BEDFORD If you go

GETTING THERE: Bedford is about 20 miles via Route 30 from Breezewood, Pa. (where I-70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike intersect).
WHERE TO STAY: The recently opened Chancellor's House (341 Julian St., [814] 624-0374) is the most luxurious B & amp;B in town. All of the rooms are bargains at $110 to $135 a night. You can't go wrong either at Miss Charlotte's (421 E. Penn St., [814] 624-0642), where rooms are $125. Oralee's Golden Eagle Inn (131 E. Pitt St., [814] 624-0800) has the benefit of a lovely dining room. Rates start at $69; the best room in the house goes for $109. Two adjoining rooms on the top floor are ideal for two families, costing $145 for both. The John Bonnet Tavern (6048 Lincoln Highway, [814] 623-2250), four miles outside downtown, has simple but authentic and comfortable rooms. The price is right at $60, or $80 for the suite. A bit beyond town: the Covered Bridge Inn ([814] 733-4093; $80-$100) and the Silhouette ([814] 623-8243; from $150). There are also a number of chain hotels in Bedford's outskirts; the tourism office has details (see below). If you like to camp, Friendship Village Campgrounds ([800] 992-3528) is outside of town; Woy Bridge Campground ([814] 623-1821) also has cottages starting at $55 a night.
WHERE TO EAT: Two good places to stay also offer good American-style food: Oralee's Golden Eagle Inn and John Bonnet Tavern. Dinner entrees at either begin at $12. For down-home cooking just outside of town, try Slick's Ivy Restaurant (Old Route 220, Osterburg). Entrees range from $7.50 to $16. Founder's Crossing, an antiques and crafts store at the corner of Pitt and Juliana, serves sandwiches and terrific desserts for lunch at a small restaurant inside.
WHAT TO DO: The tourism office offers free guided walking tours Fridays, and free shuttle bus service is available from Old Bedford Village to central downtown during the Fall Foliage Festival, which ends today. Tour the 40 historical buildings at Old Bedford Village (220 Sawblade Rd., [814] 623-1156, www.oldbedfordvillage.org); hours and days vary according to the season. Check the online calendar or call for special events. The Fort Bedford Museum (Fort Bedford Drive, [814] 623-8891) displays local and American Indian artifacts and a model of the original fort. If you have ancestors who traveled west from the East Coast, chances are good that they passed through Bedford. The Pioneer Historic Society (242 E. John St., [814] 623-2011) is staffed daily with volunteers who can help with a geneological search. The County Arts Council (137 E. Pitt St.) has a gallery and a great gift shop. The Adventure Marine Ltd. ([814] 735-2768, www.bedford.net/canoe) offers canoe and kayak trips on the Juniata River from May 1 to Oct. 1, and rents off-season by appointment. The Down River Golf Course ([814] 652-5193) is in the adjoining town of Everett. Bedford is also close to two state parks. Details: (800) 63-PARKS.
INFORMATION: Bedford County Visitors Bureau, (800) 765-3331 or (814) 623-1771, www.bedfordcounty.net.