Heinz History Center and Western PA Sports Museum

In light of the extended showing of the six Lombardi Trophies, I figured this was a good time to review the Heinz History Center. As a side benefit, that meant I had to go see the trophies myself, oh darn. My trip also included a visit to the attached Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. To see more photos go here.

If there is one unifying theme among all of the exhibits in the History Center and the Sports Museum, it is the idea of covering large events through the lens of the common person. All the major events of western Pennsylvania history are covered, industries represented, sports teams included, but among these larger ideas are the stories of the workers, the fans, the every day person.

There is a lot to see here and I easily spent 3 hours covering it all. In my opinion, the exhibits to see if you have limited time are the Sports Museum, the Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation exhibit, and the Special Collections Gallery; so that is what I will cover. This is not to say that the other exhibits aren’t also interesting, they are and are worth spending some time to see. But the reality is that the kids get tired, dinner plans have been made, etc., etc.; and so if you are forced to choose, these are my suggestions.

WESTERN PA SPORTS MUSEUM
Let me say this, if sports in Western PA is a religion then this museum is the sanctuary. They cover everything here, and I mean EVERYTHING. Football, baseball, and hockey? Yup. College football? Sure. Golf? Oh Yeah. Rowing, car racing, pinbowling, and more? Check, Check, Check.

So basically, if you like anything about sports, you will love this museum. Great stuff here like famous pro jerseys and a Super Bowl ring (very cool!). But there is also fan memorabilia, game day brochures, seats from Forbes Field, plus a few opportunities to play. If you have friends/family coming in for a game day and want to fill an hour or so before the game, bring them here, you won’t be sorry. NOTE: there is an additional exhibit on Forbes Field on Floor 4, so if you’re a baseball fan don’t miss that.

HISTORY CENTER
The main history-of-the-area exhibit is the Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation section on Floor 2. This covers Western PA history from the first human occupation up to the current day. Obviously, that’s a lot of ground to cover and the exhibit focuses on innovations mainly from the 18th-20th centuries. Lots on industry, transportation, and medicine; a nice room on Jazz in Pittsburgh; you get the idea. I don’t know about the Learn to Speak Pittsburghese display at the end of this hall, but overall this is a comprehensive exhibit and shouldn’t be missed by first-time visitors.

The other area I would recommend is the Special Collections Gallery on Floor 4 where the material culture (ie. artifacts) from the large variety of ethnic groups and neighborhoods which make up Pittsburgh are displayed. Grab a headset as you go in and you’ll hear about the specific families and groups that donated these items. There really is a lot to see here and, again, you could spend easily an hour listening to the narrative and looking closely at all of the displays.

Beyond these sections, there is also the Heinz 57 exhibit, Glass: Shattering Notions, a French and Indian War display, and a moving exhibit called The Darkest Month describing a harrowing winter when over 700 mine workers were killed in several disasters and the effect on the survivors. If you have the time or a specific interest, go see these floors as well. If not, then catch them on your next trip because you will want to come back again.

Overall, the Heinz History Center and Western PA Sports Museum is a well-conceived museum complex with tons to see and enjoy.

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Kayak Pittsburgh

I like to see Kayak Pittsburgh not so much as a name but more as a command. As in “come on Pittsburgh, Kayak already!!”

In my completely biased opinion, one of the best new things to arrive in the city since I left has been Kayak Pittsburgh. And every time I’ve visited home, I keep saying I need to get downtown and do that. And of course, every time I’ve come home I’ve been too busy. Well, no longer!

I finally launched my inaugural Kayak Pittsburgh trip accompanied by Your Active Husband and Your Very Active (you’re doing a triathalon?!) Friend. We are all veteran-beginner kayakers, which means we know how to paddle but don’t let us loose on the rapids. No problems here then, because kayaking on the Allegheny is one of the best places for beginners to learn. There is a wide area to move around in, almost no boat traffic (the barges stay mostly on the Mon and Ohio sides), and great scenery. That’s right, great scenery.

The Kayak Pittsburgh launch site for Downtown is directly under the Clemente Bridge, in front of PNC Park. Just head down the steps and turn left under the bridge and you’ll see the cage of kayaks and the launch area. Kayak Pittsburgh has locations in Downtown, Lake Elizabeth, and North Park. For the Downtown location hours are M-F 11 am-dusk, S-S 10 am-dusk and rentals are $15 per hour ($10 per hour for members). These are nice, solid kayaks and the cost is quite reasonable for the quality of the boat and the time.

Although you can paddle wherever your heart desires, we chose to do the Washington’s Landing loop. I can see the attraction of paddling down to Heinz Field and around the Point, but I’ve seen those areas from the water before and I wanted to try something new, with less boat traffic. The paddle from the bridge launch point to Washington’s Landing is about ½ hour, so you’d have an easy 1 hour paddle round trip.

Being the adventurous souls we are, we decided to loop around the island and add some time to our trip (all together we spent about 2.5 hours with the kayak). Ducking into the narrower back channel between the island and the riverbank, you get a nice change from the open water of the river. This channel is shaded by trees on both sides and eventually runs past several rowing club launches. This is also where they launch the Dragon Boats from.

After passing several fishermen and a few crew teams, we rounded the tip of the island and started back home. But wait, what is that we see? Yes, I think a brief stop for food and drink is a great idea!

And so, after a nice hour or so of paddling, we came upon the Redfin Blues on Washington’s Landing and tied up to enjoy some well-deserved rest. I do believe this was among our best choices of the day, as we sat on the deck enjoying beer and steamed shrimp, it felt like a mini-Caribbean holiday. (As an aside, I feel it’s my culinary duty to mention that the steamed shrimp are not steamed in Old Bay, can you imagine! As I learned early on from my Maryland relations that shrimp without Old Bay and beer is like Christmas without Santa; you can do it, but why bother? So I recommend asking for some Old Bay on the side and at least you can sprinkle, or pour, some on before you eat them.) Seasonings aside, the shrimp were excellent and sitting back on the deck, watching the river flow past and the boats bob against the docks, we felt transported to vacationland.

Eventually we did have to leave the deck, recapture our kayaks as they began floating away due to our inexpert dock-tying skills, and return back to the launch. Paddling back past the Strip and the new developments along both banks of the river, you really do get a different sense of what it is to live in Pittsburgh. We are finally beginning to recapture the waterfront for recreation and enjoy activities Downtown because people actually live here now!

If you haven’t Kayak’d Pittburgh yet, take some time out and get down there this summer. The weather is great for kayaking for at least another 2 months. If you want to have a sense of the new Pittsburgh, the green Pittsburgh, this is one of the best ways to experience it. There’s nothing quite like kayaking past your old hometown, seeing it in a whole new light.

NOTE: With all that effort of paddling around the rivers, it only makes sense to add on a quick visit for goodies in the Strip. I can say from personal experience that some macaroons, a crepe, and an iced coffee will help return your strength so that you can continue your day and make it home.

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Love Letter to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

In 1895, a certain prominent city leader thought that it was important to create a place where the people of Pittsburgh, the “wage-earners”, could go and learn more about their world. A place where people could expand their horizons, see the masterworks of art and sculpture, and learn about parts of the world they would never be able to visit. We are immeasurably lucky to have this institution in our city and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History deserves continued patronage by visitors and locals alike for its long history and invaluable collections.

But I would like to make an argument here that the Carnegie Museum deserves our visits for a very personal reason – I fell in love there……with history (I am such a geek).

I visited the Carnegie like most kids who grow up in Pittsburgh do, during school trips and with family. I was always struck upon entering the Hall of Architecture; I felt transported to Europe and I got to see a replica of my favorite sculpture – the Nike of Samothrace. I simply can’t image the skill it took to make stone look like it’s flowing, like the wind is rippling through layers of cloth. It is amazing and I love visiting the full-sized replica, someday I hope to visit the real thing at the Louvre.

In high school, as a budding archaeologist, I participated in several classes at the museum, and later I even worked there for a time. Our classes were held on Mondays, so we had the relatively rare opportunity to wander through the museum while it was closed. My classmates and I would race through the old Dinosaur Hall and North American Wildlife exhibits in the dark, and almost got locked inside the Egypt Hall once. (I hope the Carnegie staff can forgive these minor transgressions, I swear we didn’t touch anything….nothing important, anyway.)

As with any relationship, the more time we spent together the more I got to know the museum and, as a child and young adult, the Carnegie held a very dear place in my heart. My time there was a large part of why I grew up to love history and archaeology and learning about other cultures. It felt like we had something special - the Carnegie Museum was MY museum.

But sadly, as happens with all young love, people change and grow up and get facelifts. Today’s Carnegie houses a large renovation of the Dinosaur Hall (you may have heard about this). Gone is the incorrectly aligned T. Rex who reared up at you as you entered his domain and stood before his (also incorrect) mural. The Dinosaur Hall is now state-of-the-art, with engaging learning portals and views of paleontologists working in their lab. Other areas of the museum are undergoing similar updates and facelifts. Gone, the old Victorian-style exhibits in the North American Wildlife Hall. (I can report however that the hall on the 3rd floor still retains its old attic charm if you’re able to find it).

Although I have twinges of nostalgia walking through these new halls, I can learn to live with these changes and find the new beauty, even if it’s not quite as magical as the original (at least in my mind, anyway). But here’s my point….the Carnegie of my childhood may be changed, I may never have that attachment to these new halls that I do to the old versions, but that’s ok.

As a child I had the opportunity to connect with, explore, and engage with life on this planet from the earliest dinosaurs to the cultures of today, all right here in my own city. I encourage everyone to make time to visit the Museum, so that the opportunities I had are still around for kids today and into the future. Let them discover and learn and fall in love with this new Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Let it become the museum of their hearts, when they think of those special places from when they were young. Whatever they grow up to do, the Carnegie allows kids (and all of us, really) to expand their horizons, and imagine amazing things, and most of all, to make that learning personal - a part of their own history.

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Raccoon Creek State Park

Raccoon Creek State Park, in my mind, is kind of the tale of two parks…plus a wildflower preserve. It’s a great, basic, all-around state park – and it’s less than 1 hour away from the city. Campers of all ages and abilities can find something here; it has sections of isolated beauty to enjoy but is still very accessible and not too rigorous. You can see photos of my trip to Raccoon Creek State Park here.

THE PARK
The park is split in two by Rte. 18 creating a lake side and a trail/woods side. You can take a look at maps of the park at their website.

The south portion of the park contains the man-made lake with lots of boating and fishing opportunities, a beach for swimming, and an RV camping area. The swimming area is large and clean with a nice amount of sand and grass to lounge around on. There is a boat rental area where you can rent some basic kayaks, canoes, or an odd-looking floating bicycle which Your Active Husband immediately wanted to try. Maybe next time. Driving through the park, this side also contains two large picnicking spaces just before you cross over Rte. 18 and enter the northern side.

The north portion of the park feels more remote, more foresty, and more summer campy. There are many trails here, some of which are multi-use and many of which are single use (either hiking, horse riding, or biking only). **NOTE: The hiking trails extend around both sides of the park and you can put together quite a long hike if you desire.

The Wildflower Preserve at Raccoon Creek is located in the southeast corner of the state park, just before you get into the lake area. This preserve includes approx 1.5 miles of trail, with many shorter options. I spent about 1 hour here and did the longest loop. I absolutely loved this section (although I highly recommend bug spray) because it was perhaps the nicest example I’ve seen yet of trails that wander through several distinct microclimates and really give you a sense of the variety to be found in this part of the PA forests. The trails start from the Interpretive Center (staffed by very helpful park rangers) and lead through brushy slopes, down to the forest floor and meadow. The meadow was beautifully in bloom when I visited and some of the plants were easily taller than me! The trail wanders along the creek then and eventually reaches a shale cliff where the vegetation clears out a bit. Here I saw a veritable flock of woodpeckers. The birds throughout this area were loud and numerous, with great variety. The trail finally finishes along the top of a small hill where large trees and pines abound and you can look out over the creek and forest floor.

For those wishing to learn about flora and fauna and the affect of microclimates, this is an accessible area that covers a lot of ground in a small amount of space. It is great for kids and adults alike and is very well done.

SPECIAL NOTE: Do yourself a favor and visit the Frankfort Mineral Spring located on Rte. 18 just before the main park entrance to the northern side. There is a sign along the road and a small parking area. It is one of those cool natural sites and the location of a health spa throughout the 1800’s.

THE TRAILS
Raccoon Creek offers some great hiking and biking opportunities, with 44 miles of hiking trails and 17 miles of biking. I decided to try out the biking and headed off on a multi-use trail. Much of this trail system is a two-lane dirt road that allows no motor vehicles. This is great for beginner mountain bikers and families because it is wide and easy, although not flat. All the trails do have some up and down and for smaller children you may want to consider taking some of the shorter options.

Having enough of the road, I decided to follow the Appaloosa Trail into the forest and found some sweet singletrack. This trail was much more cleared on the sides than typical PA forest singletrack, thus it is much easier for advanced beginner and intermediate mountain bikers. Although overgrown in places (this was July after all) few trees or roots crowded the track and rocks were virtually non-existent. Veteran bikers may not find much of a challenge on this trail, but it was still fun to swoop around on. **NOTE: There are some serious downhills and slopes on the forest trail I rode and, while it was not technical, there are some places that I would not advise inexperienced bikers to ride down due to the gradient. Again, there are some big hills to go up so consider that when biking with young kids.

THE CAMPING
There are a great variety of camping options at Raccoon Creek, which is another reason I recommend it so highly. For those that like luxury, there is an RV/electric campground, which included some non-electric sites, next to the lake in the southern part of the park. On the northern side, there are several modern cabins with electric heat that you can rent, as well as group cabin areas with a rec hall and playing field.

As a tent camper, I was impressed by the tent campsites which included both a drive-up area and a hike-in only area. Both options are non-electric only and feel nicely isolated and peaceful, but still include a bath area and drinking water. The Pioneer camping area is strictly hike-in, but the biking time from the parking lot was about 20 min, so you’re not so far in that you can’t get to your car in a reasonable amount of time if necessary. This area also serves horseback riders who would like to overnight, although the horses need to be stabled elsewhere from what I read.

DIRECTIONS
Starting from the Rte. 22/30 exit on the Parkway West just before the Ikea in Robinson Town Centre, it takes approx. 20-30 min to reach the park without major traffic. Looking at the map, you can reach the park either by Rte. 18 or Rte. 30. I took both options and found that they are pretty equal in time and both include a section of local, two-way road with somewhat slower traffic. I would say the deciding factor is which side of the part you want to enter – if you’re heading for the Wildflower Preserver or the lake take Rte. 30, if you’re heading for the trails and camping on the north side take Rte. 18.

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