Thursday Thirteen- Things To Do In Pittsburgh

Although Pittsburgh is not my city of choice, it does have it's advantages. Here are some of the more interesting places to visit, even if you are not a tourist:

1. Kennywood- Legendary around these parts, Kennywood is a medium sized amusement park that is located on about 20 minutes from town. They do a great job mixing new thrill rides with older traditional rides. The food is really good and I love the candy store! www.kennywood.com

2. The Carnegie Museum- It always reminds me of old museums you see in the movies. They have a little of everything from a new dinosauar exhibit to the older section with stuffed animals, gems and egyptian displays. There is also a good art gallery. http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/

3. The Children's Museum- An interactive museum that my kids love. Mr. Roger's, climbing walls, science and a huge water play area are some of the reasons my kids beg to go. http://www.pittsburghkids.org/

4. The Strip- I know, it sounds like an "adult" place to visit, but really it's a road that connects to downtown that has vendors/stores on each side. It ranges from Wholey's (pronouced "woolies" by most people here) to a chinese food market to two very Italian grocery stores. It's like a big food shopping trip around the world all in one place! http://www.neighborsinthestrip.com/

5. The Carnegie Science Center- Getting used to the fact that most things in Pittsburgh are named Carnegie, this is another great place to go. The science learning experiences in this place are fantastic. I've left this place after a long day and wanted to go back the very next day. I liked it that much. http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/

6. Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium- We go every year and love it each time. The exhibits were redone years ago to match the animal habitats as closely as possible, one thing I'm really happy about! Very fun place to visit. My favorite part is the aquarium. http://www.pittsburghzoo.com/

7. The Duquesne Incline- Can you believe for as long as I've lived here, I've never been on one of Pittsburgh's biggest tourist attractions? Basically, it's two cable cars that ride people up and down very steep Mt. Washington across the river from downtown. Apparently, it provides beautiful views of downtown Pittsburgh. Maybe someday I'll get around to it! http://incline.pghfree.net/

8. Downtown Pittsburgh- Some people here would disagree, but downtown does offer some sights to see. It has a very large Macy's and the best chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh- Chinatown Inn. And there is the view of the stadiums, the three rivers, and Point State Park. It certainly isn't as vibrant as it used to be but it's worth a look. http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/

9. The National Aviary- Currently under renovation, the new aviary will include a large penguins display and an indoor free flight bird area. http://www.aviary.org/index.php

10. The Andy Warhol Museum- I see references to this museum in the paper, on the news and just about anywhere in Pittsburgh. I'm not a big fan, but it must be interesting with all that talk about it! http://www.warhol.org/

11. The PA Trolley Museum- One of my husband's favorite places, it's a collection of trolley history and trivia. They include a real trolley ride in the ticket price. Apparently Pittsburgh used to use trolleys as a major form of transportation. You can still see the tracks in some places. http://www.pa-trolley.org/

12. The Pittsburgh Symphony- Though it struggles from time to time, it apparently one of the best in the world. The kids often go to see the symphony for field trips, something I wholeheartedly agree with! http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/pghsymph.nsf/home+page/home+page

13. The Hyeholde Restaurant- I saved my favorite place for last. Though it's not really a tourist destination, it should be. It used to be my parent's favorite and now it's ours. Because of the cost, we have to save our visits for only special occasions (darn!). The food is out of the world and the atmosphere so romantic. Make this place a must see if you ever visit Pittsburgh!
http://www.hyeholde.com/