First day off!

July 3, 2013

Day off in Pittsburgh, PA

Today was our first day off and it was amazing. I slept in (mostly) until 8:00am!! It was incredible. A few people were up then too so we walked into town and explored, trying to find a diner of some kind since we were all starving. 

We usually eat breakfast at 6:45 so it was very late for us. We found a place that had pancakes and eggs (yum!) and sat down. There was only one waitress and she was kind of out of her mind stressed out. It might have been her "thing" but we couldn't tell. After breakfast I explored a part of the city called the strip where there were a bunch o shops and stands selling everything from Pittsburgh merchandise to fruit. The street was hopping just before lunch when we were there. Next, we all met up at the church we were staying at down town and headed across the river to the Duquesne Incline, an old cable car that was initially used to transport goods and people up to the top of the "mountain". Now it's mainly just a tourist attraction with amazing views of the city. 

Despite my loyalty to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh was a pretty cool city with the river running through it and the hills around it. The afternoon was spent exploring more and finding a breezy summer outfit since all I brought are cotton t-shirts and a pair of jean shorts--not the most breathable all the time. That night we went out to the baseball game in PNC Park! The Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the Philadelphia Phillies, what a lucky coincidence! It was awesome being able to look out over the river during the game. Unfortunately the Phillies didn't win, but I'll admit it was cool to see the home crowd erupt when they got the last out to seal their win (after they lost to the Phillies the night before). 

It's back to biking in the morning. We're headed out of Pennsylvania tomorrow, which a lot of people are really happy about. Before we hit Ohio, we are passing through a small part of northern West Virginia!