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I chose a trip to #Pittsburgh because there was so much to experience in a new setting…between the #museums, #restaurants, #history, urban parks, inclines, and scenic views, we made some pretty awesome #memories in the 4 days we were there. I like living in a suburban environment for my day to day life, but I enjoy the adrenaline rush during a visit to a bustling city. The sights and sounds are constant, the options for #food are endless, and the convenience of so many points of interest being in one area is awesome. Something about the place made me miss it almost before we even left, but I wasn’t sure if it was because a lot of sections reminded me of Philly, or if it was the friendly people. It was the first #city I’ve visited where everyone in the customer service role were actually nice, and I felt relatively #safe in every area we ventured, even at night.

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Due to the location of a show we had reservations for, we were able to park #downtown and enjoy some time walking around the city. Our first stop was #MarketSquare, a centralized square with access to no less than 20 places to eat! It was so hard to decide, but we settled on #Pizzaiolo Primo, a sit down #Neapolitan eatery with open oven #pizzas and other old-world dishes. There was a Restaurant Crawl event going on at the time, but the crowds were manageable and we were seated pretty quickly. It was also a pricey choice, but the square seemed to have every price point option available, and there was plenty of outdoor seating if someone decided to bring their own food to enjoy the #ambiance.

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I’m happy we were also able to stroll around #PointStatePark, a National Historic Landmark that houses the Fort Pitt Museum, a granite tracery of Fort Duquesne, and the oldest #architectural #landmark in Pittsburgh, Fort Pitt Blockhouse. The park is free to enter, but the museum has a fee for those over 12. There is also a cafe, public restrooms, and a very pretty 150 ft. fountain. The Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers merge into the Ohio River at the tip of the point, while views of the city #skyline and two of Pittsburgh’s 446 #bridges can be seen when facing land. There are open and secluded walking paths throughout the #promenade, where we saw plenty of people walking their dogs, biking, jogging, and relaxing on benches.

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Our walk continued past the beautiful United Steel Workers building, and the #PennBrewery Taproom where I indulged in some Penn Dark and a seasonal brew. Since we had just eaten we didn’t get to try their food, but the beer was absolutely delicious, making me wish our hotel had a fridge to bring a growler back to. After that we made it to Mellon Square, the first #Modernist garden plaza built over a parking garage. #Fountains, #trees, and #benches make it a welcoming green space among the city buildings, and a relaxing stop for us before we headed to our show in the Cultural District. Pittsburgh was a beautiful city to visit, and I can’t wait to return to check out all of the things we ran out of time to see.