Happy Thursday! A week ago I'd never been to Pittsburgh and now I have even more to share with you about Pittsburgh, so that's fun! I always love exploring new places and Pittsburgh was filled to the brim with just that. Sunday morning started with a drive to the Hazelwood neighborhood to try out Le Gourmadine - a patisserie that I'd seen rave reviews about.
We arrived about three minutes before they opened and we were second in line - and by the time we'd finished ordering, there was a line snaking out the door, so I knew we were in for some goodness! I got the pastry they are known for - their almond croissant - and it was just about the most divine thing I've ever had for breakfast! I also got a dozen of their macarons and they were some of the best I've ever eaten in my life; filled with luscious jam and cream centers surrounded by perfectly crisp shells!
We ate our pastries at Schenley Park in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood before heading over to the Phipps Conservatory to explore. The Conservatory is large, beautiful, filled with different gardens and tons of luscious plants - it's basically a delight! I took tons of pictures and I've tried to refrain from posting every single one here, ha-ha! The Phipps Conservatory is home to several sculptures by Chihuly and I think I've made it known how much I love admiring Chihuly glass - no exception here!
I may have sidestepped a "barrier" plant to get the picture of the Chihuly glass below. But hey - why would you have that blocked off? It's too beautiful not to get a snap of!
I'm sure when the world is "normal" you can wander all over the conservatory with no thought to direction but because we live in a COVID world now, they had a very specific pathway mapped out and I really thought it was handy. Following the pathways allowed for you to wind through each of the gardens without backtracking or missing anything - it was great! Granted, it meant that even though it's pretty large - we were through the entire conservatory in about an hour!
If you're planning a trip to Pittsburgh - I'd 100% recommend that you pay a visit to the Phipps! Another place I'd recommend a stop at is the Carrie Blast Furnaces but be sure to investigate before you go! The Carrie Blast Furnace is a steel mill along the Monongahela River that is no longer in use but a company called Rivers of Steel offers tours April - October, so it's definitely worth checking out! Alas - we barely got through the gates before we were informed that we couldn't even wander the ground without a tour. *sigh* We've put it on our list for next time though!
After lunch at Burgatory - where I had a bison burger topped with Angel Dust (I'm sure it wasn't literally dusted with PCP...) White Cheddar, Onion Straws and Bourbon BBQ sauce - it was back to the Strip District to check out the Heinz History Center! I had to get the essential picture of myself with the giant Heinz Ketchup bottle made entirely out of... Heinz ketchup bottles, ha-ha! I was also thrilled to check out the exhibit of props and clothes worn by Mr. Rogers! Did you know Mr. Rogers was a Pittsburgher? I didn't know that - but if you're reading this, now we both know!
The Heinz History Center also has almost two floors dedicated to Pennsylvania sports history, so I attempted to throw passes like the Steelers, shoot a hat trick like the Penguins (GO CAPS!) and more. I discovered what five pounds of fat looks like and came to the realization that I'd lost eight and half of those lumpy things... and I also tried my hand at a golf shot and actually made a hole in one! My Dad said he should have been recording but I'm convinced if he had, it wouldn't have happened!
I don't have a side ponytail in that above picture - but I do have my face mask hanging off my face for a quick snap! After grabbing the most amazing Mr. Rogers mug from the gift shop we headed back toward the center of downtown to see the Mr. Rogers Memorial along the edge of the Allegheny River and then - I finally got to have some pierogies! A sweet friend that is a Pennsylvania native told me I couldn't say I'd been to Pittsburgh if I didn't have some pierogies, so I happily chowed down on some at the Foundry!
The final stop of the night was back up to Points of View Park on Mount Washington to watch the sun set and take in the lights of the city blinking into life against the night sky. The views were pretty spectacular and I understand why the overlook area draws so many people each evening - the view cannot be beat! Pittsburgh was such a hidden gem - I wasn't sure what to expect from the city but I absolutely loved it and would go back again and again to take in everything it has to offer!
I feel like we did so much but I also get the feeling that we barely scratched the surface of what Pittsburgh has to offer! I know I've already got a list of to-do's for a return trip in the future: taking in a baseball game; ideally watching the Pirates play my Nationals, and going back to Carrie Blast Furnace are on the list! Pittsburgh is definitely a city you have to check out - I can't recommend it enough!
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