pghCountryside/ -- can fill you in on additional things to see and do. Learn more at Laurel Highlands -- www.laurelhighlands.org/ -- where Fun, Food & Lodging will fill you in on everything from Culture to Outdoor Adventure.

Find the main points of the area's historic steel industry at Rivers of Steel -- www.paheritageregions.com/river--main.html -- part of a statewide Web site on Pennsylvania's Heritage Regions.

Visit oil region

Before you head north out of Pittsburgh, look over Heritage Regions' section on the area's oil industry, or visit Oil Heritage -- www.oilregiontourist.com/ -- and look through Activities to learn about the Drake Well Museum, site of the world's first oil well. And while you're on the Activities page, click on Outdoor Fun for information on the area's parks, hiking and bicycle rails and fishing.

Learn more about fishing by visiting the state's PAHuntandFish -- www.pahuntandfish.com/ -- for regulations and regional information on streams and lakes.