LaurelHighlands

Aqueous Review – A Seafood Feast in the Laurel Highlands

Please note: As of 2021, the restaurant seems only open to overnight guests at Nemacolin and resort/club members.

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!

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Huston’s Haunted Hollow Offers Frights in the Laurel Highlands

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.

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Autumnfest at Seven Springs is an Event for the Entire Family

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!   

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Rafting the Lower Youghiogheny with White Water Adventurers

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.)

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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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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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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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Out of the Fire Cafe Review – A Must Stop in Donegal

If you've spent much time in the Laurel Highlands, odds are good you've driven by Out of the Fire Cafe and did not give it a second glance.

This restaurant is located right off the turnpike at the Donegal exit, and is one of those places we've passed many times while traveling from home to Ohiopyle and other nearby attractions.

It took me many, many years, but I finally stopped for this one and now regret not visiting sooner.

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