Our Pittsburgh Trip Logistics
Friday August 13, 20201 Thru Sunday, August 15, 2021
After arriving on Friday we took a stroll to The Strip district in search of a beer and a Primanti Brothers sandwich.
After walking through The Strip we had a couple of beers at the Helltown Brewery taproom. The bartenders were friendly and told us that Helltown refers to the nickname of the city of Mt. Pleasant where the brewery is located. We then headed over to the original Primanti Brothers shop and got there just before their late afternoon rush. Although there is a Primanti Brothers stand in the PNC ballpark we could have tried, various travel blogs advised visiting the one in The Strip for the authentic experience. Again, our waiter was very friendly and advised us on what to order after giving us a short history of the shop. Iron City light beer was also on special for $2 a pint can. Score! The sandwich was roast beef on white bread with french fries and slaw embedded
in the sandwich. I would advise getting a double helping of meat, especially if splitting the sandwich with someone else.
Skies were clear when we set out for the ballpark for our scheduled Friday night game, but it turned out to be rain out. When we got back to the hotel we dropped off our game stuff and headed a few blocks into downtown for a to go pizza from Pizza Parma. Pizza is never bad.
Saturday had turned into a baseball double header so we had limited time for sight seeing. We walked the river green-way to Point Park, then across Ft. Pitt Bridge to take the Duquesne Incline. There is a charge for ride and they expect exact change or a metro card. Christine got a little queasy on the rides up and down, but there were great views of the city from the top.
We then walked to the West End Bridge to cross back to the ball park areas. I would not recommend that route as there seemed to be some sketchy activity in the casino area. We got back into the tourist area around the Steelers Stadium and ended up at Southern Tier brewery for lunch and a couple of beers. Again, we had some very friendly service from our waiter and we got a plate of perogies with our beer. We visited the brewery again between the doubleheader games.
On Sunday morning we visited the Andy Warhol museum. If you go make sure to view the historical film about this life on the first floor. We somehow missed that and it would have informed the rest of the visit. We did see part of the film on the way out.
Sunday lunch was in PPG plaza at 5 Guys. Sometimes a burger at a self service restaurant is the only thing that will do. An hour later we caught the bus back to the airport for another uneventful flight home.
Why: Pittsburgh Pirates!
Getting There: Raleigh has a direct flight that lasts approximately an hour. We arrived around noon on Friday and departed around 4pm on Sunday. The Pittsburgh airport is pretty far away from downtown. We heard someone say that Uber was priced at $70 one way. Pittsburgh Metro system offers a bus to and from the airport (with other stops) that costs $2.50 per ride (so $5.00 roundtrip). It runs about every half hour. The bus will drop you off a few blocks from the hotel so if you have packed lightly the 20 minute walk will not be a problem. Purchase a metro card in the airport baggage claim area as the bus only accepts that or exact change. If you plan to do the "incline" you can also use the metro card for that, but note that there is no way to add more money to the metro card at the incline site.
Rental Car: Nope
Lodging: Hampton Inn & Suites Pittsburgh-Downtown - The hotel is in a great location right at the edge of The Strip district and also within walking distance of the other downtown attractions (including the ball park stadiums). It is also right across the street from the Heinz Pittsburgh History museum. One of the river greenways is one block away from the back entrance of the hotel. That greenway is a great way to get around without having to deal with all the city traffic. It is also a popular place to run.
Breweries: Helltown Brewing, Southern Tier
Restaurants: Southern Tier, Pizza Parma, Primanti Brothers
Recommended restaurants that we did not make it to: Penn Avenue Fish Co (in The Strip District), Driftwood Oven (Pizza), Grist House Craft Brewery, DiAnoia's Eatery (Italian), täkō (tacos)
Recommended sites that we did not make it to: Mattress Factory Museum, Heinz History Museum
