Pennsylvania & Ohio

Day 1 – June 25

Drove 400 Miles

We left Sunday afternoon from home in Massachusetts. This was one day earlier than planned. Now we would have most of Monday to tool around a city, so we decided, after about one hour on the road that we would first go to Pittsburgh instead of Mercer, PA.  We took Rt. 84 most of the way, which is an awful route with bad roads, bad views, and lots of traffic through CT and part of NY.  We spent the first night in beautiful Bellefonte, PA at an EconoLodge. This was about ten miles from Penn State and State College, PA. It was a very quiet and comfortable rest after a long day of driving the unfortunate Rt. 84.

Punxsutawney & Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Day 2 – June 26

We started the day by driving a couple of miles to downtown Bellefonte. This is an historic town marked by beautifully maintained 19th century and turn of the century Victorian architecture. We got great coffee and muffins at the funky, ratskeller-like Cool Beans in the center of town. Then we walked the town to take in the old Victorian style stone and brick buildings, and a cool river walk with common area along Spring Creek. Willow trees, a waterfall, benches, and a black iron faux suspension bridge adorned the riverwalk area. We went down to walk a stone walled esplanade along the creek. Stopped to chat with the owner of a wine bar near the esplanade.

 

Spent about an hour in this historic, funky little town, then got in the car and headed to Punxsutawney, PA, home of Groundhog Day.

We drove through Amish country where we saw several horse and buggies, Amish folks walking alongside the road, and others working their farms with horse-pulled plows and hay reapers. Monday must be laundry day here as most homes were displaying their wash drying on lines. Beautiful pastures and lush, green landscape.

The primary road to Punxsutawney was closed about ten miles out in Troutville so we took a detour through the metropolis of Sykesville. Arrived in Punxsutawney around 12:30 P.M. Groundhog references abound. First stop was the library, where Punxsutawney Phil (the official live groundhog) resides until Groundhog Day each year. We saw Phil in his glass enclosed pen and took some pics of him sleeping. He moved a couple of times and showed his teeth. We then walked through town a bit, receiving some good, unrequested insights from a friendly, local, destitute looking man.

We then drove about a mile out of town to see Gobblers Knob, where the annual event takes place. In an open space within the woods off a country road is the stage, and the box from which Phil is summoned to look for his shadow. It looks like a very small Tanglewood in Lenox, MA. Only a few other people were there so we had the stage to ourselves for pictures. The one person we asked to take our picture had a Red Sox cap on, and it turned out that she lived in South Boston.

Then, on to Pittsburgh. On the way, we booked a room through Expedia at the Wyndham Gardens Hotel in the Cultural District. I knew this was the area to stay in because of a business trip I took to Pittsburgh the year before, but the exact location turned out to be just perfect. Walking distance from everything we wanted, including Market Square and the Golden Triangle.  Point Park, with a magnificent fountain at the point where the three rivers meet (Golden Triangle) was right across from the hotel.

We checked in around 4:00 pm. Napped for an hour then headed out in to the city. We walked across one of the large bridges over the Allegheny River toward the Pittsburgh Pirates’ baseball park. Walked an esplanade under the bridge along the river and walked back across another of the large bridges.  Beautiful views of the city buildings and the water. There was a part of Pirates baseball park that was open so we went in to peek at the field.

We walked on back over the river via another bridge to Market Square to find a place to eat dinner. There was live music playing in the square and people hanging out playing giant size board games, eating, and listening to the band. It reminded us of the square we hung out in Saumur, France. Being in Pittsburgh we just had to eat at the legendary local favorite Primanti Brothers right on the square. We luckily snagged an outdoor table and each ordered an obscenely large sandwich with the french fries and coleslaw stuffed in with the meat between the bread, and served on wax paper, no plates.

 

 

Primanti Brothers sandwich

We then walked about twenty minutes to Point Park at the Golden Triangle and then over a bridge to get to the walkway for the “Duquesne Incline“.

This is a 138-year-old red cable car incline to a spectacular panorama of Pittsburgh and its 3 rivers. Each car held about 15 people.  The very steep grade of the slow ride up the tree-spotted cliffside was a bit scary. At the top we spent some time at the observation deck in awe of the truly spectacular view. We took the $.50 self guided tour of the inner workings of the Incline, which were under the floor boards.

After coming down we walked back to Point Park to the huge fountain along the river. We hung out here on the fountain’s edge for about a half hour.

It was the longest sunset day of the year so it was still dusk around 9:15. We decided to go back to Market Square for a drink. We settled on the very hip Sienna On The Square for a drink at an outside table on this perfect, balmy summer night. Then back to the hotel for the night.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Day 3 – June 27

We had coffee downtown Pittsburgh in the morning, and then back to check out of the hotel around 10:30 A.M.

We made a small detour to visit the John Glenn historic house and museum in New Concord, Ohio. Unfortunately, we found the hard way that it is closed on Tuesdays! So, we settled for pictures of the house from the outside, and coffee and a smoothie at the small, funky Chapman’s Coffee House right next door. The highway was closed due to an accident, and the parallel road to the John Glenn House was the detour route, and so it all caused about a one-hour delay. We got to our friend Emily’s house in Cincinnati at 5:00 P.M. Emily and husband Michael fed us a terrific grilled shish kabob dinner on their patio, and then they took us for amazing ice cream at the local mid-west favorite Graeters.  Then on for an early evening tour of Cincinnati.

We stopped downtown and strolled along the Ohio River and had drinks on the beautiful patio of the Moerlein Lager House restaurant overlooking the Ohio River and the Roebling suspension bridge between Ohio and Kentucky (resembled a mini Brooklyn Bridge, same architect).

Then we walked around outside of Reds baseball stadium while a game was going on. We took pics with the baseball player statues, and then back to the house for some final conversation, and then off to bed.

 

Next: St. Louis, Hannibal, and KC, Missouri