weekend in pittsburgh

Over the weekend Cam and I made the trip to Pittsburgh to visit a friend, explore the city, and go to a baseball game. We left on Friday after work and came home early Sunday morning, so we only had one full day to explore. I wish we were there a little longer, but I know I will be back to explore more. 

We started the morning by eating brunch at a place called Deluca's and it was DELICIOUS. The meal kept me full for the full day of walking around the city. After brunch we headed straight to the Duquesne Incline to avoid all the crowds, and I'm glad we did, because when we left the line was across the bridge. I had been on the incline before, but it's always fun to go to the top of Mount Washington and see the city skyline-along with the million dollar houses on Grandview Ave. 

After the incline we headed down to the strip district to walk around and see some local shops and markets. We ran into a petting zoo in the middle of town and got to hang out with some cuties for a minutes. After walking around I worked up and appetite and decided to stop in at Peace, Love, and Little Donuts. HOLY COW, these donuts are to die for. They are miniature sized cake donuts, with a ton of creative flavors like Samoa, Boston Cream Pie, Oreo Cheesecake, and Apple Pie. I wish I had ordered a dozen to take home-also secretly hoping they ship places so I can have them at my wedding. 

After a fun filled day of walking, snackign, and shopping we ended our night at PNC Park. Once you step foot in the ball park you realize why it's always in the "Top 10 Baseball Parks to Visit." The stadium is STUNNING and it offers amazing views of the city skyline. To top of the entire trip, the Nationals ended up winning the NL East title after they finished playing the Pirates-WOO!!

Can't wait to go back and see more of what the city has to offer!!

weekend recap

What a busy weekend at our house!

On Friday afternoon I stopped by the local radio station to pick up tickets to the Of Ale and History Beer Festival that I had won. The rest of Friday evening was spent watching the Caps lose...in OT to the Rangers, forcing a Game 6.

Saturday morning we woke up early to get yard work done at both houses before our afternoon plans. Once all the landscaping and mowing was done we headed out to Belle Grove Plantation for the Of Ale and History Beer Festival. What a fun time! I loved trying new beers, but also having a few that I knew I already loved. They gave you a "scorecard" to keep track and grade the different beers that you tasted throughout the afternoon. The festival was filled with vendors, food, and live music to keep everyone entertained. 

There were over 70 different beers at the festival that you could taste. Some favorites included Lindemans, Stella Cidre, and Malice from Winchester Cider Works.

                                                                                                                                                              

After a very long afternoon of beer in the sun, this girl needed a major nap session- which is exactly what I did. We decided after an afternoon siesta we would go to dinner at our favorite Italian place in town. We had a semi-late start on dinner which meant we didn't get home until after 10 o'clock so we watched a movie on the couch until we were both ready for bed. 

Sunday we were able to sleep in and enjoy "weekend life" for a little while. We had some last minute errands to run before the Mother's Day cookout in the evening. I spent the afternoon making a new pasta salad - recipe will be coming soon. I'm pretty picky about pasta salads, but this one uses Ranch dressing instead of Italian dressing or vinegar. We spent the evening hanging out with friends and family for a Mother's Day cookout, and then came home to watch the Caps lose again to the Rangers, forcing a Game 7.

weekend recap

This past weekend was the very Virginia famous Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester. It is technically a week long festival, but the biggest events happen during the second weekend. 

On Friday there was a midway set up downtown where you can play carnival games and eat just about any sort of carnival food imaginable. Seriously- fried oreos, funnel cakes, turkey legs, corn dogs, cotton candy, etc. Needless to say I had a corn dog and a funnel cake Friday night. After walking through the midway we headed over to find a spot to watch the fireworks. The fireworks show was AMAZING so say the least. We had great seats on the hill next to the high school and had a great view. 

On Saturday we woke up and did the exact same thing. We headed downtown to get carnival food for lunch, but then headed toward the parade route. The Apple Blossom parade always has celebrities that ride along the route for various reasons. The committee picks a grand marshal every year to kick off the parade and this year was Kevin Jonas. Candace Cameron-Burke (a.k.a DJ Tanner) was also there supporting her daughter, who was the Apple Blossom Queen. The parade is an all day event that shuts down most of the streets in the downtown area. We didn't stay for the entire parade, but were able to catch some of the festivities. 

Needless to say Sunday was my recovery day. We spent the day hanging out in the sun and doing some laundry. Here's to the next busy week filled with trivia and hopefully winning hockey games!