Sharing The Best of Pittsburgh and Southwest Pennsylvania
We've been fortunate enough to visit Seven Springs in the Laurel Highlands on many occasions. Sometimes just to ski, others as a hotel base to explore the region at large (in nearly every season, too).
This has allowed us to experience most of the property, and in this one wanted to share more in a rather comprehensive review!
Read moreSeven Springs Resort Review – A Mountain Resort for All Seasons
From the moment you walk into Nemacolin's Falling Rock, the property's boutique luxury hotel (located about a mile and a half away from the main chateau at their golf course), you may notice some familiar design elements. That is because this property was built using many design elements used by Frank Lloyd Wright.
This theme continues into the property's on-site seafood restaurant, Aqueous, and provides an ambiance that is worth traveling for as much as the food itself!
Read moreAqueous Review – A Seafood Feast in the Laurel Highlands
Phipps Conservatory is known for being one of the largest botanical gardens in the region, and also for their seasonal flower shows that are truly events not to be missed.
For the fall 2019 flower show, Phipps is transporting you to Asia with the theme Japanese Inspirations- recreating numerous festivals all adorned with stunning fall flowers!
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!
Read morePhipps Conservatory's Fall Flower Show – Japanese Inspirations
In the mood for a haunted house while exploring the Laurel Highlands? Huston's Haunted Hollow is the place to be.
The premise of this one follows a loose storyline that you are a group of travelers looking to take up residency at the Bruner boarding house, and, well, a nightmare unfolds that will leave you fighting for your lives!
I was able to check this one out during a media trip to the region and summarize the attraction's five haunts in this review.
Read moreHuston's Haunted Hollow Offers Frights in the Laurel Highlands
I've driven by the RIDC industrial park off of Route 28 more times than I can count, and to be honest I never quite took a moment to stop and research all of the businesses that call that area home.
Had I looked into this further, I would've discovered Inventionland. Sadly, it wasn't until I was invited out for a tour by the company that I became aware of its existence. Naturally, with a name like Inventionland I went out to learn more immediately and I was blown away within moments of walking through the door.
Read moreInventionland Sparks Creativity With a Unique Office Tour in Pittsburgh
When you think of Seven Springs in the Laurel Highlands, odds are good one of your first thoughts is about it being a popular destination for skiing in Pennsylvania. We are the same way.
In fact, it wasn't until recently that we visited Seven Springs outside of winter and got a chance to explore the resort during their Autumnfest celebrations (as guests of the resort).
So in this one we wanted to share a bit more about what you can expect when visiting Seven Springs for this fall event, and also feature a few of the attractions that can be experienced on the property outside of the deep freeze of Pennsylvania winters!
Read moreAutumnfest at Seven Springs is an Event for the Entire Family
Since 2018, the Carnegie Science Center has stepped up its exhibit game with the addition of the PPG Science Pavilion. This new wing not only significantly expanded the museum's footprint but also allowed for national and internationally touring exhibitions to make a stop in Pittsburgh.
One such show is Mummies of the World, a touring exhibition focused on all things mummies and mummification!
This exhibit runs from October 2019 to April 2020, and I was fortunate enough to be one of the first to check it out during a press event a few days before the official opening. In this one, I wanted to share more about what you can see when visiting!
Note: This article contains images of human mummies in various states. A few images could be considered graphic. Likewise, please note that Mummies of the World is a strictly no photography show; however, I was given an exemption during a media preview event for this article.
Read moreMummies of the World at the PPG Science Pavilion for a Limited Time
Ohiopyle State Park is Pittsburgh's nature hub. There are so many options to get out and explore, be it for hiking, outdoor adventure activities, and more. But of those, there is none that we love more than white water rafting in the Laurel Highlands.
We're no stranger to rafting the Middle Youghiogheny's Class I and II rapids (an easy trip out on the water), but what we really love is getting out on the Lower Youghiogheny's Class III and IV rapids for some excellent white water!
Recently, I was invited back down to the Laurel Highlands to be a guest of White Water Adventurers, Inc. in order to check out their new Taste of the Yough tour and catch some white water in a day trip from Pittsburgh. In this one, I wanted to share a bit more about what the experience is like.
Note: Select photos and video clips in this article were provided courtesy of White Water Adventurers, Inc. I was joined on the outing with I've Been Bit travel blog and the Laurel Highland's Visitor Bureau. (Angie sadly missed this one.)
Read moreRafting the Lower Youghiogheny with White Water Adventurers, Inc.
Camp life near Pittsburgh is a cherished thing. Everyone knows someone with a camper, and virtually every camp is about an hour away from home (at least, every camp we've ever heard of through friends and acquaintances).
We, unfortunately, never got to experience camp life until only recently, and our first outing brought us to Bear Run Campground near Moraine State Park as guests of the Butler County Visitor's Bureau. After spending two days at the property, we now fully understand why camp life is so popular!
Read moreEnjoying Camp Life at Bear Run Campground Near Moraine State Park
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!
Read moreThe Compass Inn Museum Preserves the 1800s in the Laurel Highlands