Seasonal

Take a Trip Around Lake Arthur on Preston’s Pearl

Lake Arthur at Moraine State Park is one of our favorite outdoor spots in southwest Pennsylvania. It is hard to ask for more than a beautiful lake with a number of fingers and inlets that just beg being explored.

We’ve featured many ways you can explore the lake including taking out kayaks from Bear Run Campground, standup paddleboarding with SurfSUP Adventures, and even enjoying Moraine State Park’s bike trail which runs along the shoreline. But all of these activities required some degree of effort in order to enjoy. For something a bit more leisurely, the park offers boat tours on the resident pontoon boat from late spring to early fall. 

For many years, guests would enjoy the waters via the resident boat Nautical Nature, but in 2021 the Moraine Preservation Fund launched a new pontoon boat that offers 90-minute sightseeing tours, dinner/brunch cruises, and more.

I was fortunate enough to get out on the water for the ship’s inaugural sailing as part of a media preview and share more about what you can expect on this one here!

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Getting Holiday Cheer with Laser Lights at North Park

We’ve been to all manner of holiday experiences in Pittsburgh, but it was Allegheny County’s North Park that gave us a real holiday surprise- a laser light show!

When we first heard about the laser light show, we knew we had to buy tickets for it right away. We snapped up a spot for opening night and eagerly awaited what was in store for us.

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A One-Mile Drive through the Clinton Christmas Light-Up

The Clinton Christmas Light-Up drive-thru experience has been entertaining visitors and raising money for charity since 1993. This one-mile light display about 30 minutes west of Pittsburgh features an array of lights, holiday decorations, bible verses, Christmas trees, and so much more on its route.

But the best part is perhaps its price. During our visit in 2020, they only charged $10 per car. A great price supporting good causes? Sign us up.

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Enjoying Christmas at the Pittsburgh Zoo Lights Display

In 2023, the Pittsburgh Zoo will be offering walk through experiences of the Christmas lights on select nights in addition to the drive through experience described below.

To celebrate the holiday season, there are a number of drive-through light display experiences in the Pittsburgh region.

The zoo is one such place and offered an animal-centric light show during our visit in 2020. While this one is likely best enjoyed by young children who love zoo animals, visitors of all ages are likely to find a favorite animal represented in lights.

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Sliders Curling Offers an Hour of Ice Curling Fun

I’m always into unusual sports, and when Lumberjaxes in Millvale announced the opening of Sliders Curling, their on-site variant of the popular winter sport, I knew I had to go.

So shortly after opening a friend joined me in one of the most unusual outings I’ve had in a while- going ice curling in Pittsburgh.

As it turns out, this one may be a bit different from what you are expecting.

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Experience Village Life in the 1800s at Depreciation Lands in Allison Park

The history of the Depreciation Lands is a fascinating one and was a novel solution to a problem that the early United States had after the Revolutionary War.

While the living history museum of the same name in Allison Park covers this unique history, it also takes a look at what life was like in the region in the early 1800s- a time when southwest PA was the wild frontier.

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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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Cocktails from the Crypt Review – Halloween Themed Libations

In 2022, Cocktails from the Crypt will be located at 705 Liberty Avenue downtown and is opening on October 6th. The below review is from a visit of ours in a prior year when the bar was located in South Side.

Pittsburgh’s Halloween season is in full force with a number of hauntingly fun attractions to enjoy. Naturally, some pop-up bars have jumped onto the scene to celebrate this spooky season with themed libations!

One of these themed bars is Cocktails from the Crypt, a South Side pop-up managed by Spencer Warren of The Warren (a popular cocktail bar in downtown Pittsburgh).

I checked this one out shortly after it opened for its limited run and share a bit more on what the bar and cocktails are like below! 

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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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Millvale Food Truck Roundup is the Rally Pittsburgh Needs

If there is one thing that Pittsburgh certainly lacks, it is food truck rallies.

We have amazing food trucks in Pittsburgh, and apart from finding them at breweries and periodic events, getting to enjoy an assortment of food trucks can be tricky at times.

There was the brief attempt at a food truck park, but when that did not return after its first season it seemed like we were back to the drawing board. Enter the Millvale Food Truck Roundup, a periodic food truck rally that takes place at Grist House and Strange Roots on select weekends throughout the year.

It may be our favorite food truck rally yet.

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