Top Five Destinations of Pittsburgh

I think we are all born to make generalizations. (At least that?s my excuse for that last sentence.) You see one snake, you?ve seen them all, and they?re all foul creatures capable of killing you by just hissing at you. (I may be speaking from a snake-hating hyperbole than any real science on that one.) However, if you start playing with snakes while living in Australia, you probably won?t live long. So, there are good reasons to make some generalizations in order to keep living, but it?s tough to figure out when to turn off this evolutionary survival tactic.

I say all of that in order to preface my predilection for classifying towns. St. Louis is a baseball town. Los Angeles is a basketball town. Montreal is a hockey town. Kansas City is a barbecue town. Lincoln, Nebraska is a town that likes to husk corn. Deadwood is dead cowboy town. And, as far as I can tell, the subject of this essay, Pittsburgh, is a football town. Because of that designation in my generalizing head, the first destination is a cinch.

City of steel

Go see a football game at Heinz Field

Coming soon to Heinz Field, the Steelers host the Chiefs on Monday night, the Ravens on Sunday night and the Chargers on Sunday afternoon. While it looks like only single seat tickets are available for the Chiefs and Ravens, at least you can find tickets under $367 to those games (though in both cases, single tickets will probably be over $100 after fees.) Looking at prices, all of the sudden it makes sense why Bane chose a football game at Heinz Field in ?The Dark Knight Rises? for his occupy message.

Check out the art at The Andy Warhol Museum

Pittsburgh is home to The Andy Warhol Museum, and if you enjoy media criticism like I do, the current exhibit focusing on his work with tabloid headlines demands viewing. The Deborah Kass exhibit titled ?feel good paintings for feel bad times? also has quite a strong pull.

Tour Fallingwater

When I lived on the east coast, the one thing I never did, and it surprises me to this day, is to go see Frank Lloyd Wright?s Fallingwater. It?s only 65 miles from Pittsburgh, so a quick drive to rectify that mistake is in my future.

Eat at Pierogies Plus

When I think of the cuisine of Pittsburgh, pierogies pop into my head. Sadly, I?ve never tried these pockets of dough stuffed with potatoes, sauerkraut and cabbage. Surfing around, it seems like Pierogies Plus will be the way to set my stomach on the path to the goodness from Eastern Europe.

Oil Creek State Park

I love to combine hiking and history. So, Oil Creek State Park seems right up my alley. It?s home to the world?s first commercial oil well and with 52 miles of trails, I?m sure I?ll be able to get up close to some of those replica wooden derricks.

Any suggestions for things that I missed? Any additional recommendations for the area? Just let me know in the comments.