The Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens is a nature reserve in Oakdale, PA- located right next door to Settlers Cabin Park. The park opened in early 2015 on a 460 acre plot of land once used for mining and logging, and currently has about 60 acres that was transformed back into pristine nature and open for visitors to enjoy.
This one does require a payment for entry, and those who visit will enjoy a serene hike in nature through several themed zones and unique art pieces.
Pittsburgh's outdoor amphitheater, The Pavilion at Star Lake (formerly S&T Bank Music Park, KeyBank Pavilion, First Niagara, and Star Lake before that), is the preferred venue for many of the world's best bands and musicians as they make their touring stop in Pittsburgh.
But this pavilion, located about 45 minutes west of downtown Pittsburgh, has had some notoriety about it throughout the years as accessing the arena is quite difficult with its one and only road in and out. But since many of our favorite bands play there, we've sucked it up several times over the years to see performances with vastly different experiences.
As with everything, this review is not about the performance, but rather is about the arena itself. So, what did we think of Star Lake and what can you do to have the best experience when visiting? Read on!
Raccoon Creek State Park is a gem for hikers in southwestern Pennsylvania. This massive park contains miles of paths, creeks, a lake, waterfalls, and even is home to an impressive wildflower reserve that has a twice a year bloom.
We were very fortunate to check out the wildflower reserve during peak bloom in 2017, and we wanted to share our experience to encourage you to get out and explore this one during the next bloom event as it was our highlight of the spring season!
When it comes to getting out into nature, we love the great outdoors and will do everything we can to find a unique hike regardless of how rigorous it ends up being (which has gotten us in trouble a few times if we are to be honest).
But we know that this level of exertion is not always for everyone, and sometimes you just want to get out somewhere for an easy stroll or bike ride. For those who seek out this kind of outdoors experience, The Panhandle Trail (a converted rail trail) is for you.
I'm not one to complain about traveling in normal situations (in fact, I absolutely love traveling), but if I had to pick one of my least favorite aspects of my favorite hobby, it would most certainly be getting up early for a flight.
Lately we've had enough of this and have decided to start booking overnight stays at Pittsburgh airport hotels to help us get just a little bit more sleep to start our trips on the right foot. On a recent visit we decided to pay a visit to the Hyatt Pittsburgh Airport, the only hotel that is actually connected to the airport terminal, to see what it is like.
With only steps between our bed and the gate we had to redefine the term spoiled. Although the room may be lacking some aspects, the location and amenities make up for it by far.
We recently stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Airport South Robinson Mall before an early morning flight, and it proved to be a clean, modern, comfortable stay just seven miles from the airport.
Although this one is a bit further out than other airport hotels, there are a few reasons you may want to consider this one over the alternatives.
Pittsburgh International Airport is located approximately 20 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh off of I-376. Although the commute to the airport in and out of downtown Pittsburgh is a breeze most of the time (outside of rush hour traffic, at least), there are some cases where you would want to consider a stay at one of the many Pittsburgh airport hotels nearby.
For residents, this would be when you have an extremely early flight and would want the convenience of some extra sleep before your journey. For visitors, this would be when you're coming in for business and do not necessarily need to (or want to) head into the city for an otherwise brief stay.
With over a dozen hotels near Pittsburgh airport to choose from, you have numerous options. To help with your selection, we wanted to highlight five hotels with unique amenities that we think are well worth considering!
Raccoon Creek State Park is a 7,500 acre park located about 30 miles west of Pittsburgh. With a 100+ acre lake, a 300+ acre wildflower reserve, over 40 miles of hiking trails, and relatively little infrastructure beyond these, this park is perfect for those who want to experience the great outdoors as it was meant to be.
During our recent visit we decided to try out two of the most popular hiking trails, the Forest Trail and Lake Trail, to capture a cross-section of the nature this park offers.
We always dread early morning flights, so when we had the opportunity to stay at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott recently on the night before a 7am flight, we jumped at the chance.
With recent renovations, a restaurant with an emphasis on seasonal and local ingredients, comfortable rooms, and a park and fly option, there's plenty at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott to make your travel less stressful.
The Runner Stone Mill House restaurant at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott hotel is an excellent addition to the Pittsburgh hotel dining scene. While it's relatively easy to find good hotel dining in the downtown area, as you move outside the city limits it definitely becomes trickier.
Luckily, the Runner Stone Mill House hits all the right points to help fill this void.
It's got a sleek, modern decor with different seating options ranging from high tops to more intimate lounge-style seating, and it's got a great craft cocktail list and a seasonal dining menu that uses fresh, local ingredients with lots of house-made touches.