This was a Holiday to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - 12 to 17 October 2013
(to stop the music, press "pause")
We decided to go to Pittsburgh-not because of the Steelers, nor the Pirates...it was because of some of the attractions that just seemed to please us and seemed to be calling to us. Truth be told, Sharon did not want to go to NY,NY and I had to agree, with all the shut downs that were happening on the Federal side with the disucssion of a USA government shutdown revolved around the US debt ceiling...we aimed for Pittsburgh.
Going there had some benefits. One of which let us stop in St Catherines, Ontario and visit with George and Lynda. Of course, they had a plan and took us straight to a night visit at a cemetery. No this was not Halloween centric. This is something that is done all summer long. Here is a picture of Sharon and I in front of the cemetery. If you look close, you'll see one of the ghosts in the background to the extreme right.
Did you actually look?
We finally made it to Pittsburgh and this is a photo of what we saw from our room. In the distance we see St Paul Cathedral -we are in the Oakland neighborhood.
Right near us was the Soldier's & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum
We were in the heart of the Pittsburgh University
We went for a walk looking for downtown. It seems we were further away than I thought! Not the first time. In the distance, in the back of Sharon was the Cathedral of Learning (near our hotel).
Anyone who knows Sharon will not be surprised when I mention that she was reading a notice on the Police door to see if it was safe to walk or what the alert said. As it ended up it just said they were out getting coffee :)
We went to Oakmont Country Club. It hosted a multitude of PGA events and LPGA events. We had to visit. Unbeknown to me, I wore jeans and I was not even allowed of the car!!!
At the Duquesne Incline, Sharon and I visited and looked out over the great view.
The country’s third-busiest inland port, the Port of Pittsburgh, supports more than 200 facilities servicing the barge industry. Below we see a picture of a boat pushing 9 barges of coal. Of note, one barge is the equivalent of 60 trucks. Naturally, the reduction of the use of trucks also helps the traffic in Pittsburgh.
Well, we went for lunch at the bottom of the Incline (we drove) and had a great meal at the Hard Rock. Yes, I picked up my bottle opener!!
This building (below) is called the PPG Place. (Formally known as Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company). Mostly windows. Something like 19,750 pieces of glass....Sharon's first comment "hope the birds don't fly into them"...always the animal lover!
Highmark Stadium is the home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds..professional soccer.
Fort Pitt Tunnel travels beneath Mount Washington. It is over 1km in length. They say it is in the opening sequence of Jack Reacher (I have yet to watch the movie).
Since this bridge connect Pittsburgh downtown to the Fort Pitt Tunnel, it just makes sense to call this bridge the Fort Pitt Bridge. It goes over the Monongahela River.
The building with the needle pointing up is called the Highmark Building (Also known as Fifth Avenue Place). This building was used in the Batman movie "Dark Knight Rising".
Here is a picture of Heinz Field. The stadium holds 65,500 seats plus club seating and suites.
Below is a statue of a very famous Pittsburgh celebrity. Do you know who it could be?
The 40-foot rubber duck, the brainbird of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman that has been floating in the Allegheny River just off of Point State Park. More than a million people have visited the duck, according to estimates from the park and local hotels.
Did you know that the Del Monte brand in Canada is owned by ConAgra Foods? This is the East Coast Headquarters.
This is the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel. The story that was told during our boat cruise is that when it was built, they did not have air-conditioning so they built it in such a way that everyone would have a window which would allow them to have a breeze into their rooms (or offices at that time).
The bridge that seems to go to the hotel is called the Roberto Clemente Bridge which is also known as the Sixth Street Bridge. This bridge is also one of the "Three Sisters (the others being the Rachel Carson Bridge and the Andy Warhol Bridge). this bridge is closed to vehicular traffic on Pirates' and Steelers' game days providing a pedestrian route to PNC Park and Heinz Field.
The Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge, also known as the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge listed on the NRHP, is a double-deck steel truss railroad bridge spanning the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In 1918 the bridge and associated approaches were raised (as were other neighboring bridges) to increase navigable headroom.
This is called the Pittsburgh Water Steps, located on the North Shore, Pittsburgh. There will be a closeup picture with Sharon in the background when we visit this location later.
In the background is the Carnegie Science Centre and below is the "Just Duky Tours" and the DUKW boats were used to carry troops and cargo during WWII and the Korean and Vietnam Wars
This is the USS Requin a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the requin, a sand shark. Since 1990 it has been a museum ship in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
St Paul Cathedral
PPG Place with 19,750 pieces of glass. The buildings are recognized by their 231 glass spires, with the largest one 82 feet (25 m) tall.
Of course this innovative parking mechanism had to have its picture taken. Great use of space.
This is the water fountain at Point State Park.
The Duquesne Incline in the background.
Around the park there were little posted signs (like the one below) with a bit of history.
Sharon had a job-she was guarding a bicycle that someone had asked her to monitor...such a good hearted woman.
This is where I am...I mean where I was...
Vietnam Veterans Monument
Picture of the Fred Rogers Memorial Statue located near Heinz Field on the North Shore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 8, 2009. The Ohio River can be seen in the background on the left. The bronze sculpture is the centerpiece of Tribute to Children. The sculpture weighs approximately 4 tons and stands about 10 feet 10 inches tall, and 7 feet 3 inches wide from the hip on one side to the extended foot on which the subject is tying his shoe. Mister Rogers is depicted smiling and facing the city of Pittsburgh.
Water Steps Pittsburgh
This statue of Bill Mazeroski depicts the Hall of Fame second baseman during his jubilant dash around the bases after his home run off Ralph Terry, deciding the 10-9 victory in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the heavily favored New York Yankees.
16th Street Bridge or David McCullough Bridge, Pittsburgh...this angle was taken to show you what Sharon walked over. This bridge crosses the Allegheny River.
Heinz Memorial Chapel
