Hosted

The Pittsburgh Glass Center is a Hub for All Things Glass

The Pittsburgh Glass Center has been a hub for all things glass art and glassmaking in Friendship for several decades now, and in 2024 the facility recently upgraded its facilities in a beautiful expansion.

While you may be familiar with this one for its numerous glassmaking classes on offer, this one has come together to be a facility that is three spaces in one. One part museum, one part artist space, and, of course, one part for glass classes for the public!

So be sure to plan an afternoon visiting this one to check out their museum-caliber exhibits, tour the facility, and take a class!

Read more

Beercode Review – Gastropub With Local Beer at PIT

We've often wanted more local options at Pittsburgh International Airport, and whenever a business with a local connection gets announced, we visit it as soon as we can the next time we're at the airport.

Beercode was no different, and this gastropub took over the former Bar Symon space right in the heart of the airside terminal.

True to the name, this one is focused on all things beer and has a rather impressive lineup of local brewers alongside some national favorites.

Read more

Traveler’s Rest Hotel Review – Boutique Hotel on the GAP

As avid travelers, we've done our fair share of overnight stays in hostels and boutique hotels- from $3 hole-in-the-walls in central China to high-end lodge-esque accommodations dedicated to hikers in Patagonia. Whenever we need to travel economically, we look toward shared dorms and private rooms in order to meet our travel goals.

One thing that always bothered me about the Pittsburgh hotel scene is that our budget and boutique hotel offerings are much more limited compared to higher-priced chains.

Traveler's Rest is one boutique hotel that opened up in South Side near Station Square and it certainly fills a need!

I was invited to the hotel for an overnight stay and wanted to share a bit more about this hidden gem in the South Side.

Note: I was a guest of Traveler's Rest Hotel for this review and have since returned for a tour after the property was upgraded to take updated photos and see the changes first-hand. As always, all opinions are my own.

Read more

Puttshack Brings Novel Tech to the Mini Golf Experience

We are big fans of all things mini golf in Pittsburgh, and always get excited when more courses open in the city.

The Strip District is becoming a hub for modern mini golf, with two companies offering unique, themed experiences indoors right in the heart of the city.

Puttshack inside The Terminal building is one such golf company, and this one introduced some fun and smart technology into the mini golf experience to really make for a unique round. We were invited by Puttshack to check out their facility for their anniversary party, and we wanted to share more in this review!

Read more

Sunset Kayak with L.L.Bean Outdoors at North Park

We love our area parks, and one of our absolute favorites is North Park in Allison Park, about 20 minutes north of the city.

One of the reasons why we love this park so much is because it has something for everyone, be it for walking, running, biking, hiking, kayaking, and so much more.

While we normally go on outings in this park on our own, we were invited by L.L.Bean to check out a sunset kayaking tour as part of their Outdoor Discovery Program to explore North Park Lake on a more intimate guided experience as the sun goes down.

For those who want to take a different look at the lake and park at large, the kayak outing is a must-experience.

Read more

Mattress Factory’s Garden Party is a Must Attend Fundraiser

Many of our local Pittsburgh museums know how to put on a good party or gala. Not only are these events a fun way for the community to enjoy a museum in a different ambiance, they also serve a valuable purpose for the museums themselves- fundraising.

Raising funds while having a great time with a few hundred new, like-minded friends? Well, it is hard to say no to that.

The North Side's contemporary art museum, Mattress Factory, is one such museum that hosts an annual fundraiser party, and their themed Garden Party (often taking place in late spring) is an event not to miss.

We were guests of Mattress Factory to check out the 2024 Garden Party, themed MAKE/BELIEVE, and we thought we'd share a bit more about what it was like for those looking to attend the event in the future!

Read more

Walk the Burgh’s Beers in the Burgh Shares Brews and History

We love a good walking tour, especially one that revolves around a great brew.

With Walk the Burgh's Beers in the Burgh tour of Lawrenceville, you get just that as you explore several breweries and beer bars in this popular neighborhood in the heart of Pittsburgh.

We were fortunate enough to jump on this one as guests of Walk the Burgh, and we wanted to share a bit more about what the tour was like here!

Read more

The Science Behind Pixar Takes a Deep Dive into Movie Making

Have you ever wondered how Pixar's popular animated movies are made? The touring show “The Science Behind Pixar,” running at the Carnegie Science Center from May 25th, 2024, to January 5th, 2025, takes a deep dive into this one.

With roughly 50 interactive exhibits, you'll be going down the rabbit hole of all things animated movie production from initial concepts to final renderings before release and everything in between, all while focusing on the science and technologies used along the way.

I was fortunate enough to get a preview of this one for the press conference before the show opened, and wanted to share more about what you can expect from this amazing experience!

Read more

Barcelona Wine Bar Review – Spanish Tapas and Wine Downtown

Barcelona Wine Bar is a new addition to the downtown Pittsburgh drinking and dining scene offering small plates and a huge selection of wine by the glass. Although it's a national chain, we absolutely love the concept of Barcelona Wine Bar- snacking our way through a meal and sampling Spanish and South American wines is our idea of a great night out.

Occupying the former Sharp Edge space on Penn Ave., Barcelona Wine Bar has completed a stunning reservation of the space; the decor suggests the kind of high end wine bar you might find in a much larger city. A long bar with sleek pendant lights runs the length of the space, with large, comfy booths beside the bar, and an adjacent room offers a larger dining space with tables.

Both the food and wine menus here are pretty extensive- it took us a while to take it all in and make decisions, as we truly wanted to order some of everything!

Read more