How I Ended up on an Adventure to Pittsburgh
When I found out that Bloggycon was going to be Thursday – Sunday this year (and I typically travel a day early to have a day to explore), my brain immediately went to I should take the whole week off!
But where do I go for the extra days? Reached out to Friends on Facebook and based on the comments landed on an adventure to Pittsburgh. Bonus – I would get to see 2 friends I hadn’t seen in years.
From the Botanical Garden, the Strip District, the Duquesne Incline and more – it was truly an amazing trip.
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Day 1 – Botanic Garden and Pittsburgh Strip
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
Outside of the hustle and bustle of the city, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden was an amazing place to visit. Both for the nature, and the art along the trails.
I found myself taking more photos than I thought I would. Below is one of my favorites (was he trying to eat me? LOL)
Exploring the Strip District
After the peaceful and fun time in nature (I mean outside of the praying mantis trying to eat me), Jodi and I picked up Amy and we went to explore the Strip District.
From food, to vendors selling everything from jewelry to Steelers gear, we got a good overview of Pittsburgh in the strip. The district was alive with positive energy, and we soaked it all in.
We especially loved the unique fountain walk through with illuminated with LED lights, and then an early at Sienna Mercato’s first floor Emporio Meatball Joint. I never would have imagined myself eating a sandwich made with giant Chicken Meatballs but it was amazing – highly recommend.
We won’t talk about Amy and I posing in front of a duck…with a F…..
Day 2 – More Exploring and 3 Firsts for Amy
We set a rough itinerary (using Tripsy) to keep us on the path of fun stuff, but did a little bit of winging it too! I was shocked to learn that Amy had never done 3 of my favorite things!
The Duquesne Incline – A Piece of Pittsburgh History
We weren’t sure what to expect, but by the end of our visit to the Duquesne Incline we were so glad we added it to our itinerary!
So many things we didn’t expect in addition to the amazing ride. Like the way you could see the interior of the incline, and see and hear how the 19th century (opened to public in 1877) machinery works from below. The walls filled with photos and and Amazing Observation Deck. Definitely worth the price (For us $5 round trip for adults and they only accepted cash)
Pittsburgh Zoo
Was a little disappointed that some of the sections of the Pittsburgh Zoo were closed during our trip, but Amy and I still had fun and I got one of my favorite Zoo pics ever.
Museum of Illusions
Wasn’t sure what to expect from the Museum of Illusions, but another place I’m so glad we visited. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, from explaining how things worked to taking pictures so Amy and I could both be in them.
We obviously visited the Pittsburgh location but there are multiple Museum of Illusions locations all over the world. Click here to see if there is one near you!
Three Firsts for Amy – Geocaching, Escape Room and Tarot Reading
While scheduling and creating an itinerary for this trip, I discovered that Amy had not experienced some of my favorite things ever! What? So how could we not add them in?
First of the Firsts for Amy – geocaching. How could I not introduce Amy to one of our family’s favorite travel activities? I was hoping to find a large tradtional cache that would have trading items inside but alas, the only ones close enough at the time we did it were tiny caches with just logs.
Proud of you Amy for finding your first Cache – I hope you do more!!
Second of the Firsts for Amy – a Tarot reading at the Psychic Shop. The Tarot readings told both Amy and I exactly what we needed to hear. Our sessions were separate but we absolutely talked about them afterwords and were stunned by how different they were and how each of our sessions aligned with our past, present and potential future.
This was one of the “on the fly” things, so not in our itinerary. So glad we fit it in!!
Third of the Firsts for Amy – an Escape Room. Anyone who has followed me for a bit knows about my family’s favorite escape room ever (our first year of escape rooms). Some are more story oriented and interactive than others, but I’m always willing to give a new one a try (even though we always fail LOL).
The one we landed on was Breakout Games Pittsburgh, The Kidnapping. It began with us handcuffed to a bench in the dark. While we were able to get out of the handcuffs we struggled with the rest. Even with constant hints. I won’t go into details but… we failed again.
This Was More Than Just a Trip
These two days were more than just a trip. It was a time to reconnect with friends, find creative ways to experience Pittsburgh an create memories for a lifetime. No matter how standard a place is (or how familiar you are with it), if you explore there is always the potential to surprise you.
Bottom line? Some of the best adventures are those shared with friends.
What is the best friends trip you ever went on? Where did you go and what did you do? Let me know in the comments!
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I am a spirited blogger from Chelsea, MI who thrives on adventure, creativity and exploring the world through the lens of my camera (even if it’s my phone). When I’m not chasing sunsets and amazing views, I spend time with my heart dog Maizie. If travel, creativity and a dash of blunt honesty (with the occasional F-bomb) sparks your curiousity, you are in the right place.