Some of the best experiences we have in the United States occur when traveling and some of our best experiences when traveling are due to spontaneity. I am always driving around the U.S., either for work or fun, and more often than not an impulsive detour is part of the agenda. One of the more enjoyable, and surprisingly economical, detours started off as a weekend visit to Pittsburgh, PA. It quickly became something more. Pittsburgh, … [Read more...]
Wow Air Announces Chicago as its 10th North American Destination
Iceland’s WOW air to begin service from O’Hare International Airport starting at $99 CHICAGO – WOW air, Iceland’s ultra-affordable transatlantic airline, will begin landing in the Windy City July 2017, with the inaugural flight from O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on July 13, 2016. It’s true; Chicagoans will have access to low-fare travel to Iceland, and WOW air’s other European destinations, as of this summer. Tickets from O’Hare to … [Read more...]
Pittsburgh: Land of Celebrities
I am a self-acknowledged history nerd with a film degree. I had no idea that Pittsburgh had an abundance of sites covering my two big interests - colonial and current celebrities. Mostly I am interested in the places celebrities were - so that I can stand in, sit on, or touch the same spot. I imagine I am forging a connection that transcends space and time, that the celebrity's genius energy can infiltrate my own and affect it in a positive … [Read more...]
Pittsburgh: Inspiring Awe and Nostalgia
Visit Pittsburgh. It’s a vibrant city with fantastic views and all kinds of easily accessible ways to see them, a sports legacy to envy, and vital American history. But more importantly, it is a tribute to what city government, public and private enterprise, and concerned citizens – what we, as human beings – can accomplish. In the last 50 years or so Pittsburgh has orchestrated a miraculous environmental transformation. Ride to the top of the … [Read more...]
Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: The Center for Sustainable Landscapes
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a great steel and glass Victorian greenhouse, once part of a dirty steel mill city has now been transformed into one of the world’s most energy-efficient structures. With the greenest public gardens of the world, it has put Pittsburgh on the map serving as a model of sustainability for the next century. Located in Schenley Park, one of Pittsburgh’s largest wide green areas, the Conservatory complex is … [Read more...]
The TV Farm Kings and Their Freedom Farms are What Reality TV should Really Be
We drove through a green rolling countryside as we made our way to Freedom Farms for the final meal of the day to end our tour of Butler County - an hour's drive north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was looking forward to our last meal of the tour in the rural part of the state with its wholesome and hearty home-cooked farm food. The Freedom Farms family is led by their outstanding mother, Lisa, a divorced mother of ten. She is the … [Read more...]
Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tours – November 2011
When in Pittsburgh be sure to lookup Sylvia McCoy, owner of the Burgh Bits and Bites food tour. She offers culinary, tasting and historic walking tours of select neighborhoods in Pittsburgh including The Strip District, Little Italy and Mt. Washington. No need to stock up on lunch when participating on one of her culinary tours. She knows a variety of small business owners and you will be treated to tasty snacks at each stop. Humus to sushi, … [Read more...]
Carnegie Museum of Natural History – September 2011
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, PA is one of the four Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh. This museum is located in the Eastern part of the city mere walking distance from Carnegie Mellon University and should certainly be a must visit during your time in Pittsburgh. Highlights include a huge Dinosaur exhibit with some of the most perfectly preserved specimens that you will ever see including a "PaleoLab" (Fossil Preparation … [Read more...]