I got up this morning about seven, ate some oatmeal and headed for Pittsburg on Highway 30. You cross the Ohio River into West Virginia, the panhandle for just a couple miles and then you are in Pennsylvania. It is a scenic winding two lane drive most of the way with 45 to 50 MPH being about the maximum. Then you hit #22 and it goes to four lane divided the rest of the way. I picked up I79 and then I279 to I376 to where you exit for where Abbe is living. I got there about 9 AM but didn't know I had to go around the rear to find her doorbell. Finally got in and we were off to see the town.
She is a fantastic tour guide and navigator. I had to drive, as she has no car, so she had to keep pretty busy telling me what lane to be in, etc. She showed me Heinz Field where 3 Rivers Stadium used to be, the Mellon, Carnegie and Heinz buildings all over town...I was shocked and amazed to find out Del Monte had bought out much of the Heinz operation. Yes, that's right, folks. The Heinz Ketchup factory will now be cranking out Del Monte Catsup. Or some such similar scenario.
I should clear up a couple other things. 3 Rivers Stadium has been imploded, for those who didn't know after the Building of the New Heinz Stadium and on the other end of the complex, the new Pirates Home, PNC Park. I should also clear up the notion of there being three rivers. Actually, the Allegheny and the Monongahela Rivers come together here to form the Ohio. So it is two rivers becoming one.
She also showed me the very extensive UPMC (University of Pittsburg Medical Facility) where she works. It is one of the region's largest and they have many beautiful structures. The Medical Profession has sort of taken over the city since the Steel Mills are pretty much gone. You still see a few mills up and down the Ohio River, but in Pittsburg, they are mostly shut down, torn down, converted, or all of the above.
I saw a lot of varied bridges all over the City. We visited North Side, South Side, WareHouse District, The Jewish Quarter, Little Italy, Up-Town, Down-Town, Deutsch Town, Polish Town, etc, etc. Much of the City is getting pretty run-down with the loss of the Steel money, but a lot of it is getting renovated in various ways. It is a very amazing melting pot of various ethnic and economic diversity.
I crossed the river for my return to E. Liverpool, which meant I did not go back into West Virginia. When you cross the border from Pennsylvania into Ohio, you are immediately in E. Liverpool. There is pretty much solid city along the River, so I did not gain much in overall speed, although the highway was four lane most of the way, and a very interesting drive along the Ohio River.
4 comments:
Well, I am having a good time driving around and seeing lots of stuff. I really enjoyed the time we had out in Oregon.
Pittsburgh is quite the place isn't it Rick, I sure do enjoy it when we go visit. The bridges are the part that gets me, there are so many of them, and the drive up to the overlooks of the top of the Mountain.
Rawkneepee
Pittsburgh is quite the place isn't it Rick, I sure do enjoy it when we go visit. The bridges are the part that gets me, there are so many of them, and the drive up to the overlooks of the top of the Mountain.
Rawkneepee
Boy Some people will do anything to get twice as many Blogs out there as the other guy. Yes, I did enjoy my brief visit to Pittsburg. I can see why you were impressed with the bridges. I could see at least 12 from that one overlook. And I think every one was a different style of bridge. Not surprising so many when you got three major rivers to cross.
You can see why the Fort was built right out on the point between the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers where all they had to do was watch the water and their rear would have been the most fortified. I really enjoy thinking about stuff like that. Pittsburg remained the last outpost of a civilized nation for many years, and it was from that point West that constituted the wild frontier.
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