Year: 2019

The Compass Inn Museum Preserves the 1800s in the Laurel Highlands

You may know a lot of what life was like during the early days of Pittsburgh's history thanks to the forts found nearby and famous battles that took place leading up to the Revolutionary War.

But the period after the war quiets down a fair bit (apart from the brief Whiskey Rebellion) until a few decades later due to the War of 1812. This triggered a rapid increase in iron production, which subsequently became the steel industry, and ultimately modern Pittsburgh as we know it.

One spot in the Laurel Highlands, the Compass Inn Museum, captures the history from this rather calm period, around the turn of the 19th century, and showcases what life was like for those living in (and more appropriately, passing through) southwest Pennsylvania around this time!

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Little Italy Days Misses Out on Italy and Bloomfield

In general, we don't like to say that something is a complete miss, because odds are good if a business, experience, or event is not for us there may be reasons that others like it. So even in our most negative of reviews, we can often preface things as to why they're not for us.     

We're going to try to do this for Little Italy Days in Bloomfield (which occurs each August), but we have to say, this one falls about as flat as it can get.

Why? This one misses out on both the Italy and Bloomfield connections that we hoped for.

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A Break in Nature at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Latrobe

We're not used to thinking about nature reserves as being “new,” but the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe is just that.

The 50-acre nature reserve came about after many in the area expressed displeasure in the development of nearby Route 30. To ensure that the land near Saint Vincent College was not over-developed, and protect the beauty of nature that the land held, the reserve was ultimately incorporated in the year 2000.

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Descending into the Earth at the Laurel Caverns

We are big fans of caves, and in southwest Pennsylvania, our options to go underground are a bit limited.

Closer to the city it is much easier to find an old coal mine to go deep into (like at the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum) than it is to find a cave. But for those who want to make the drive in order to explore a gorgeous cave system (and the largest cave in Pennsylvania), the 90 minute trip to the Laurel Caverns in the southern Laurel Highlands is for you!

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What to Expect When Attending Steelers Training Camp in Latrobe

Note: Steelers Training Camp returns to Latrobe in 2023, but guests must have free, registered tickets to enter.

When Pittsburgh Steelers season approaches, we can't help but get excited. Pittsburgh is a football town, and the energy in the air is always wonderful around game days.

But for those who want more football, you have an opportunity at the end of July and early August. All you have to do is make your way to Steelers Training Camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe for the free practice, and in this one we have what you can expect when visiting!

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Vine Rewind Offers Live Music, Wine, and More in the Strip District

Pittsburgh Winery announced they were closing in August 2026. As such, we're not sure if this event will return in the future.

Vine Rewind is a newer music festival in Pittsburgh's Strip District that combines all of our favorite things into one- live music, food trucks, art, and wine!

So if you are in the mood for getting out into the summer sun next July for some wine and music, this one is for you!

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Celebrating All Things Pickle at the Picklesburgh Festival

If there should be an award for a festival that has come the furthest in recent years, it would most certainly be Picklesburgh.

When the event first started in 2015, we were underwhelmed. The Clemente Bridge was crowded shoulder-to-shoulder with patrons, and the number of vendors with pickle themed products was, well, few and far between. Apart from the gigantic pickle floating over the bridge, we did not get any pickle love at all.

Thankfully, after a while, this festival came around and became one of the premier pickle festivals out there. The crowds kept getting bigger and bigger (to a detriment, at times), and Picklesburgh became one of the top events in Pittsburgh each and every year.

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Solving Carnegie’s Millions at Escape Room Pittsburgh in Homestead

For the longest time, we never really saw the allure of escape rooms. We knew of their popularity and saw how many escape rooms in Pittsburgh were popping up, but it wasn't much of a priority for us.

It wasn't until we found out that friends of ours love escape rooms that we decided to check one out, and we made our way to Escape Room Pittsburgh at their Homestead location to try our hand at a challenging room.

The theme? An appropriate Pittsburgh connection aptly named Carnegie's Millions. Our goal? To save the world, of course!

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The Roxian Theatre is a Stunning Music Venue in McKees Rocks

We always love hearing about theaters that have been restored to their former glory, and the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks is just that.

This theater space originally opened in 1929, and over the course of time closed and sat empty. In recent years the theater underwent renovations before opening its doors for performances in early 2019.

As soon as we heard about this, we naturally had to buy tickets and ended up getting in to check out a performance by the Aquabats and Reel Big Fish shortly after the theater opened for business.

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