PA - Pittsburgh

PA - Pittsburgh

I spent four years in Central PA for school, and never once made it to Pittsburgh. It took 7 years after graduation and me meeting one great guy to finally make it to the Steel City. Jon grew up just east of the city, and like all good Pittsburghers, he is very very proud of his city, and isn't afraid to tell you about how great it is.

Personally, Pittsburgh can be very defined by its sports teams, but what I like about this city is that the people are like Baltimore people; very blue collar, hardworking, and loyal. Geographically, the city is defined by its rivers, which results in a lot of bridges and stunning views from both sides of the rivers.

Food!

Deluca's -  I discovered Deluca's thanks to Man v. Food, and dragged Jon there one Sunday morning before we left after a weekend visit. I had the most amazing Cinnamon Roll pancakes that featured ice cream on top, so I was hooked. They don't take credit cards, cash only, and its not a big place, so the wait can be a bit, but its worth it. 

Primanti's - no trip to PGH is complete without visiting one of their now many locations. The original location is in the Strip District, but I have only frequented the ones in the South Side, Moon Township, and at PNC Park. I personally am not a fan of tomato and coleslaw on my sandwich, but the reason for the sandwich piled with both of those things and fries is that it was a hearty sandwich made for workers who had no place to refrigerate it. They have lots of other things as well. 

Hofbrauhaus House - there aren't many around the country, so if you end up in a city with a Hofbrauhaus, its worth a visit for a meal or a giant beer. The Hofbrauhaus franchise is very strict about the locations they choose and their adherence with German beer house traditions, so the authenticity is definitely reflected. Get a pretzel.

Places to Visit!

Inclines - either the Duquesne or the Monongahela incline have awesome views. And you end up on the top of Mount Washington, which is a great emerging neighborhood worth exploring. There's some restaurants up there too which would make for a great spot to stop for lunch!

 

PNC Park - the "Buccos" aren't the winningest team in baseball, but an easy park to get to and enjoy, with great views of downtown PGH.Also, when I looked it up, I was surprised to see it is voted the #1 thing to do on Trip Advisor.

New Igloo - haven't been, but hockey night in Pittsburgh is always fun.

Zoo and Aquarium - I love zoos and aquariums because I love learning about animals. My only trip to the Pittsburgh zoo was fantastic!  Its relatively cheap ($13 for adults) and you get both the zoo and aquarium, they are on the same property. Spent hours there and they had a great animal selection and nice exhibits. They even had polar bears and penguins!  And you get to walk through the kangaroo enclosure and we even had a close encounter!

Strip District - haven't spent much time here except for going to Deluca's, but its someplace I'd like to explore more. 

Carnegie Family of Science Centers - there is a science center, and a museum, and art, all under the Carnegie name, and I haven't personally been, but they come highly recommended.

Where to stay!

Only place I've stayed in downtown Pittsburgh is the Courtyard Marriott Downtown on Penn Ave. It was beautiful and very well done, and our room had, I swear, 20 foot ceilings. And I got it at a reasonable price on priceline, $60 a night. 

Lists!
Man v. Food
NY Times 36 Hours in - their incline shot looks a lot like the one I took!
Chowdown Countdown 
DDD
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!  

Since I share a birthday week with America, I love to celebrate 4th of July! In honor of the birthday of the USA, I'm sharing some of my favorite state themed gifts I've found thanks to Pinterest and Etsy. 

AHeirloom

The AHeirloom shop on Etsy is one of my favorites for thoughtful gifts for bridal showers, babies, weddings, or birthdays. Each board is handmade by Amy and Bill from 100% renewable and beautifully finished bamboo.  I have personally given 5 of these boards and gifts, each a different state, and all have been well received and loved as great gifts!  New York even came with a little Long Island, and Michigan came with the UP. Very detailed. They will put a heart or a star over a special city or region for you too. 

catstudio

These are fun, I love them!  I've personally bought the dish towels as Christmas and bridal shower gifts and everyone loved them as such a thoughtful idea!  A great way to add a personal touch to a boring wedding or bridal shower registry. All the products come in States, Regions, National Parks, Cities, or Countries, but vary by how much of each are offered.  I love the throw pillow, that's going to be my next purchase!

The other side of TN

Quick Lists!  Nashville & Gatlinburg

I have spent about a day in both cities, and found some cool things to do there, and wanted to share that with you, but don't have enough info or experience for a whole post. So I'll combine the two!  

My experience with both Nashville and Gatlinburg comes as a result of my boyfriend working in Memphis and us having to drive his stuff out there, so whenever his job is done and we drive back, hopefully we'll get to experience a little more. 

TN - Nashville

One day in Nashville, that’s all I had really, and we packed it all in there. There was a honky tonk with live music behind every door. 

Robert's Western World - there's a stand up bass.  The most untouristy honky tonk. And buy a koozie, they're one of a kind. 

Wildhorse Saloon  - live music, big stage, bartender who does magic tricks, what more could you ask for? Seemed like a great place for big groups. And they had instructional line dancing too. 


Other places I've heard were good:
Bluebird Cafe - the place for live music
Mellow Mushroom - there's a MM here too, my favorite
Loveless Motel and Cafe - didn't go, but was recommended to me by my future brother-in-law
Prince's Hot Chicken Shack - really hot chicken
Patterson House - fancy drinks


For country music lovers:
RCA Studio B
Country Music Hall of Fame
Johnny Cash gravesite

Places I didn't get to go b/c the lines were too long but are top of my list for a next visit:

Jack's BBQ - Small place, no waitresses.

Pancake Pantry - Don't go on a Vandy home game Saturday, that will probably help.

If you feel like a drive....

.... sneak down south a few hours to Lynchburg and take the tour of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. There are no samples, its a dry county, but there is free lemonade and you can purchase from their full line of products on site. The tour is long, fun, and interesting. I believe they have a BBQ fest in late October, that would be a fun time to go and make a trip of it. 

Lists!
Drinking Made Easy - this was a great episode, lots of cool looking places! And they went to a moonshinery in Gatlinburg. 
Man v. Food - Nashville
DDD - Tennessee, includes Nashville and Gatlinburg 
36 Hours in Nashville

TN - Gatlinburg

I've named Gatlinburg "the Myrtle Beach of the mountains."  So if you've been to Myrtle Beach, you know what I'm talking about. Touristy, over the top kind of attractions on one big strip. But you have to love it for what it is.  With Myrtle Beach, the thing that makes it a special touristy destination is the Ocean and the Grand Strand, 60 miles of beautiful beach. With Gatlinburg, its the beautiful National Park at the foot of the city.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park - beautiful drives, definitely stop at a guard / visitor station and get a map and ask them their favorites.  Most you can drive to, and then get out and do short walks / hikes.  There are more challenging hikes as well.  

There's so much to do and choose from in the park, so we stopped, and I'd recommend doing so, at the Ranger station as you enter. They can give you any updates on closures for the day, and recommend which loops to do to see what you want. 

The hike we chose to do was the Clingman's Dome, the highest peak in the park. You drive through the park, and then get out and hike the last bit up a smoothly paved, but kinda steep path. When you get to the top there is an observation tower where you can see for miles.  Except for us, the day we went was especially "smoky", so you couldn't see more then 6 inches in front of you.  It was like being in a cloud, so it was cool in its own right.  

Ripley’s Believe it or Not Aquarium - didn't go but it looked awesome

Giant Mellow Mushroom - I love Mellow Mushroom

Dollywood - over in Pigeon Forge, I mean why not?


Note: the traffic was pretty bad actually (we went in August), lots of lights, lots of cars, lots of people.  So getting around and in and out of town isn't the fastest thing.

Where to stay:  We stayed the Double Tree hotel right on the edge of the park. Its round, so every room has a view, and every view is beautiful.  The lobby was really nice and the rooms were very clean.  I'd highly recommend staying here!  The fun part is the windy, steep road up to the hotel.  And for us, driving up it with a UHaul at night, it was an adventure to say the least. 

Lists!
36 Hours in Gatlinburg

The Travel Channel's 101 Best Chowdown Countdown List

This was a great list, and a great series of episodes on TV, but the episode guides are no longer on the Travel Channel's site, as they aren't a recurring series, just a one time thing.

Luckily, another blogger captured the list and made his own summary of all 101 places with names, addresses, and links to their websites!

Here's another great website that summarizes food shows from the Travel Channel in map form.  In addition to the Chowdown Countdown restaurants on the map, he's got all the restaurants from: 
Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman
No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain 
The Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food Network)
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

RI - Newport (Part 2)

My friend Patty and her family are going to Newport to visit her Sister and her family that live there, and I had more child friendly activities on my spreadsheet that didn't make my first post, so I'd like to include them here.  Also, I've added some quick notes about attractions I've mentioned that aren't stroller friendly.

Easton's Beach - good for kids

Fort Adams State Park - good views

Colt State Park - great place for a picnic

Newport Aquarium - has penguins! 

Native Newporter Tours - driving tours

Thames Glass - glassblowing for all ages

Note on the Cliff Walk:  The Cliff Walk is very rocky and uneven in parts and not stroller friendly.  Also, its very narrow, so where it is flat, its not really wide enough for a stroller. I'd recommend doing the Ocean Drive and pulling over for a photo op instead with kids. 

When it comes to food and drink, a lot of the lists from my previous Newport post focus on bars, beers, and rum, as Newport has a great tradition of rum running, so as far as kid friendly restaurants, here are my picks from my lists: 

Newport Creamery - massive sundaes!

Ma's Donuts and More - all kids love donuts

Franklin Spa - a diner, but I didn't make it there.

Have fun Babb family!

Keep track of your 50 states goal!

I found this cute craft idea on Pinterest (of course) if you want a fun way to keep track of your own 50 states travel goal! 

SC - Charleston

I’ve been to Charleston countless times in my life, and on each trip, I find someplace new and exciting to eat or do. My sister and cousin have been living there for over 6 years now, so its provided me with even more info about what’s opening around the city and islands from a local’s perspective.


Charleston is a city for foodies, the foodie scene there can be intense.  Lots of high quality restaurants and chefs, its like the culinary center of the South. But just as good, and sometimes a little bit better, is the dives where the shrimp is just as fresh and the drinks are stronger. 


The history of Charleston has also always intrigued me. Maybe its having teachers in the family, who remind us of our American History wherever we go. The age of the city alone is staggering, over 400 years old.  There’s a lot of ghosts and stories hidden in a city that old. The Gullah culture has a lot to do with the character of Charleston, both in the history and the food.

Touring Around Town
Bulldog Ghost Tours - Churches and Cemeteries - tons of fun!  Its a nighttime walking tour of some of the more historical and haunted spots in the city, with some really cool stories to go along. 

Carriage Rides - I like the Old South Company for this.  They wear the red sashes.  They have a number of different routes they take throughout the city to spread out the carriages to minimize interference with traffic, so make sure you ask for the Battery route.  That’s the best route.  

Old Houses to Go In:
Calhoun Mansion

Nathaniel Russell House
Aiken-Rhett House
Edmonston-Alston House


The Battery:  
Make sure to visit the Southeastern end of Charleston where they call the Battery.  Battery Park at the very end is right on the water.  You can look out to Ft Sumter and back at the grand old houses. And you can look across the Cooper to Mt. Pleasant or across the Ashley to James Island. We took wedding pictures down there for my cousin’s wedding and it was a beautiful backdrop!



Angel Oak - a little ways away.....
its a short (30) min drive out to Johns Island, but there you can visit the Angel Oak, which is supposed to be over 1500 years old, and is just plain massive and awe inspiring. 

Restaurants:
Too many to name....

Casual places
Jack’s Cosmic Dogs - now 3 locations!
Lost Dog Cafe - brunch on Folly
Mellow Mushroom - 3 or 4 locations now, the best pizza ever
Red’s
Vickery’s
Poe’s
Home Team on Sullivan’s
Santi's downtown


Dinner out:
Fleet Landing - good seafood in an old pier
Coast
Husk
The Wreck
Shem Creek Bar and Grill


Bars:
Gin Joint
Vendue Rooftop
Red’s


A must:
Hominy Grill


Lists:
Drinking Made Easy
NY Times 36 Hours in Charleston
NY Times 36 Hours in Charleston - an older verison
Man vs. Food
Lonely Planet - Charleston