Most devoted fans of all time - Pittsburgh, PA

So, it doesn't take long to figure out that Pittsburgh is full of devoted Steeler's fans. No matter if you are at the airport, grocery store, restaurant, or church, you can almost guarantee you will see someone sporting some type of Steeler paraphernalia. It really makes for great people watching. I'm going to try to find an amazing outfit to wear when I visit again over Thanksgiving! Hopefully it will be bedazzled.

Sunday was great. I went to church with Adam and Liesel and was able to meet a lot of their friends. Don't worry, they didn't have a pianist for primary, so I stepped up and filled in. (Are we seeing a trend here? Maybe I should just travel the world and become the substitute church pianist wherever I go!) Also, this is the first church I have gone to where they have had a "thank you for not smoking" sign in the bathroom. Love it!

After church we went back to the apartment and made yummy Cobb salads. Our after dinner entertainment was blowing plastic bubbles. I LOVE plastic bubbles. Brings me back to my childhood! Later that evening we when to a birthday party for one of their friend's little boy. It was fun but we were exhausted after being there a couple of hours. Kids are exhausting!

PS - Monday morning was crazy and Adam didn't make it to his first class on time (due to rain, forgetting keys, traffic, etc). Since this particular professor won't let you come in late, Adam and I headed to Pamela's for round 2. Mmmm, delicious!

Fallingwater – Mill Run, PA

We started the day off on the right foot by eating brunch at Pamela’s.  If you know me at all, you know how much I LOVE brunch!  Well, let’s just say this place didn’t disappoint.  Pamela’s makes these amazing crepe-like pancakes that are delicious.  We ordered the banana walnut pancakes, bacon and cheese omelet, and home fries.  We left very happy and extremely full.  You must eat here if you are ever in P-Town.  Trust me, you won’t regret it.  It’s super cheap and super tasty!

After brunch we headed out into the middle of nowhere Western Pennsylvania to visit one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous masterpieces, Fallingwater.  The drive up there was spectacular.  The leaves were changing and there was that special Fall crispness in the air.  Fall is my favorite time of year so it made the trip to Fallingwater even more special. 

Adam is obsessed with Frank Lloyd Wright so this was a very special day for him.  It was the first time he has been able to witness one of Mr. Wright’s architectural wonders in person.  It was so fun watching him take it all in.    He was giddy like a little boy on Christmas morning. 

We had reservations for the last tour of the day.  We arrived a little early so we could explore the grounds before our tour started.  Fallingwater is tucked away in the woods so you follow well-groomed paths down a hill and along a stream to get there.  The location couldn’t be more perfect.  We had a funny little tour guide who told us background information about the Kaufmann family (the family who had the house built) and explained Mr. Wright’s vision for Fallingwater.  Mr. Wright was an absolute genius!  You can’t visit this house without feeling one with nature.  Well done, Mr. Wright, well done!

On our way home we stopped by the brand new Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.  Adam and Liesel really wanted to try out their all-you-can-eat buffet.  The food was ok but the desserts were just plain awful.  I’m not exaggerating either.  They couldn’t even get the basic dessert items like chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream right.  Work on the basics first and then try to tackle the complicated treats. 

Thanks for another success day in and around Pittsburgh!

Pittsburgh, surprisingly ok – Pittsburgh, PA

Adam and Liesel rolled out the red carpet for my visit to Pittsburgh.  When I walked into the guest room there were towels, US and People magazines, and a mint on my bed.  Hotel Sparhawk is the best!

Liesel had to work on Friday so Adam and I did a little exploring on our own.  Our first stop was to a little donut shop called Peace, Love, and Little Donuts.  The donuts were pretty tasty but Adam was even more impressed with the milk.  I know, weird, right?  Then we had lunch at Pirmanti’s, a restaurant famous for their sandwiches stuffed with french fries and coleslaw.  Adam and I were not impressed and will not be returning.

After lunch we headed over to the Mattress Factory, a modern art museum located in an old mattress factory.  Definitely one of the coolest modern art museums I have ever been to.   One of the exhibits starts out with you holding, no gripping, onto a railing and walking through a darkened hallway and up a ramp.  At the top of the ramp you walk into an even darker room and sit in a chair.  There you sit in complete darkness (so dark that you can feel it) and wait for about 15 minutes for the magic to happen.  It was kind of creepy but super cool.  I know some of you will be visiting this museum so I won’t ruin it for you.  This is a MUST SEE if you are in the area.  They also had a cool exhibit with lots of polka dots and mirrors.  Our last stop was to a room on the 4^th floor that you had to be escorted too.  We were a little worried about what we were going to see after the other wacky exhibits.  It turns out there is a big hole in the floor and there is a chute that goes through the 3^rd floor and has an opening/window at the bottom.  It was pretty cool.

Next we headed over to the Duquesne Incline (a cable car ride that offers an amazing view of the city).  When we got to the top a couple asked us if we would take their picture.  Of course we said yes and before we knew it the guy was getting down on one knee and proposing to this girl.  At first we thought he was joking around but as soon as he whipped out the ring and she started to cry we knew it was for real.  Kind of awkward but kind of funny.

Our last adventure before we picked up Liesel was driving up Canton Avenue.  Canton Avenue is tied with Prentiss Street in San Francisco as the steepest public street in the US.  Canton has a grade of 37%.  Unfortunately, the pictures don’t do the street justice.  We felt like we were lying down as we were driving up it. Oh, and don’t worry, we drove up it a couple of times. 

We picked up Liesel and headed straight to Vincent’s Pizza Park for dinner.  Adam and Liesel didn’t warn me about how insanely filling this pizza was going to be.  I think I should have fasted all day long in order to be able to eat one slice without filling sick.  I’ve never seen a pizza place pile on the toppings like this before.  Also, Vinnie passed away a few months ago, so RIP Uncle Vinnie.  After dinner we headed to the movies and then ate some Coldstone ice cream.  I think Coldstone has started making their ice cream with corn syrup because it was DISGUSTING!  All I wanted was to taste the yummy ice cream I remembered eating in college. So sad!

Well, that was day one.  Are you exhausted yet?  I am!