Sharing The Best of Pittsburgh and Southwest Pennsylvania
There is something about a barbecue shack on the side of the road that just gets me excited.
You don't need a fancy restaurant, a unique ambiance, or even real seating to be a good barbecue joint in Pittsburgh. So when you find one that is literally just a small building with a window to order from, two picnic tables, and a portapotty outside, you know something good is going on.
At Rowdy BBQ, you get just that.
Fallingwater has become a popular tourist destination in southwestern Pennsylvania as it was designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, is one of his most acclaimed works, and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
There are several more good reasons for this popularity, as the house features unique designs both in the layout and how it appears in nature over the changing seasons.
But did you know that Fallingwater is connected to Pittsburgh in that the famous Kaufmann family (of Kaufmann department store fame) were the original owners of the property and hired Frank Lloyd Wright to build them a house near one of their favorite waterfalls in Ohiopyle?
Western Pennsylvania has always been a hot spot for whiskey, and since the early days of the country the region has been producing (and aging) whiskey using local grains to end up with a spirit unlike those found anywhere else.
Liberty Pole embraces this history by doing the same for their business with the added benefit of modern technology.
The ingredients are all local, many of the recipes are unique to historical Western Pennsylvania distilling, and the tasting room is a throwback to the history of the Whiskey Rebellion- one of the region's most infamous events surrounding alcohol which took place shortly after independence from the British.
This all comes together to make one unique family run business that should be on everyone's radar.
Pittsburgh is in a unique position as a city because you can pick any direction, drive 30 to 60 minutes, and be out in nature.
Head southeast on your route and you'll end up in the Laurel Highlands, a region that is often referred to as Pittsburgh's backyard. And what a backyard it is! With many activities available throughout the year, this is one part of Pennsylvania that has us returning on easy day trips time and time again.
This past winter we had a goal, and that was to get out and check out some of the region's ski resorts. Our first instinct was to look to the Laurel Highlands and check out their three resorts all operated by Seven Springs (perfect for a weekend multi-park lift ticket!).
What did we find? Well, they're each tailored for various skill levels!
As one of the largest ski resorts near Pittsburgh, I've been to Seven Springs to go skiing several times now. And, not surprising, my visits have followed a fairly typical pattern for me, namely: drive down early in the morning, ski for four or five hours, get incredibly exhausted, and go home.
Each time I often thought about the other activities you can do at Seven Springs in the winter, but by the time we were ready to leave for the day I would forget about it until our next visit. Thankfully, during my most recent trip I was able to stay for the weekend, and was given the opportunity to try something I've been wanting to do for a very long time- go snow tubing!
After taking in this one, I had to ask myself why I waited so long to do it in the first place.
We are very fortunate in Pittsburgh to have many parks located in close proximity to the city. One of the largest outside of the city limits is South Park, located in Bethel Park / South Park Township, and is home to many amenities and activities suitable for just about everyone- including hikers like us!