yk spent a fabulous Fourth of July holiday in Pittsburgh! (Trip Report)
Jul 7th, 2007, 08:16 AM
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yk spent a fabulous Fourth of July holiday in Pittsburgh! (Trip Report)
I know Pittsburgh is not high on anyone's list to visit as a destination, and certainly it doesn't get mentioned much here on Fodors. I just spent a wonderful 4 days there with my parents.
Why Pittsburgh?
Why Not? About 1 month ago I found out I would get several days off in early July. I was having a hard time deciding where to go. In the end, Pittsburgh won because of 2 main reasons:
1) Reasonable price for plane tix from Dallas
2) Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is a big draw
As DH cannot take the time off, I asked my parents to join me (they live in Houston). I was able to get rooms at the Renaissance Hotel for $60/night (via Priceline) and Budget rental car for $27/day (via Priceline).
Day 1 - Downtown Stroll, Duquesne Incline
Due to thunderstorms, both my parents' flight and mine were delayed. I had a 2-hour wait at the Pittsburgh Airport for my parents, so I ate a light lunch at Au Bon Pain and then picked up the rental car. With still some time to kill, I stopped by the tourist info booth located at the airport. The man there was extremely helpful and knowledgable. I picked up a few maps and brochures.
My parents arrived at 3:30pm, and we headed off to our hotel in downtown. The location is great, and there is a car park right across the street (cheaper than the $24/day valet parking at the hotel). Check-in was easy, and we got rooms almost right next to each other. The hotel is very nice - formerly the Fulton Building built over 100 years ago. It has the wonderful old world charm and built with quality material. The hotel lobby is several stories high, reminds me of the Bellevue Hotel or the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...tsburgh-hotel/
We headed out for a walk around downtown. The weather was absolutely beautiful - low 70s, sunny without any clouds, and refreshingly dry. The Pittsburgh DT area is triangular in shape - flanked by the Allegheny River to the north, and the Monongahela River to the south. We headed west first until we passed the convention center, then headed south. Parts of Pittsburgh downtown reminds me of Center City Philadelphia. En route we saw the US Steel Tower (HQ of US Steel). Its exterior showcases the use of Cor-Ten steel.
We reached towards the Monongahela River and saw the Monongahela Incline. We then turned east and walked to PPG Place (HQ of PPG, the largest glass manufacturers of the world). It is designed by Philip Johnson and the entire complex is built with glass.
Our final leg involved us trying to get to Point State Park, but it is closed for renovations. We therefore headed back to our hotel for a rest.
We picked up the car and drove to the base of Duquesne Incline.
http://incline.pghfree.net/
The man who works at the ticket office is definitely the grumpiest person in Pittsburgh! Nonetheless, the ride was fun and the view is spectacular! There is an observation deck at the top station of the Incline, and what a magnificent view, especially on such a beautiful day!
We walked along Grandview Ave for sometime, then retraced our steps until we reached Monterey Bay Fish Grotto where we had dinner.
http://montereybayfishgrotto.com/
The restaurant is located on the top 2 floors of a highrise buildling atop Mount Washington. Even though I did not make a reservation, we were given a table next to the floor-to-ceiling window with an unobstructed view of Pittsburgh. During our dinner, we were able to watch the city turned orange and then deep red with the setting sun, then lit by lights. The fish served there is flown in fresh daily. Obviously, the prices are not cheap, but certainly not outrageous. After dinner, we admired the nightscape of Pittsburgh before riding the Incline back down and drove home.
Why Pittsburgh?
Why Not? About 1 month ago I found out I would get several days off in early July. I was having a hard time deciding where to go. In the end, Pittsburgh won because of 2 main reasons:
1) Reasonable price for plane tix from Dallas
2) Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is a big draw
As DH cannot take the time off, I asked my parents to join me (they live in Houston). I was able to get rooms at the Renaissance Hotel for $60/night (via Priceline) and Budget rental car for $27/day (via Priceline).
Day 1 - Downtown Stroll, Duquesne Incline
Due to thunderstorms, both my parents' flight and mine were delayed. I had a 2-hour wait at the Pittsburgh Airport for my parents, so I ate a light lunch at Au Bon Pain and then picked up the rental car. With still some time to kill, I stopped by the tourist info booth located at the airport. The man there was extremely helpful and knowledgable. I picked up a few maps and brochures.
My parents arrived at 3:30pm, and we headed off to our hotel in downtown. The location is great, and there is a car park right across the street (cheaper than the $24/day valet parking at the hotel). Check-in was easy, and we got rooms almost right next to each other. The hotel is very nice - formerly the Fulton Building built over 100 years ago. It has the wonderful old world charm and built with quality material. The hotel lobby is several stories high, reminds me of the Bellevue Hotel or the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...tsburgh-hotel/
We headed out for a walk around downtown. The weather was absolutely beautiful - low 70s, sunny without any clouds, and refreshingly dry. The Pittsburgh DT area is triangular in shape - flanked by the Allegheny River to the north, and the Monongahela River to the south. We headed west first until we passed the convention center, then headed south. Parts of Pittsburgh downtown reminds me of Center City Philadelphia. En route we saw the US Steel Tower (HQ of US Steel). Its exterior showcases the use of Cor-Ten steel.
We reached towards the Monongahela River and saw the Monongahela Incline. We then turned east and walked to PPG Place (HQ of PPG, the largest glass manufacturers of the world). It is designed by Philip Johnson and the entire complex is built with glass.
Our final leg involved us trying to get to Point State Park, but it is closed for renovations. We therefore headed back to our hotel for a rest.
We picked up the car and drove to the base of Duquesne Incline.
http://incline.pghfree.net/
The man who works at the ticket office is definitely the grumpiest person in Pittsburgh! Nonetheless, the ride was fun and the view is spectacular! There is an observation deck at the top station of the Incline, and what a magnificent view, especially on such a beautiful day!
We walked along Grandview Ave for sometime, then retraced our steps until we reached Monterey Bay Fish Grotto where we had dinner.
http://montereybayfishgrotto.com/
The restaurant is located on the top 2 floors of a highrise buildling atop Mount Washington. Even though I did not make a reservation, we were given a table next to the floor-to-ceiling window with an unobstructed view of Pittsburgh. During our dinner, we were able to watch the city turned orange and then deep red with the setting sun, then lit by lights. The fish served there is flown in fresh daily. Obviously, the prices are not cheap, but certainly not outrageous. After dinner, we admired the nightscape of Pittsburgh before riding the Incline back down and drove home.
Jul 7th, 2007, 08:34 AM
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Day 2 (July 3) - Warhol, Heinz, Fireworks
In the morning, we walked across Seventh Street Bridge (aka Andy Warhol Bridge) to the Andy Warhol Museum. There are 3 bridges built in the 1920s right next to each other that are almost identical which cross the Allegheny River.
The Andy Warhol Museum is a slight disappointment. It doesn't have many of his artworks. Instead it's more of a potpourri of his "stuff." Probably the highlight is his Silver Clouds installation.
http://www.warhol.org/
After we emerged from the museum, we walked towards PNC Park and then across Sixth Street Bridge (aka Roberto Clemente Bridge) to Six Penn Kitchen where we had lunch. I thought the food was quite good.
http://www.sixpennkitchen.com/index.html
After lunch, we decided to walk to the Heinz History Center. I didn't quite know what to expect to see there. Well, it certainly houses a lot of stuff! We spent a good hour at the current exhibition of Pulitzer Prize-winning photos. It consists of hundreds of pictures and goes back as far as the 1940s. It was like a trip down memory lane (or history lesson for me). Other exhibits include one on glass (Pittsburgh was a huge glass-manufacturing city in its heyday), and one on Heinz 57. We spent over 3 hours there and didn't even see it all.
http://www.pghhistory.org/Default.asp
Next was the most disappointing part of this trip. I have read and heard about The Strip. It is located just further down from the Heinz History Center. What a bust! It basically is like the Meatpacking District in NYC before it became hip. Maybe we picked the wrong time to visit - we arrived just before 5pm. Everything was closing. We decided to make the long trek back to our hotel.
I had originally planned on having dinner at Kaya at The Strip, but I scratched that idea on our way back. As we were still full from lunch and tired from our long walk, we went to a el cheapo Greek place 1/2 block from our hotel for dinner. We had grape leaves, gyros, cheesecake and rice pudding.
We finished dinner at around 8:30pm. It was still light out, and it was a beautiful evening, so mom suggested we take a walk. There was a concert at PNC Park, so we started strolling across Sixth Street Bridge.
At the middle of the bridge, we saw lots of motorboats on the river surrounding a large barge. After some inquiring, we found out that fireworks was scheduled to start at 9pm from that barge! We were told we could not stay on the bridge, so we returned to the riverbank and waited. 9pm came and the fireworks began. The riverbank was not crowded at all, and we were literally no more than a couple hundred yards from the barge. I don't think I have ever watched fireworks this upclose! Afterwards, we walked a few hundred yards back to our hotel (hotel is located on Sixth Street right on the river). We really like the location of the hotel.
In the morning, we walked across Seventh Street Bridge (aka Andy Warhol Bridge) to the Andy Warhol Museum. There are 3 bridges built in the 1920s right next to each other that are almost identical which cross the Allegheny River.
The Andy Warhol Museum is a slight disappointment. It doesn't have many of his artworks. Instead it's more of a potpourri of his "stuff." Probably the highlight is his Silver Clouds installation.
http://www.warhol.org/
After we emerged from the museum, we walked towards PNC Park and then across Sixth Street Bridge (aka Roberto Clemente Bridge) to Six Penn Kitchen where we had lunch. I thought the food was quite good.
http://www.sixpennkitchen.com/index.html
After lunch, we decided to walk to the Heinz History Center. I didn't quite know what to expect to see there. Well, it certainly houses a lot of stuff! We spent a good hour at the current exhibition of Pulitzer Prize-winning photos. It consists of hundreds of pictures and goes back as far as the 1940s. It was like a trip down memory lane (or history lesson for me). Other exhibits include one on glass (Pittsburgh was a huge glass-manufacturing city in its heyday), and one on Heinz 57. We spent over 3 hours there and didn't even see it all.
http://www.pghhistory.org/Default.asp
Next was the most disappointing part of this trip. I have read and heard about The Strip. It is located just further down from the Heinz History Center. What a bust! It basically is like the Meatpacking District in NYC before it became hip. Maybe we picked the wrong time to visit - we arrived just before 5pm. Everything was closing. We decided to make the long trek back to our hotel.
I had originally planned on having dinner at Kaya at The Strip, but I scratched that idea on our way back. As we were still full from lunch and tired from our long walk, we went to a el cheapo Greek place 1/2 block from our hotel for dinner. We had grape leaves, gyros, cheesecake and rice pudding.
We finished dinner at around 8:30pm. It was still light out, and it was a beautiful evening, so mom suggested we take a walk. There was a concert at PNC Park, so we started strolling across Sixth Street Bridge.
At the middle of the bridge, we saw lots of motorboats on the river surrounding a large barge. After some inquiring, we found out that fireworks was scheduled to start at 9pm from that barge! We were told we could not stay on the bridge, so we returned to the riverbank and waited. 9pm came and the fireworks began. The riverbank was not crowded at all, and we were literally no more than a couple hundred yards from the barge. I don't think I have ever watched fireworks this upclose! Afterwards, we walked a few hundred yards back to our hotel (hotel is located on Sixth Street right on the river). We really like the location of the hotel.
Jul 7th, 2007, 09:05 AM
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Good report. The Renaissance is by far my favorite hotel in downtown Pittsburgh.
And you also accidentally discovered my least favorite thing about Downtown: The sidewalks roll up REALLY early. The city fathers have to do some serious work to revitalize the area.
And you also accidentally discovered my least favorite thing about Downtown: The sidewalks roll up REALLY early. The city fathers have to do some serious work to revitalize the area.
Jul 7th, 2007, 09:24 AM
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Day 3 (July 4) - Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, and more fireworks
Since most tourist sights are closed on the 4th, I decided we'll do a day trip out to visit Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob. I had made advance ticket reservations online.
We left for Fallingwater at about 8:45am and arrived just after 10am. Unlike the last 2 days, today was cloudy and muggy. Our pre-booked tour began at 10:30. Given that it is a holiday, Fallingwater is crowded. The tours began at 10am and each group has 15 people. By the time our group began, we were already in group 11.
Anyway, the tour was excellent. Despite the tour being over 1 hour long, I felt it flew by very quickly, and not enough time in each room for me to absorb. (That's why they also offer a 2-hour in-depth tour at a price of $57pp!) The house is such an amazing design that no wonder it is probably the most famous residence in the world. Of course, it is not without flaw. The cantilevere design has sagged over the years, and major restorations were done to stablize it. Millions of dollars has been spent on preservations - talk about a money pit! Wright also designed all the furniture.
http://www.paconserve.org/index-fw1.asp
After our tour, we ate a simple lunch at the cafe there, and then headed over to Kentuck Knob.
Kentuck Knob is the lesser-known Wright house in Ohiopyle, just a few miles from Fallingwater. It is designed and built 2 decades later than Fallingwater as a Usonian house, when Wright was in his 80s. He did the whole design without ever visiting the site, as by then, he was too popular and too busy with other projects (including the Guggenheim Museum in NYC). The house is based on a hexagonal design, with every plane meeting at a 30° or 60° angle. I noticed the light fixtures are triangular-shaped, which are the same as the ones at the Guggenheim.
Kentuck Knob is now owned by Lord Palumbo of England. The house displays a good number of artwork, and he installed many sculptures in the surrounding field. I was very glad that we visited Kentuck Knob. Even though it is another house by Frank Lloyd Wright, it is so different from Fallingwater that it is worth seeing.
http://www.kentuckknob.com/
We returned to Pittsburgh and rested a bit before going out to dinner. This evening we ate at Sonoma Grille. Even though it is known for its wine selection, I decided to order a bottle of Yuengling beer for old time's sake (I used to live in Philadelphia). It is one of the few beers that I enjoy, and more importantly, it's not available in Texas! Anyway, the food there was great too. Mom and dad ordered their tapas platter for two which they thoroughly enjoyed.
http://www.thesonomagrille.com
After dinner, we returned to the hotel briefly before heading back out for the July 4th fireworks. We went south towards the Monongahela. Our spot wasn't the best but we still got a full view of the fireworks. Apart from firing from the river barge, there was also fireworks set from the rooftops of the US Steel Tower and PPG Place. Unfortunately we weren't able to see those from our view point.
Overall, it was a great July 4th!
Since most tourist sights are closed on the 4th, I decided we'll do a day trip out to visit Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob. I had made advance ticket reservations online.
We left for Fallingwater at about 8:45am and arrived just after 10am. Unlike the last 2 days, today was cloudy and muggy. Our pre-booked tour began at 10:30. Given that it is a holiday, Fallingwater is crowded. The tours began at 10am and each group has 15 people. By the time our group began, we were already in group 11.
Anyway, the tour was excellent. Despite the tour being over 1 hour long, I felt it flew by very quickly, and not enough time in each room for me to absorb. (That's why they also offer a 2-hour in-depth tour at a price of $57pp!) The house is such an amazing design that no wonder it is probably the most famous residence in the world. Of course, it is not without flaw. The cantilevere design has sagged over the years, and major restorations were done to stablize it. Millions of dollars has been spent on preservations - talk about a money pit! Wright also designed all the furniture.
http://www.paconserve.org/index-fw1.asp
After our tour, we ate a simple lunch at the cafe there, and then headed over to Kentuck Knob.
Kentuck Knob is the lesser-known Wright house in Ohiopyle, just a few miles from Fallingwater. It is designed and built 2 decades later than Fallingwater as a Usonian house, when Wright was in his 80s. He did the whole design without ever visiting the site, as by then, he was too popular and too busy with other projects (including the Guggenheim Museum in NYC). The house is based on a hexagonal design, with every plane meeting at a 30° or 60° angle. I noticed the light fixtures are triangular-shaped, which are the same as the ones at the Guggenheim.
Kentuck Knob is now owned by Lord Palumbo of England. The house displays a good number of artwork, and he installed many sculptures in the surrounding field. I was very glad that we visited Kentuck Knob. Even though it is another house by Frank Lloyd Wright, it is so different from Fallingwater that it is worth seeing.
http://www.kentuckknob.com/
We returned to Pittsburgh and rested a bit before going out to dinner. This evening we ate at Sonoma Grille. Even though it is known for its wine selection, I decided to order a bottle of Yuengling beer for old time's sake (I used to live in Philadelphia). It is one of the few beers that I enjoy, and more importantly, it's not available in Texas! Anyway, the food there was great too. Mom and dad ordered their tapas platter for two which they thoroughly enjoyed.
http://www.thesonomagrille.com
After dinner, we returned to the hotel briefly before heading back out for the July 4th fireworks. We went south towards the Monongahela. Our spot wasn't the best but we still got a full view of the fireworks. Apart from firing from the river barge, there was also fireworks set from the rooftops of the US Steel Tower and PPG Place. Unfortunately we weren't able to see those from our view point.
Overall, it was a great July 4th!
Jul 7th, 2007, 01:25 PM
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I loved reading about your trip to Pittsburgh. We visited there over Thanksgiving a few years ago and went to the Carnegie Science Museum (fabulous) and the Warhol Museum (which I enjoyed more than you). We were pleasantly surprised by what a neat city Pittsburgh was. A couple years later, my daughter decided to go to the University of Pittsburgh (we're not from Pennsylvania BTW) and she just finished her freshman year and had a fabulous time there. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to visit her while she was there, but this year I'm going to stay 2 extra days when we move her into the dorm so that she can show me "her" Pittsburgh.
Here's hoping your review will get more folks interested in going to Pittsburgh!
Here's hoping your review will get more folks interested in going to Pittsburgh!
Jul 7th, 2007, 01:28 PM
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We spent a long weekend in Pittsburgh once and I have to say that we met the friendliest people there everywhere we went! We had a fabulous evening at the Crawford Grill (is that still there?) where we were clearly outsiders (pretty much the only white folks in the place) and we were treated like visiting family, even invited back to the Sunday Gospel Brunch. We did go back and we had a wonderful time.
Jul 7th, 2007, 01:54 PM
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yk, I'm sooo glad you enjoyed Pitt!! It's such a great city! So different than most US cities. Did you notice that people don't hustle around like mad or look miserable like they do in a lot of other cities? Thanx for the report!
BTW, you picked a great week, weatherwise, as it's supposed to hit the high 90's up here this weekend!
BTW, you picked a great week, weatherwise, as it's supposed to hit the high 90's up here this weekend!
Jul 7th, 2007, 03:54 PM
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Day 4 (July 5) - Frick, Cathedral of Learning
Today was another muggy day with a storm brewing. We checked out of the hotel and drove to the Frick Art & Historical Center. Touring of the art museum & carriage museum is free, but there is admission for the actual house. Due to time contraints, we decided to skip it. The collection at the art museum is really not worth mentioning. Obviously, all the gems are displayed at the Frick in NYC.
http://frickart.org/home/
We ate lunch at the Frick cafe. Again, the food was wonderful. As soon as we got back into our car, we were hit by torrential rainfall. I managed to find my way in the heavy rain to University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning. By the time we walked from our car to the building, we were completely drenched despite having umbrellas.
Cathedral of Learning is known for its Nationality Rooms - these are classrooms that represent different countries designed by the various ethnic communities in Pittsburgh. We did the self-guided tour which took us around the world in 2 hours visiting 25 rooms.
http://www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/pages/about_nr.html
By the time we emerged from the building, the storm had passed and we were greeted by cool, dry air and beautiful sunshine. We visited the Heinz Chapel next door and then briefly walked pass the lobbies of the Carnegie Museum complex. Unfortunately, we did not have time to see the Art Museum.
It was time to return to the airport. I am quite fond of the Pittsburgh airport as it's compact and user-friendly. It even has a gas station on site with a sign directing cars how to get there. Our car rental was quick and simple.
Overall, this was a great trip. I feel bad for snubbing Pittsburgh in the past (didn't feel the need to visit during the years I lived in Philadelphia).
Thoughts on Pittsburgh
The city is a lot more compact and walkable than I had imagined. Like I've said before, it's a bit like Philadelphia (but smaller).
The bridges that span both rivers are gorgeous. The view from Mt Washington is spectacular.
I didn't find the people there that friendly. I mean, they strike me as the usual E coast folks - just like the people I used to meet day-to-day when I was living on the E Coast. However, after a few years in Dallas with Southern hospitality, I noticed the difference.
Pittsburgh probably can be visited without a car if one concentrates on just seeing DT area. But driving around was quite easy.
I thought we ate quite well, and the places we dined at are all reasonably-priced.
Lastly, Pittsburgh will definitely worth revisiting again in the future - with DH along.
Today was another muggy day with a storm brewing. We checked out of the hotel and drove to the Frick Art & Historical Center. Touring of the art museum & carriage museum is free, but there is admission for the actual house. Due to time contraints, we decided to skip it. The collection at the art museum is really not worth mentioning. Obviously, all the gems are displayed at the Frick in NYC.
http://frickart.org/home/
We ate lunch at the Frick cafe. Again, the food was wonderful. As soon as we got back into our car, we were hit by torrential rainfall. I managed to find my way in the heavy rain to University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning. By the time we walked from our car to the building, we were completely drenched despite having umbrellas.
Cathedral of Learning is known for its Nationality Rooms - these are classrooms that represent different countries designed by the various ethnic communities in Pittsburgh. We did the self-guided tour which took us around the world in 2 hours visiting 25 rooms.
http://www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/pages/about_nr.html
By the time we emerged from the building, the storm had passed and we were greeted by cool, dry air and beautiful sunshine. We visited the Heinz Chapel next door and then briefly walked pass the lobbies of the Carnegie Museum complex. Unfortunately, we did not have time to see the Art Museum.
It was time to return to the airport. I am quite fond of the Pittsburgh airport as it's compact and user-friendly. It even has a gas station on site with a sign directing cars how to get there. Our car rental was quick and simple.
Overall, this was a great trip. I feel bad for snubbing Pittsburgh in the past (didn't feel the need to visit during the years I lived in Philadelphia).
Thoughts on Pittsburgh
The city is a lot more compact and walkable than I had imagined. Like I've said before, it's a bit like Philadelphia (but smaller).
The bridges that span both rivers are gorgeous. The view from Mt Washington is spectacular.
I didn't find the people there that friendly. I mean, they strike me as the usual E coast folks - just like the people I used to meet day-to-day when I was living on the E Coast. However, after a few years in Dallas with Southern hospitality, I noticed the difference.
Pittsburgh probably can be visited without a car if one concentrates on just seeing DT area. But driving around was quite easy.
I thought we ate quite well, and the places we dined at are all reasonably-priced.
Lastly, Pittsburgh will definitely worth revisiting again in the future - with DH along.
Jul 10th, 2007, 05:34 PM
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Hi yk, we're from Arlington and will be visiting Pittsburgh in Sept. Thanks for posting your trip report; it is very well done and I enjoyed reading it. Fallingwater is also on our agenda and so is The Strip--maybe we'll have better luck as we're planning lunch there on a Saturday.
Jul 10th, 2007, 05:59 PM
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texasjo- Hope you'll have a great time with your trip! I highly recommend visiting Kentuck Knob if you have time while visiting Fallingwater. Also, another Wright's house Duncan house, is available for overnight accomodation in that area too!
http://www.polymathpark.com/
Where will you be having lunch at the Strip? I *think* the produce market is open on Saturday, so hopefully you'll have better luck than we did.
http://www.polymathpark.com/
Where will you be having lunch at the Strip? I *think* the produce market is open on Saturday, so hopefully you'll have better luck than we did.
Jul 11th, 2007, 06:32 AM
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yk - thanks so much for topping your trip report. I missed it the first time it was at the top. Two friends and I will be visiting Pittsburgh in August so I read your report with great interest. Its always helpful to have first hand accounts.
We will be visting Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob one day. The next day is unplanned and day 3 will be Phipps Conservatory and the glass exhibit and at least one other attraction. We will definitely be referring to your trip report as we make further plans.
Do you mind answering a few questions:
1. How would you describe the drive to Fallingwater? Is is all multi lane highway or is it a pretty drive? Where there sufficient signs to help find your way?
2. Could you describe the neighbor of the top of the Dusquesne Incline? I'm picturing a cute walkable area but you mentioned a high rise so I think I'm making an incorrect assumption.
3. Was the Cathedral of Learning a worthwhile attraction - you mentioned a 2 hour visit there - would you recommend it?
thanks for your assistance.
We will be visting Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob one day. The next day is unplanned and day 3 will be Phipps Conservatory and the glass exhibit and at least one other attraction. We will definitely be referring to your trip report as we make further plans.
Do you mind answering a few questions:
1. How would you describe the drive to Fallingwater? Is is all multi lane highway or is it a pretty drive? Where there sufficient signs to help find your way?
2. Could you describe the neighbor of the top of the Dusquesne Incline? I'm picturing a cute walkable area but you mentioned a high rise so I think I'm making an incorrect assumption.
3. Was the Cathedral of Learning a worthwhile attraction - you mentioned a 2 hour visit there - would you recommend it?
thanks for your assistance.
Jul 11th, 2007, 06:52 AM
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yk - Thanks for the trip report. We did basically the same trip this past April. I had to laugh at your description of the Duquesne Incline's operator. He was very grumpy when we went too! My husband tried to get the guy to crack a smile, but it was not going to happen. 
We have also said we would return to Pittsburgh. We found the people very friendly (actually came across one man two days in a row who worked downtown and gave us advice on where to have dinner). Also, we got the same deal through priceline for the Renaissance, it's a great hotel and location.
bennnie - The drive to Fallingwater is very easy. Most of it is on the Penn Turnpike, but once you exit it is a nice little drive through the countryside. They give directions on their website that are easy to follow. I don't remember if there were many signs, maybe yk will be able to recall that better.
We have also said we would return to Pittsburgh. We found the people very friendly (actually came across one man two days in a row who worked downtown and gave us advice on where to have dinner). Also, we got the same deal through priceline for the Renaissance, it's a great hotel and location.
bennnie - The drive to Fallingwater is very easy. Most of it is on the Penn Turnpike, but once you exit it is a nice little drive through the countryside. They give directions on their website that are easy to follow. I don't remember if there were many signs, maybe yk will be able to recall that better.
Jul 11th, 2007, 09:30 AM
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The Strip is best visited early on a Saturday morning when everyone heads down for their fresh produce, bread and seafood. It also becomes very busy and fun on weekend nights and I believe you would have enjoyed it if you had kept your reservations at Kaya. I haven't lived there in several years, but when I lived there the Strip was one of the more happening places for nightlife and it could be difficult to find parking. But glad you enjoyed the city as a whole.
Jul 11th, 2007, 02:41 PM
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I was so glad to hear that you chose Pittsburgh to visit. Having lived most of my life in and around Pittsburgh, I think that this city is a well kept secret. It is a wonderful place to raise a family and I hope that more young people will begin to look at Pittsburgh as a destination. It is affordable with lots of nice amenities.
Jul 11th, 2007, 05:53 PM
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bennie-
1) The 1st half of drive is on Interstate & PA turnpike (about 45 mins), then followed by 2-lane country road (30 mins). The 2-lane country road is a bit hilly and winding at times, but not difficult to navigate at all. The Fallingwater website has directions to get there from Pittsburgh. And Kentuck Knob website has driving directions from Fallingwater. I basically followed those and didn't have any problem.
2) The Grandview Ave section around Duquesne Incline is quite nice. We had a nice stroll - about 15 minutes - walking Eastward toward the Mon Incline. We turned around about 1/2 way. We were there around 7ish, and quite a number of residents were out walking their dogs, strolling etc. It's a nice walk. Majority of the residential houses there are no more than 2 storeys. The "high rise" building where we had dinner is an anomaly, plus I don't think it's more than 8 storey high, not skyscrapers you're thinking of.
3) Yes, I do think the Nationality rooms are worth visiting. It is very unique - not something one would see in other cities. It's like going to Epcot center and visiting different countries. If you follow the self-guided tour (one gets a tape recorder and play it in each room), it takes about 2 hours.
HTH and have a good trip!
1) The 1st half of drive is on Interstate & PA turnpike (about 45 mins), then followed by 2-lane country road (30 mins). The 2-lane country road is a bit hilly and winding at times, but not difficult to navigate at all. The Fallingwater website has directions to get there from Pittsburgh. And Kentuck Knob website has driving directions from Fallingwater. I basically followed those and didn't have any problem.
2) The Grandview Ave section around Duquesne Incline is quite nice. We had a nice stroll - about 15 minutes - walking Eastward toward the Mon Incline. We turned around about 1/2 way. We were there around 7ish, and quite a number of residents were out walking their dogs, strolling etc. It's a nice walk. Majority of the residential houses there are no more than 2 storeys. The "high rise" building where we had dinner is an anomaly, plus I don't think it's more than 8 storey high, not skyscrapers you're thinking of.
3) Yes, I do think the Nationality rooms are worth visiting. It is very unique - not something one would see in other cities. It's like going to Epcot center and visiting different countries. If you follow the self-guided tour (one gets a tape recorder and play it in each room), it takes about 2 hours.
HTH and have a good trip!
