Friday, October 26, 2012

Welcome To Pittsburgh: Buckle Up Next Million Miles

Photobucket
Megan and I on a half-work trip to Pittsburgh!

Photobucket
The most scenic rest stop in Erie

Photobucket
View from our hotel

Photobucket
The August Wilson Center http://www.augustwilsoncenter.org/ in the rays of Jesus' light

Photobucket

Photobucket
Superman's Fortress of Solitude (aka PPG Place) at Market Square

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
Had a great lunch at Nola's http://www.nolaonthesquare.com/.  A little bit of gumbo and a chicken po boy

Photobucket
Megan had the Muffaletta and French Onion Soup.  Great people watching too!

Photobucket
Hanging out in Market Square.  A gathering place desperately missing from downtown Rochester.  Take notes...  There will be more later as well

Photobucket

Photobucket
Jesus guy

Photobucket

Photobucket
So wonderful it doesn't look real

Photobucket
United Steelworkers building.  

Photobucket
A nice plaza that tricked us into thinking it lead to Point State Park

Photobucket
Here we are.  Point State Park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_State_Park, which is at the intersection of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers


Photobucket
The Fort Pitt Blockhouse.  This was also the site of Fort Duquesne

Photobucket
"The House That Ketchup Built: Heinz Field" http://www.steelers.com/ 

Photobucket
The Carnegie Science Center http://www.carnegiesciencecenter.org/


Photobucket
Fort Duquesne Bridge.  I have to say that in a world gone beige, I really appreciate the use of yellow on the bridges.  


Photobucket
Autumn is her season...


Photobucket
Crossing the Fort Pitt Bridge

Photobucket
Point Park from the bridge.

Photobucket
The Duquesne Incline funicular http://www.duquesneincline.org/

Photobucket
Can you tell she's getting tire of me taking pictures of her? 


Photobucket

Photobucket
Reminds me of the trams in Portugal

Photobucket

Photobucket
They don't build them like this anymore!

Photobucket
Yikes!  I'm not a big fan of heights and all I thought the whole way up was "I hope the cable doesn't snap."

Photobucket
Inside the station at the top

Photobucket
The workings of the cable car or a good album cover (do they still have those?)

Photobucket

 Photobucket
If you look real closely under the cable car, you will see a guy with a Tide bottle full of grease lubricating the cable/rail.  

Photobucket
SEE HIM!!!

Photobucket
On top of Mount Washington

Photobucket
Not a bad view...

Photobucket
Heinz Field again...

Photobucket
Everywhere we go on trips, Bill Clinton has been there before us...

Photobucket
If we had a buzillion dollars and a second home in Pittsburgh, we'd settle for this place.

Photobucket
St. Mary of the Mount Church.  

Photobucket
Panorama of downtown

Photobucket

Photobucket

First Mining of Pittsburgh Coal and many other facts from these signs ahead!

Photobucket
From an era when American's knew how to design cities...

Photobucket
Nice skeleton family hanging out on the porch

Photobucket
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Southside Church.  

Photobucket
The Southside Market House

Photobucket
Getting a drink at the Beehive Coffee House http://www.beehivebuzz.com/index1.html
Photobucket

The Southside Neighborhood reminded us a lot of Wicker Park in Chicago before it was taken over by The Real World/Starbucks/American Apparel etc.  

Photobucket
Destined to be Ronan's new favorite bar

Photobucket


Photobucket
The "Bridge of Sighs" at the Allegheny County Courthouse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny_County_Courthouse
Photobucket


Photobucket

Photobucket


Photobucket

Photobucket
Homemade Kaya Chips and Mango-Tomatillo Salsa at Kaya Restaurant http://www.bigburrito.com/kaya/

Photobucket
Megan's Torta was really good!

Photobucket
But, I went with the Kaya Burger.  I learned a long time ago to go with whatever has the restaurants name in the title of the food.  It was right and beautiful!

Photobucket
Megan and I watching Monday Night Football (Bears vs. Lions) at Lefty's after a couple "Strong Island Ice Teas."  


Photobucket
River walk at the David Lawrence Convention Center

Photobucket
Roberto Clemente/Sixth Street Bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente_Bridge


Photobucket
Most masculine bridge ever

Photobucket
Beyond teh Cheat?  Should I be upset about this?
Photobucket
Byham Theater Building

Photobucket
This is the dome inside the Hotel at the Byham Theater Building (or whatever it is called. Sorry)

Photobucket
PNC Park: Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=pit&sv=1

Photobucket
Seems like a pretty nice stadium.  A bit too much surface parking lots around for my taste, but otherwise, nice

Photobucket
Honus Wagner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honus_Wagner

Photobucket
Willie Stargell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Stargell

Photobucket
Roberto Clemente http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente

Photobucket
Live long and prosper.  It's the Vulcan Way...

Photobucket
If it wasn't a beautiful 75-80 degree day in October, I'd probably thought of going inside the Andy Warhol Museum.  Next time...  Same with the National Aviary...

Photobucket
You wouldn't think this river walk path was in the heart of an urban metropolis, would you?

Photobucket
16th Street Bridge.  I learned a hard lesson about Pittsburgh on this day.  If you plan to cross the river, please check to make sure a bridge exists beyond the one you are currently walking by.

Photobucket

Photobucket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Bridge_(Pittsburgh)

Photobucket 
The Unkillable Human

Photobucket
Old Heinz Factory turned office/loft complex

Photobucket

Photobucket
The view from Herr's Island.  Notice the 16th Street Bridge.  The next bridge I saw was the 31st Street Bridge and it was missing part of its span.  I saw no bridge after that...  A long walk back...

Photobucket
The almost famous Primanti Bros. http://primantibros.com/home.html

Photobucket
Union Station.  If you don't think this is impressive, you should see what Detroit let happen to theirs.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Pittsburgh)
compare:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Central_Station

Photobucket
Consol Energy Center: Home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. http://penguins.nhl.com/  Too bad the NHL is in a lockout.  Also, because of Google Maps I thought the Igloo (Civic Arena) still existed and was really excited to see it.  I knew it was next door, but after a couple of laps realized it was turned into a parking lot...

Photobucket
Mario Lemieux statue

Photobucket
DON'T JUMP!!!  St. Benedict the Moor Church

Photobucket
Back on the Northside with some timely World Series Baseball history

Photobucket
Can you guess who this is?

Photobucket
It's Mr. Rogers.  A very lumpy day in the neighborhood

Photobucket
Just to give you perspective on how large this statue really is

Photobucket
And how close it came to killing me...

Photobucket 
The USS Requin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Requin_(SS-481)

Photobucket
Gateway Clipper passing the Clemente Bridge http://www.gatewayclipper.com/


Photobucket
Allegheny Cotton Mill Strikes sounds like they happened just yesterday

Photobucket
Rochester could have a river walk like this that would be twice as nice with little effort.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Ultimate BBQ Potato Chips at Diamond Market Bar.  http://diamondmarketgrill.com/

Photobucket
Walkway under the Lawrence Convention Center

Photobucket
Crazy waterfall during the day at the Lawrence Convention Center

Photobucket
A sign to the Cell Phone Disco: My Own Personal Hell http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/computing/2010/fall/cell-phone-disco.shtml

Photobucket
Strip District Meats would be a very different place in Chicago (or most other places really)

Photobucket
Flashing Steady: My new band and album cover (seriously, do they have covers on MP3s?)

Photobucket
French Toast and a Western Omelet at Deluca's Diner.  

Photobucket
Is the ketchup bottle half full or half empty at the Heinz History Center?  http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/

Photobucket
Lewis and Clark in Pittsburgh?  I didn't know that.  

Photobucket
Goodbye Pittsburgh!  I was completely surprised by how great of a city it is.  Will have to go back and check out all the things I missed!

That's Bill-ievable

If I keep going to Bills games, I'm going to run out of these kind of lame titles.  I guess I better pace myself or enjoy it while it lasts...
Photobucket
Bills vs. Titans.  I have a feeling we'll need a few bloody mary's to make this a good game.

Photobucket
Tailgating outside of Conklin's Bar & Grill

Photobucket

Photobucket
Just to make my sister jealous, an entire huge box full of Herr's potato chips
Photobucket
Megan enjoying her Buffalo Wing


Photobucket
Buffalo lost 35-34.  My philosophy about football doesn't focus on the QB being the cause of all that is good and bad with a team, but Fitzpatrick may be changing that...

Photobucket
Megan and I at Postcard Falls on Allen's Creek at Corbett's Glen looking for salmon.  They are there, but not quite ready to swim upstream.  We were late last year and are constantly checking this year.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

October 2012 #27

Photobucket
Issue #27


Goodbye Chicago.  You’ve always had a place for me on your broad boulevards.  But, I’m married now and it’s time for me to move on.  To settle near family and have kids of my own.  Find a place to call “home” and live the clichés of Thanksgiving dinners and grilling in the backyard.  I love my simple life of taking the “el” to work and checking out the neighborhoods on the weekend; but I must go.

I remember the day I decided to move here.  After that misleading job interview, I wondered all around the Loop knowing there was nothing I could do back in Michigan.  Staring at the spitting faces of Crown Fountain.  Grabbing a hot dog and fries at Max’s Take Out.  I gave myself one year to sink or swim and moved into my Spartan Ravenswood apartment a few days later.

Now, the moving truck has all our junk in it and we’re starting a new life in Rochester, New York.  Will it be better than Chicago?  Apples and oranges.  But, I will miss the activity of a world-class city.  The adventure, amusement, and/or oddities I could find around every street corner.  The food.  All of my friends going to dive bars, the bartering of Maxwell Street Market, all kinds of concerts at a wide variety of venues, apartment parties for any reason, and just sitting on the porch people watching.  It’s been good.  

If you like this, you might like...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...