It’s been nearly a year since the last blog post. Fortunately, nothing, really, happened in the past year. So I would like to write a short post about the few highlights from these past seasons.
Category Archives: Places we’ve been to
Spring-Summer 2011
Spring-Summer 2011, a set on Flickr.
Gallery of images from visits and travels Spring and Summer 2011.
What We’ve Been Doing
Jeff and Kathy made a stop in Pittsburgh in early August. Kathy was taking some quality sabbatical time in her hometown in Ohio. On their return trip to the Carolinas they spent a weekend in western PA.
We used this opportunity to see a Pirates game. They played the Colorado Rockies (and won), but that was secondary to the promotion. That evening’s game was also a SkyBlast which features fireworks and a live performance (George Thorogood for this SkyBlast). As with all games Jeff and Brian see together, this one took an awful long time and went into extra innings. The fireworks and band didn’t get started until after 11:30. With tired kids we weren’t able to stay for the whole hour-long show. Continue reading
Charlotte NC
We took a road trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, this past weekend. Brian’s company recently opened an office near the airport and a few co-workers have relocated to the area. This was an opportunity to check out the office and the city.
The drive from Western PA to Charlotte takes you through West Virginia the long way. Then you traverse Virginia and North Carolina through the short parts. In all, it takes a good 7.5 hours of car time to get there. Continue reading
Washington DC
It was time to take the new wheels out for a spin, so we loaded up the van and zoomed to Washington, DC. It’s been quite some time since we were last in DC and the kids have never been there. That’s why it’s on the list.
We left western Pennsylvania Friday afternoon for the 5(ish) hour road trip. Having to stop in Hagerstown (MD) for dinner, we were able to find a Panera Bread Co. It’s amazing that you can find a Panera at most city exits of the Interstate Highway System. This is good; better than fast food anyway. Continue reading
The List Revisited
This is an update to the list of things to do in the Pittsburgh area before you leave. We were able to cross off a few of the items and we added a few (mainly regional now that we have a new ride). So here’s our list: Continue reading
Andy Warhol and Parents
This past weekend we had visitors from the Midwest. Brian’s parents made the trek from southcentral Wisconsin to southwestern Pennsylvania.
The parents arrived on Friday, and we showed them around Cranberry Township, including the new Westinghouse offices. Following that, we spent some time at the Seven Fields Carnival. Continue reading
The Mattress Factory
Today we went to the Mattress Factory Art Museum, or the MF (the F being rotated 180 degrees so as to not make it the brunt of all dirty jokes – see picture). The MF is a contemporary art museum where you immerse yourself in the art. I’m not talking about mentally immersing yourself. This art is room sized, and you actually enter the art. It sounds cool. However, I’m here to say, before all 14 people who happen to read this blog, that I just don’t get it.
We are always looking for a cheap date. Today, the MF was open to the public for free. What we are finding with all free events we go to, the places are more crowded than usual. Continue reading
Frick Art and Historical Center
After walking around the new Westinghouse offices we headed to Point Breeze and the Frick Art and Historical Center. This is the former home of Henry Clay Frick, an industrialist and partner to Andrew Carnegie. The grounds of the center include an art museum, car and carriage museum, greenhouse, playhouse, cafe, and Clayton (the Frick home).
Admission to the center is normally free (except for tours). Today was family day so everything was free and there were a number of activities for kids. Continue reading
Carnegie Science Center
We went to the Carnegie Science Center today. The center is on our list of things to do in Pittsburgh; and today it was free admission.
Because the center was free, parking was at a premium. We ended up parking in overflow lot #3 which is across the street from the new casino, The Rivers. Continue reading
