Year: 2019

18 Pittsburgh Weekend Trips to Get Out of the City

Discover the Burgh is, at its heart, a Pittsburgh blog.

As such, we do not feature destinations and attractions outside of the metro area- so more-or-less anything beyond what we would call a Pittsburgh day trip (about 60-90 minutes each way). You can see more of this on our interactive Pittsburgh map at the end of every post here as well.

While we do explore elsewhere in Pennsylvania, the country, and world quite a bit on frequent trips each year, we have decided to publish all non-southwestern Pennsylvania content on our sister travel blog, Living the Dream.

On this site, we've covered journeys from as a close to home as Cleveland, the Finger Lakes in New York, or the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky all the way to international destinations like Thailand, Mount Everest in Nepal, and Easter Island to name a few.

But to share Pittsburgh weekend trips ideas that you can take within a few hours of driving, this guide was born!

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The Vintage Grand Prix is One of Pittsburgh’s Premier Summer Events

The Vintage Grand Prix has a been a Pittsburgh summer staple since 1983, and is one of the largest classic car shows and races around. 

While the simplest way to enjoy this one is to head to Schenley Park on race weekend, there are actually multiple aspects of the Vintage Grand Prix worth talking about. To get the full experience you may have to plan for multiple days of exploring this one as the entire event lasts just about two weeks!

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Learning the History of Pontiac’s Rebellion at Bushy Run Battlefield

In the early days of southwest Pennsylvania history, a number of battles ensued for control over the confluence of the three rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh.

You likely know about George Washington's mishap at Fort Necessity in the Laurel Highlands that is considered the start of the Seven Years War. You may also know about the Forbes Campaign that passed through Fort Ligonier in order to capture Fort Duquesne a short time later. But the Battle of Bushy Run during Pontiac's Rebellion may be one you have not heard much of, and if so, a trip to Jeannette, PA, should be on your radar.

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1905 Eatery Review – Classic Italian Food in McKees Rocks

1905 Eatery is a casual, old school Italian restaurant located in McKees Rocks. What the spot lacks in ambiance it makes up for with huge portions of classic, home-cooked Italian food.

McKees Rocks wasn't on our radar as a dining destination, but we recently checked out a show at the Roxian Theater and were looking for a nearby spot to have dinner, and so we ended up at 1905 Eatery.

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Take a Trip Into a Coal Mine at the Tour-Ed Mine & Museum

Virtually everyone knows about Pittsburgh's steel history. You may even know that the city was a big producer of glass and iron as well. But did you know that the area was also a big coal producer too? 

While coal mining was necessary for steel production, there were numerous uses for this bountiful material found in the area- and coal mining boomed for several centuries.

One mine decided to close down in the mid-1900s, despite sitting on a large deposit of coal, and converted the area into an educational museum in order to highlight the history of coal mining in the region. They became the Tour-Ed Mine & Museum, and this spot has been operating educational tours for over 50 years!

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Salty Pork Bits Review – Charcuterie by Justin Severino

Note: Salty Pork Bits closed its brick and mortar store in Lawrenceville in June 2022. This review is from enjoying the charcuterie online via their subscription service. A la carte purchases are also available.

When Justin Severino's acclaimed restaurant, Cure, closed in 2019, we were pretty heartbroken. So heartbroken, in fact, that we would tag the chef in sad updates every time we walked past the now-closed Lawrenceville storefront. (I'm not sure he appreciated it, granted, we also never asked.)

We do this because, in all honesty, Cure was perhaps the best restaurant in Pittsburgh during its run and we were sad to see it go.

Thankfully, Justin Severino had a plan to offer his charcuterie to the world and opened up Salty Pork Bits- an online store where you get his charcuterie whenever you like. Naturally, Angie got a subscription for me as a birthday present, and it was like having Cure's stellar charcuterie board at home as much as I wanted.

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The Headkeeper Review – A Small Plate Tapas in Greensburg

The Headkeeper is a popular tapas bar located in Greensburg, PA- just about an hour east of downtown Pittsburgh.

The restaurant is acclaimed for its small plates/tapas menu, but also comes along with a large seating area (including an impressive outdoor space), a modest draft list, over 600 bottles of beer available in cans/bottles, and a lot more!

I visited this one while exploring the area with Westmoreland Heritage, and share some thoughts on our meal and the restaurant as a whole in this one!

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Bridges & Bourbon Review – Elevating Pittsburgh’s Craft Cocktail Scene

Bridges & Bourbon opened in Pittsburgh's Cultural District in June 2019 and was a much-awaited cocktail bar due to their strong lead-up on social media.

The bar focuses on high-end cocktails with some rather interesting flair and novelties thrown into the mix as well, making it rather unique in Pittsburgh's cocktail bar scene!

We were guests of Bridges & Bourbon for a media preview event and wanted to share some of the great cocktails we tried in this one!

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Being Transported to the Amalfi Coast at Vallozzi’s Festa di Limoncello

The kickoff of summer in Pittsburgh is marked by many events, be it through the traditional solstice or simply numerous outdoor experiences.

One relatively new event is a smaller one, but focuses on all things limoncello and ‘cello spirits at Vallozzi's. This is the Festa di Limoncello, and is designed to kick off summer with a trip to the Amalfi coast of Italy.

We were guest of Vallozzi's for this one in 2019, and share what the event is like below!

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Playthings Etc. Truly is the World’s Coolest Toy Store

If you drive by Playthings Etc. in Butler, PA, you'll know it.

That isn't because of the signage or an unusual display, but rather that the toy store itself is shaped like a stealth bomber!

If that isn't enough to make you want to stop, we don't know what would (but we're going to try to convince you all the same). Going inside this one is even better than the outside!

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