The sights and sounds of our family road trip to Pittsburgh, PA can be summed up for the most part in one word: FOOD.
We had arrived on a Saturday afternoon, and having checked into the Inn on the Mexican War Street bed and breakfast, we followed Karl the Inn Keeper’s suggestion and walked to Nicky’s Thai Kitchen for dinner.
We were in a mood for family style dinner, where we ate from shared dishes, and a special that night was fish. I think it was porgy. The dish was served with a sweet sauce, and while overall it was tasty, my personal preference leans on salty dishes.
With the fish, we also ordered a vegetable rice dish.
The dessert was brown sticky rice with egg custard. I neglected to grab the name of the dessert but overall it was tasty. Different, slightly sweet, and the highlight of the overall dinner for me.
The Next Day – Downtown Pittsburgh, PA
After a restful sleep that first night, we decided to explore the area by walking to Downtown Pittsburgh. What should’ve been a twenty minute walk turned into a two hour walk for us as we stopped and looked around, took multiple breaks because Zen Master was easily tired and Zen Mum was hot. But you couldn’t beat the weather that day!
And then we finally arrived downtown.
I was looking for the promenade but overshot by one level which landed us by the water.
Zen Master and Zen Mum were exhausted by then and had zero interest in walking any further. So after resting a bit, we made our way back to the bed and breakfast to get ready for Pirogi Festival, a thirty (30) minute drive south of the BnB.
But on our way back to the BnB, we decided to drop into the National Aviary Museum.
National Aviary Museum, Pittsburgh PA
Now this was a real treat for us because we love birds, and also it took us out of the heat.
We walked from room to room and delighted in our flying friends. There was this one room that actually allowed us to be in the same space with the free roaming birds. There was a chance that they could fly overhead and poop on us but hey, if poop lands on you, that’s good luck! (Or so they say.)
So luckily or unluckily, we didn’t get pooped on as we went through the quiet room.
Pirogi Festival at Kennywood Park, Pittsburgh PA
I can count on one hand how many times we’ve had pirogis before and I thought, with the annual Pirogi Festival, it would be a treat to learn and try something new.
Note to self: in the future, do better research on the destination. Because when we arrived at Kennywood Park, we were told that it was the oldest amusement park in the US.
I had initially thought that the Pirogi Festival would be on an open fairground, where vendors would be in booths and people would be milling around them, tasting the different pirogis being sold.
Uh, I was more or less right. Except for the open fairground part. We genuinely didn’t expect an amusement park, roller coasters and all. Zen Master, Zen Mum and I aren’t the amusement park type anymore. We’re the back of the crowd, laid back folks who like to meander around, take in the sights and the smells and treats of a new area.
We did, but it wasn’t what we had expected.
Live and learn, I always say.
End of the Day
For dinner, we went to Korea Garden on Semple Street. I apologize for the pictures being fuzzy but no matter what I did, they wouldn’t come out clear. I totally believe that in itself was a sign because the overall meal was alright. But it didn’t really blow our hair back.
Zen Master and I had the chicken teriyaki rice bento box dinner while Zen Mum had the Dol Sot Bibimbap (rice and beef in a steaming stone pot).
Overall, this dinner was tasty and filling.
Yes, there’s a theme with the main meals for us, if it isn’t already obvious. We love and need rice with our dinners, because without it, it feels like we haven’t really eaten. If that makes any sense.
Road tripping in Pittsburgh
According to Wikipedia, Pittsburgh (formerly called the “Steel City”) used to manufacture steel, among other things. It’s also known as the “City of Bridges” because it has 446 bridges. Three rivers converged at the “Point” and we didn’t have the chance to go to Point State Park to view this watery confluence.
Now, this is me totally romanticizing our trip but it really did feel like we went back to the past. It felt like we traveled back to the Industrial Revolution where the “Steel City” was actively producing and manufacturing steel, iron and coal for a burgeoning country.
The BnB was situated in the North Side of Pittsburgh, where according to our Inn Keeper, it housed the upper crust of society in the old days. The South Side were historically where the mill and railroad workers lived and worked.
Going Home
We arrived into Pittsburgh on a Saturday afternoon and left on Monday morning, after a normal waffle and egg breakfast at the BnB. I alluded to this in my previous post but we were actually ready to go home by then. Dwelling a bit in the past for a spell was good because it’s good to remember the old days. I constantly heard and saw the echos of Woolworth, Gimbels and the Five&Dime stores everywhere we went in Pittsburgh. What used to be so populace and alive in my youth were but ghosts lingering here and there in the shadows of a lovely modern city.
So it was with a bit of melancholy and a huge splash of relief when it was finally time to go home.
Here’s to the next family adventure!
Sally in the Zen
