It's A Pittsburgh Post (Part One)

It's Tuesday - the weekend absolutely flew by! Why do three day weekends always pass so quickly? I have to believe that time moves differently when you have a three day weekend and that was certainly the case for this last weekend. 

I got off work on Friday at 3:00 and we were pretty much immediately Pittsburgh bound for the long weekend. Pennsylvania is such a gorgeous state with tons of rolling hills, verdant valleys and absolutely beautiful views... and I say all that but don't have any pictures of that for this post, ha-ha! We stopped in Somerset, PA for dinner at the Pine Grill - which seemed very much like a little home town spot that was rustic and sort of like a hole in the wall - but the food was good y'all. So good.  

I had a divine grilled cheese that tasted like something from my childhood - so yummy! We also saw a truly disturbing taxidermist truck parked outside the restaurant filled with a wee stuffed fox (thought it was a puppy at first) and the heads of a goat and a boar - what even?!? I didn't include the picture here because no thank you... ha-ha! When we arrived in Pittsburgh we checked into our hotel and made our way into downtown (we were already in downtown - but in the Strip District) to the Milkshake Factory.

Milk Shake Factory is a must stop for me - I can't recommend it enough. The milkshakes are made from fresh ice cream using milk from Pennsylvania dairy farms and there are a variety of flavors - I chose the Cake Shake, my Dad got the Bananas Foster and my Mom grabbed the Chocolatier and every single one was delicious! The Milk Shake Factory also has chocolates and those are just as delightful! It was lovely to sit on the curb outside the Milk Shake Factory on Friday night, sipping my shake and taking in the sights and sounds of the city. 

Saturday morning started with a walk through the Strip District to Pamela's Diner for breakfast - and the line stretching out the door is a clear sign that it's a winner! A friend recommended this spot to us and I'm so glad she did because the food was great! Pamela's is known for their hotcakes that are made in the style of crepes; I got the blueberry hotcakes and they were extremely delicious - I'd happily go back and get some more! President Obama ate here during his Presidency and loved the food so much that he invited them to the White House to cook for a Memorial Day event - so it's Presidentially (apparently that's not a word) approved!

 

After our yummy breakfast we perused some of the Strip District again and I led us out across the Veterans Bridge to snap some pictures because... well there are 446 bridges in Pittsburgh and I figured I should venture on to as many as I could, right? After grabbing some things for the day ahead we set out for Point State Park... which is probably the most central point in Pittsburgh (hence the name) and is where the three rivers in Pittsburgh meet up: the Monongahela River and the Allegheny River meet up and form the Ohio River - so that's cool!

 

Point State Park has a gorgeous fountain and views of the city all around and it's a perfect spot to spend a sunny day - there were families out of the rivers, spread out on blankets in the grassy park areas and all along the river walk areas. We poked our heads into the Fort Pitt Block House (the oldest building in Pittsburgh) and then set out across the Fort Duquesne Bridge to take a peek at PNC Park - because y'all know I've got to see the baseball related things in each and every city!

 

We couldn't see too much of PNC Park (sigh - thanks COVID) but I did get to snap some pictures of the Roberto Clemente statue(s) outside the park and once we set out back across the Allegheny River on the Roberto Clemente Bridge, the view of the Park was much better. All the sights and sounds along the river(s) were a delight to take in and I thoroughly enjoyed making my way all along the riversides in downtown Pittsburgh. 

You may ask at what point we had lunch - but I must tell you that we didn't actually have lunch...per say. We did pop into the Hard Rock Cafe and have some snacks but then it was back to the exploring! We drove up Mount Washington to snap some pictures from the view points (check out that face mask being worn as a wristlet - it's a new style) and then made our way into the Mexican War Streets District of the city in search of the Poem House...

 

The Poem House is part of City of Asylum - a place in Pittsburgh where exiled writers can live at low/no cost and work on their writing(s). The Poem House was lived in by Huang Xiang; the first writer to live in City of Asylum. His writings were banned in his home of China and so when he moved to Pittsburgh, he celebrated the freedom to write by creating a poem that wrapped around the house he was given to live in. The City of Asylum currently houses several writers that have been exiled from their home countries because of writings they have produced... so interesting, right?

While searching for the Poem House, we stumbled onto Randyland - which is one of the most unique, random and colorful places I've ever experienced. Randyland is the home of folk artist Randy Gilson and is one of the largest public art exhibits in the world. It's colorful and whimsical and a little bit wild - normally the artist is available to talk to and shows guests around but... say it with me now... COVID kind of killed that vibe. Randyland is also one of the most photographed spots in the world and honestly - it's just a happy little spot of sunshine! 

 

We took a Clipper River Cruise - which I'd also recommend because it's a great way to see the city and learn a little more about it, all while cruising along the river(s) with a good breeze and a drink to sip on. However - don't try to buy a cocktail for your cruise because in Allegheny County, PA you have to have one food item for every alcoholic beverage and you know what I didn't want for my cruise down the river? A hot dog wrapped in aluminum foil. No thanks. 

After disembarking from our cruise, we went right down the road to the Duquesne Incline (that is pronounced Du-cane) and rode it right up the side of Mount Washington for the low price of $5.00 round trip! The Duquesne Incline is one of what were originally twelve funiculars that were used to ferry coal workers up the side of Mount Washington to work - there are now two of them left and they're part of the Pittsburgh Transportation Authority... and people still use them to get to and from work! Although not mining coal! 

The views from Mount Washington are pretty spectacular - there is no other way to say it! The whole city is spread out in front of you with the rivers running through it all and well... I'm sure it helped that it was a pretty perfect day on Saturday! There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the blue just stretched on for miles - and that made the views even more stunning! 

There is a statue on the top of Mount Washington called Point of View Park that highlights a meeting between George Washington and the Seneca leader Guyasuta that took place in 1770 when Washington was in the area surveying the land for a potential future settlement along the Ohio River. As the sun set, we headed to Market Square and joined a line to have dinner at Primanti Bros. - a Pittsburgh staple that offers gigantic sandwiches that have french fries right on the sandwich! A completely new concept but I have to say - I enjoyed my turkey, cheese and french fries, ha-ha!

The first full day in Pittsburgh was a delight - we ended up walking a little over ten miles, so I think we managed to fit quite a bit into our first day! My first impression of Pittsburgh was a great one; I absolutely enjoyed exploring it all day on Saturday and went to sleep on Saturday evening filled with a french fry sandwich and expectations for day two!

Friday Favorites

One. Pittsburgh Bound - I get to do something I love this weekend! Travel to a place I've never been and explore! When the work day ends, I'm headed for Pittsburgh and I've got plans to see as much as I can over Labor Day Weekend! The Phipps Conservatory, the Duquesne Incline, the Clipper River cruise... all of those are already booked and there is still so much more to see!

Apparently you can't say you've been to Pittsburgh if you haven't had pierogies - so I'll be on the look out for some of those somewhere along the way. The weather is supposed to be spectacular and while I'm a little bummed I can't take in a game at PNC Park - I'm still pretty thrilled to be heading to a new place!

Two. Sausage, Green Bean & Potato Bake - I made a new recipe this week and it turned out really well! I'm always a little anxious about trying anything I find on Pinterest because you just never know how it's going to turn out... but this recipe was a win and so I'll be adding it to the rotation!

What You Need

• 1 1/2 pounds turkey sausage; sliced
• 2 lbs baby creamer potatoes; diced 
• 2 15 ounce cans of green beans; drained
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup onions; chopped
• 3 cloves garlic; minced
• 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup water

To Make It

• Preheat the oven to 400 & spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Wash the potatoes, dice them and add to a seal-able gallon size baggie.
• Add oil, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, pepper and red pepper flakes to the baggie. Shake to coat the potatoes and set aside.
• In a large frying pan add sausage and 1/4 cup water and cook over medium high heat until sausages have browned and most of the water has evaporated. 
• Remove sausages from pan and when they have cooled a bit, add them to the baggie. Shake to coat and set aside.
• Melt butter in the frying pan, add onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.
• Let cool for a few minutes and then add to the baggie. Shake to coat and set aside.
• Lastly, add the green beans to the baggie, shake to coat and then empty the contents of the dish into the prepared baking dish.
• Cover with foil and cook for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Enjoy!

The only "change" I made to the recipe was that I'd chop the potatoes up smaller the next time I cook them. Most of the potatoes were fork tender but the pieces that were a bit larger were not quite as tender. Otherwise - the dish has great flavor and is easy to put together. 

Three. Three Day Weekend - It's a three day weekend! *cue confetti and clapping* I realize there have already been a few three day weekends this year but this is the first one since we returned to the office, so it somehow feels a little bit more "real". Does that make sense at all? Oh well - it does to me! So here's to enjoying the three day weekend!

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That's all I've got this Friday y'all - it's been a fast week but slow on content and so all I have is those three little things I wanted to share! I'll be back next Tuesday with tales from my travels and more! 

Watson Wednesday

I don't know if you're aware - but there is a filter on Snap Chat (an app I rarely use) that gives your pet a cartoon-style face! I tried it on Watson yesterday and I could not stop cracking up... how does he look both hilarious and so cute?

August Amused

Anticipations

Autumn is Coming - I think I always anticipate the final four months of the year and the arrival of Autumn. I've always been a cozy sweater, jeans and cute boots kind of girl and thinking about cooler temperatures, warm drinks, colorful fall leaves, all things apple and pumpkin... and so many other wonderful Autumn things... it just makes me smile. Maybe it's too much to hope the final four months of 2020 won't be quite as ridiculous as the first eight?

A Little Travel - I've never been to Pittsburgh before but it's only three hours (or so) away and I'm headed that way for Labor Day weekend! I'm not sure what all there is to do in Pittsburgh or what I'll be getting up to but I do know that the city is in the "green zone" and welcoming visitors! I'll be sure to share all my Pittsburgh adventures with you!

Lavish Conference - The annual women's conference at my church is in September this year and I'm looking forward to enjoying a Friday night and Saturday morning of worship, good messages and time spent with sweet friends at church! 

I think this month is the first time I have more than one or two things in the Anticipations section of this post... I hope and pray that's a sign of good things to come in the last four months of this year!

Books I Read

I was in a very thriller-esque mood this month and so almost all the books I've read reflect that.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware - I read this book in about 48 hours; I was hooked and just devoured it! The book is a told by a nanny sitting in jail awaiting trail for the murder of one of the children she was charged with watching over. The entire book is told through her letters to a potential lawyer, recalling the events leading up to her jailing and some surprise twists at the end. This was hands down my favorite read this month! 

The Shadows by Alex North - Another quick read; 25 years ago a group of teenage boys participated in a ritualistic murder and while one murdered was apprehended, the other disappeared without a trace. Paul Adams was linked to the crime and left his hometown without looking back but when he's forced to return home to visit his dying mother, he'll also have to confront the copycat killer on the loose.

Gods of Jade & Shadow by Silvia Morena-Garcia - This book took a little longer to get into but turned out to be a really excellent read! The Mayan god of death sends Casiopea on a harrowing, life-changing journey through Mexico and into the Underworld in this one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James - Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her Aunt Vivian, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down Motel before Carly was born. Carly decides to move to Fell, NY and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. This book was filled with suspense, ghost stories and crime - so good!

I started a fifth book called Atomic Love but I'll have to add that one to the list for September since I've only started it and not finished it. 

Movies of the Month

Palm Springs - A romantic comedy on Hulu that was recommended by a friend; this movie was fine. The romantic comedy centers on two wedding guests who'd rather be anywhere but at the wedding... so of course, they get stuck in a time loop and must live the day over and over again. Along the way, they fall in love and decide to take a risk to get out of the time loop and get on with their lives - together. The movie was funny; also short and sweet and combined romantic comedy with a little bit of Sci-Fi.

The Personal History of David Copperfield - A unique take on the Dicken's tale; I found this movie to be really enjoyable! It was (mostly) light and humorous and told the life story of the aforementioned David Copperfield through flashbacks filled with color and quirkiness. I very much enjoyed this movie and was so glad to be in a theater again! 

The Lovebirds - Originally planned for release in theaters but moved to Netflix courtesy of the pandemic, this romantic comedy was much more my style than the other one I watched this month! Jibran and Leilani are a couple stuck in a rut but when they are witness to a murder en route to a dinner party, it sets off a chain of events that leads to a wild night in New Orleans and may have them rethinking their relationship. The movie is funny and has a lot of heart - I really enjoyed it!

Must See TV

The Politician - This Netflix show is; in a word, quirky. The show follows Payton Hobart; a student in high school in California who is - to put it mildly - a little obsessed with all things political. He's convinced his destiny is to be the President of the United States and being elected class President at this high school is only the first step on the journey to the Oval Office.

While the first season tackles high school politics, the second season has him jumping into the more advanced NY state Senate race - upping the stakes yet again. The show has great music (Ben Platt can sing y'all - duh) and an interesting story line... although like other shows from Ryan Murphy, some aspects seem a little bit implausible. Overall - it was really enjoyable and I'm hoping for a third season.

Tasty Treats

I seem to eat a lot - and yet somehow I've lost 42 pounds since this year started. There must be something to the whole "everything in moderation" I suppose... I started August with a slice of Blackberry Ice Cream Pie and some truly divine food at a little spot called Soul Mountain. I enjoyed Sweet & Snowy ice cream twice this month and also had blackberry ice cream and a peanut butter sundae too.

I had some truly scrumptious Ratatouille and Lemon Blueberry Bread Pudding at Clyde's in Ashburn, French Toast with Fruit Coulis at Regions 117 and Peanut Soup at the dining room at Big Meadows Lodge. And the most delightful treat? S'mores cooked over an open fire in the crisp mountain air - one of the only things I like about camping, ha-ha! 

Tunes & Talks

This month I've been listening to a lot of things - some Ben Platt, still throwing some Hamilton in the mix from time to time and a lot of instrumental including Jon McLaughlin's album (Mood). That's the name of the album: (Mood)... I've also been listening to the Popcast, Crime Junkies, the Big Boo Cast and Lore... and I'm always looking for recommendations! 

Adios to August

The sky is sad today - perhaps the world is sad to be saying farewell to August? I don't know... this month has been fine but I've always been a strong fan of the "ber" months and they kick off tomorrow, so while this past month has been - I'll say again - fine... I don't mind seeing September arrive tomorrow.

Friday night was all about exploring some local spots! I found two new favorites and made a return to a spot that already has a place in my heart (and my stomach, ha-ha!) The Old Dominion Doggery has some of the best burgers I've ever eaten; I got the Taste of the South, made with pimento cheese and BBQ sauce - it was divine!  

The french fries are perfectly delicious and I sampled a bite of one of the hot dogs (they normally give me headaches) - it was also so very tasty! I popped into a shop across the street called Vintage Clementine that was filled with a combination of new and unique gift items alongside some antique and vintage finds - all at excellent prices! I rounded out the evening with two scoops from Snowy & Sweet... I couldn't resist my favorite Lemon Bliss and tried a scoop of Blueberry Cheesecake along with it!

The skies clouded up in a pretty spectacular fashion all the way home and shortly after settling in for a movie on my couch (The Lovebirds on Netflix) it started to pour. It rained on and off for the rest of the evening (with some pretty spectacular lightning thrown in) and into Saturday morning as some bands from Hurricane Laura made their way through out area. It slacked off on Saturday morning right as I hopped off the elliptical after completing 35 minutes... just in time for my Dad to ask if I wanted to walk 3.5 miles with him. Sure - why not?

I survived the 3.5 miles and afterwards took a much needed shower, had lunch and did some relaxing before heading off to the movies to see The Personal History of David Copperfield at The Alamo. It was a different experience since there were less people and it was a requirement to wear a face mask throughout the movie (unless eating or drinking) but I was just so thrilled to be at the theater again that I didn't mind! After dinner at Chili's and a stop at the store to grab some groceries, it was home once again to enjoy the evening with a couple episodes of Escape to the Country.

Sunday was sunny and only about 80 - an absolutely perfect day to be outside! After church it was a quick lunch and then I loaded up the pup and headed over to the State Arboretum to enjoy being outside in the gorgeous weather. Watson loved lounging in the grass, wagging his tail at everyone and just being outside!

 

  

After a quick stop at the Baskin-Robbins on the way home, I relaxed outside on the deck a little bit, read, got some things together for the work week and ran to Wal-Mart with my Mom. I closed out the weekend with a bubble bath, some TV and crawling into bed to read and drift off to sleep!

Five on Friday

One. Exploring Local - If there is one thing I'm always excited about, it's having good food and this evening I'm planning to explore some delicious local places for dinner and perhaps a little dessert!

Old Dominion Doggery is a local spot that has gourmet hot dogs and hamburgers - just take a look at that menu above and look at all the delicious options! My stomach is growling just thinking about it! I'm not a big hot dog person (nitrates + brain = headache) but some of those hamburgers sound pretty tasty!

Fortunately (perhaps unfortunately for my diet but hey - you have to live sometimes) right across the street from the Old Dominion Doggery is some of the best ice cream I've ever eaten at Sugar Creek Snowy & Sweet Co. Hopefully the hardest decision I have to make today is what flavor of ice cream to choose!

Two. Finally... the Movies - I am actually going to the movies this weekend and I have to say, I'm pretty excited! All the seats are socially distanced with "buffer seating" and I'll be remaining masked unless I'm taking a sip of my drink but I'm honestly just thrilled that I can go to the theater again and see a new run movie!

This will be the first time I've gone to the theater to see a new run movie since the first weekend of March - that's wild! While it will be a totally different experience, I'm just glad it's an experience I get to start having again!

Three. Planning - Another thing I'll be doing soon (next weekend) is a wee bit of traveling! I'm going to Pittsburgh for Labor Day weekend and I'm quite excited! I've never been to Pittsburgh and so I've been researching places to go and things to see! Some friends have chimed in with recommendations and so I'm ready to see the city!

The original Pittsburgh plan was to visit when the Nationals were playing the Pirates at PNC Park - but I think at this point everyone knows that this year's baseball season doesn't include fans in the stands. Another thing that will be different than I'd originally planned but a reminder that different doesn't always mean bad! 

Four. Autumn Vibes - I was walking my pup around the neighborhood last night and noticed the most perfect little splash of red in the midst of all the green... it's a leaf that's already fallen from a neighbor's tree! 

While a part of me thought "hey buddy - it's not even September yet..." I'd be lying if I didn't admit that a larger part of me was like "but hey - September is in just a couple days!" I do love Fall y'all - and I am not ashamed to say I can't wait for all the leaves!

Five. Blast from the Past - I leave you with this terrifying image that popped up in my Time Hop today and made me crack up. Most of the time my dog is absolutely the cutest and most snuggly but wow... apparently when I took this picture that was not the case!

Holy crap - what a face! Right? I don't know that I've ever caught a shot like this again... thank goodness.

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That's all she wrote for this Five on Friday! Enjoy your weekend, wear your face mask and be kind to other people because being mean sucks! That's all! 

Watson Wednesday

My little pup thoroughly enjoyed his adventures in nature this past Saturday - he may be a little old man but when he gets out on a hiking trail, he is suddenly a puppy again! He's not a big fan of camping... the fire scares him... among other things. He does love campfire food though - especially a roasted weenie!

 

 

He boldly climbed and clambered along the Upper Hawksbill Trail and would have crawled right over and down the rock face if I'd let him - he certainly isn't lacking an adventurous spirit!

He slept in the front seat almost all the way home and then woke up as we were coming into town. He had to immediately stand up to check out what was going on in the middle of our sleepy Northern Virginia town on Saturday night.