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Epic Pass Review – An All Access Pass to Vail Resorts

We are quite fortunate enough to have several major ski resorts right in our backyard- Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and Laurel Mountain.

These Laurel Highlands gems have been our go-to spot for winter skiing each year. But at the end of 2021, these properties were sold to Vail Resorts to become part of the larger global brand of ski resorts.

With the merger came access to Vail Resort's incredible Epic Pass, a season pass valid at most all Vail Resorts properties with little restriction.

We were fortunate enough to get our hands on this pass for a few seasons courtesy of Vail Resorts and wanted to share a bit more about our experience in this one!

Note: Epic Pass sales are typically only available prior to the start of the season. In 2023, Epic Pass sales will end on December 3rd. After that, only individual lift tickets will be available.

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TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition Comes to Pittsburgh

When it comes to tragedies that are known the world over, the sinking of the Titanic is one of the most documented.

But the touring show, TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition at the Carnegie Science Center, takes what you know about the Titanic and moves it one step forward. While this one does cover the building, sailing, and subsequent sinking of the ship, there is a human element in this one that ties the experience together.

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Zombies of the Corn Offers a Family-Friendly Haunt

Everyone wants to shoot a zombie horde during Halloween, right?

If this is something you have always wanted to try, you are in luck! Zombies of the Corn in Freedom, PA, offers a chance to contain a zombie apocalypse armed with glow-in-the-dark paintballs!

Although the star attraction at this one is indeed the Zombie ride, the grounds are home to four haunted attractions and makes for a fun, (mostly) family-friendly haunt north of the city.

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Phipps Conservatory’s Fall Flower Show – Hometown Harvest

Phipps Conservatory is known for being one of the largest botanical gardens in the region, and also for its seasonal flower shows that are truly events not to be missed.

For 2023's Fall Flower Show, Phipps is celebrating all things harvest with the theme Hometown Harvest. From beekeeping to grape growing, apples to the harvest moon, there really are a number of gorgeous harvest designs in this one!

As with all of our show reviews, we're not going to share every room in the Conservatory (you'll have to visit yourself to see them all!). Instead, we're going to feature a few of our favorite rooms from the show to highlight a cross-section of the displays!

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Wine & Cheese Tasting with The Indian Somm and Nosh & Curd

We love good wine and cheese pairings and must admit that for how much we are into wine, we have not taken many formal classes that showcase this epic pairing outright.

It wasn't until our friend Kanika, The Indian Somm (whom I've been studying WSET Diploma with), started wine and cheese classes with Nosh & Curd in Mars that we made this a reality. 

Wine and cheese pairing from experts in the respective fields? We're all about that!

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Sweet Rust Review – Libations and Farm to Table Cuisine

Sweet Rust is a Vatting House concept that bottles and sells single-barrel, cask-strength spirits from Pennsylvania and around the world. While the company doesn't distill their own spirits, they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from their Pennsylvania Libations business to offer high-quality spirits in and around Pittsburgh.

Sweet Rust also operates a restaurant of the same name in Ligonier, located inside the historic Thistledown Hotel. We recently visited as guests of the restaurant to try their farm-to-table cuisine, plus a few cocktails made with Sweet Rust products, of course!

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Chef Alekka Offers a Pittsburgh Chef Experience at Home

We have to admit that cooking at home is one of our favorite activities. When we're not out exploring the city or eating at local restaurants, odds are good you can find us in the kitchen whipping up an involved meal that takes all day to prepare, baking, or setting up an unusual fermentation project.

But as we are always excited to learn more cooking techniques, we were really excited to have Chef Alekka, a in-home chef in Pittsburgh, come over to our house for a cooking demonstration with some delicious summer appetizers.

All the best things about cooking with a chef but in the comfort of our kitchen? Sign us up.

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The Western PA Lamb Fest is a Must For Lamb Lovers

This one should go without saying, but we love lamb. It is one of our favorite meats, and we are spoiled here in western Pennsylvania to have so many fantastic producers that raise lambs.

As such, it should be no surprise that there is a festival that celebrates all things lamb, and the Western PA Lamb Fest does that and then some at the annual event!

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Chatham Baroque Offers a Unique Concert Series in Pittsburgh

Chatham Baroque is a period music ensemble that was founded in Pittsburgh in 1990 that performs their own concert series in the city, in addition to collaborating with other groups in Pittsburgh and touring around the country and world. Artistic directors Andrew Fouts, Patricia Halverson, and Scott Pauley invite other musicians from around the world to perform with them, making their concerts special and unique.

We were first introduced to Chatham Baroque when they accompanied the opera Idaspe, put on by Quantum Theater in the fall of 2022. I don't think we had ever seen instruments like the viola da gamba or the theorbo played in person before. We were instantly drawn to their unique look and sound, and knew we had to learn more about this interesting ensemble.

Cut to early 2023 and we were able to check out Chatham Baroque play their final concert of the season, The Joy of Bach!

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