Steel City! We can cross that city and that ballpark off our travel bucket list. We came, we saw, we conquered in about 36 hours. It's amazing how much you can do when you travel without kids!
My parents came over like a normal Friday morning during the school year to watch the boys and we hit the road around 7:30am. It was a 4.5 hour drive, with only one bathroom/change driver stop and we were in Steel City in time for lunch.
It was cloudy as we arrived and our hotel room wasn't ready yet, so we parked the car and prayed it wouldn't rain as we started the mile walk to the North Shore for lunch. Somehow...during the walk the weather continued to clear up. By the time we decided on a lunch spot, it was sunny and beautiful!
North Shore is where PNC Park and Heinz Stadium are both located. You get to walk across Roberto Clemente Bridge (which they shut traffic down on game days) and get some fabulous views! Lots of lunch spots and bars, so it was a touch choice, but we picked Atria's and it was delicious!
After lunch, we continued to walk around North Shore and then decided to start the mile walk back to officially check in and get ready for the game.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn Downtown Pittsburgh because it was centrally located, walking distance to the ballpark, had free parking and free breakfast. You can't beat that!
After getting changed and ready, we started the voyage back again. I got a ton of steps on Friday despite being in the car for 4.5 hours. Lots of walking! We grabbed an outdoor spot on a patio at a bar right across from the ballpark and just enjoyed drinking and people watching. Pittsburgh came alive on game day! They had the street shut down that connected the bridge and the ballpark and even set up a "block party" with a live band, food stands, and tables for people to hang out at.
We went into the game right when the park opened at 5:30pm and just spent time walking around, taking pictures, and having a beer at one of the bars.
The Pirates won and it was a close, exciting game! The ballpark was beautiful. Ranked #1 ballpark in the U.S. The food in the park...not so exciting. I got a grilled sausage and ended up throwing it out. The bun fell apart and the sausage was disgusting. So, since I was hungry when we left the game, we walked to the South Side of Pittsburgh and ate at a highly recommended spot, Proper Brick Oven and Tap Room.
A yummy brick oven pizza and a local beer called "Grateful White", it was a nice way to end the evening.
The next morning we enjoyed the free breakfast at the hotel and then set out to see as much as we could before we had to leave to head home at 3pm.
First stop was the Strip District to see the open-air market and cute shops. It was so amazing! Imagine a Farmer's Market, Flower Day, souvenirs, and a craft show all at once! Blocks worth of shopping and food. I wish we had gone on an empty stomach. Everything looked amazing!
We stocked up on some "Steel City Salt" and seasonings, bars of soap, t-shirts for the boys, and a huge dog bone stuffed with dried peanut butter, sweet potato, and banana. Oh, and $13 worth of candy. Yum...
We walked back to the hotel to get the car and move on to Mount Washington and the Duquesne Incline.
The line to ride up the Incline took a while considering it was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. I swear, everyone had the same idea. But, it was fun to ride on the Incline and the views once you got up to Mount Washington...just breathtaking.
Our last stop was another highly recommended lunch spot back in the city before we needed to head home. Apparently, a trip to Pittsburgh is not complete without a stop at FatHead's Saloon. Local brews and sandwiches the size of your head. I had a burger topped with house-made bacon, cheddar cheese, and a pierogie on top. It was so good! The bun was perfect considering the amount of things loaded on top of it. Scott opted for a sandwich with corned beef, pastrami, and probably 10 other things.
A great meal when you don't want to have to stop for dinner later on in the evening! Our 4.5 hour car ride home went smooth and we were excited to see the boys waiting for us at home upon our return. A big thanks to my mom and dad for watching the boys and Bailey while we were gone. It was a whirlwind trip, but we enjoyed ourselves!
