My girl and I are looking for somewhere to go for my birthday and we have started to look at Pittsburgh. Do any of you have ideas as for hotels or B&Bs? Things to do, places to go, things to see?

It will be from Saturday Oct. 6th until Sunday Oct. 8th.

I will be driving my 2004 Monte Carlo Edition Cooper S in from Akron, OH (45 min south of Cleveland).

Thanks for the help!!!

~Neal

 

Pittsburgh has a great food scene that's definitely worth checking out. The main event is the Strip District, where people flock every Saturday to get groceries from all sorts of specialty food shops; plus other culinary attractions abound. You can read a basic description of it at <a href="http://corduroyorange.com/?p=168">Corduroy Orange</a>, a Pittsburgh-based food blog.

As far as B&Bs go, the only one I have any experience with is the <a href="http://www.morningglorybedandbreakfast.com/">Morning Glory Inn</a>, where I was married. They're a beautiful place and have great breakfasts, and are quite friendly until you get drunk with 20 of your closest friends and start a celebratory arm wrestling tournament at 1 in the morning that leaves them baffled as to how so many fingerprints could have gotten onto the bottom of their glass tables.

Also, as long as you're motoring, you'd might as well take the back routes (pre-interstate highways) outside of the city. You're bound to find fun diners, orchards, and other destinations if you explore them. It's a bit of a drive (a couple of hours), but if you go north on route 87 long enough, you'll get to the world's coolest toy store. I can't remember what it's called, but you'll recognize it because it looks like a UFO plopped down in the middle of an otherwise rural-leaning area. It's also near a drive-in that has double features. But, really, you take one of the old highways in any direction and you'll stumble upon something cool.

Pittsburgh is (and I can't say it often enough because there's always someone who hasn't yet hear me prostheletize for the city) an amazing place that is well worth a visit.

 

Reschedule for the weekend of October 26-28, and you can join PittStop Mini Club at our Beaver Run "Gymkhana" event - it includes hot laps, hanging out, some social events, dinner, a live band on Saturday night... and BeaveRun is closer to Akron anyway (or come here in early October AND come later in Oct...)

Otherwise, this is a GREAT area to visit, and has some really nice Motoring roads too. Ditto the above on the "Strip" district, also check out Carson Street, Station Square, and South Side Works. If you want to come a couple weeks EARLIER, PittStop mini is having a Tour of Pittsburgh event, where a bunch of cultural, historical, and tourist sites will be visited during a "fun drive". www.pittstopmini.org gets you there...