Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Buffalo-Niagara Falls-Pittsburgh: Part 2

We hit the road pretty early Friday to head towards Pittsburgh.  We drove south from Niagara Falls and crossed back in to the US on the Peace Bridge.  We were headed to Punxsutawney to see where Phil lives!  The drive was pretty peaceful and reminded me of the wooded roads in northern Wisconsin.  We stopped for lunch at Joe's Drive-In.  Jimmy and I shared a chili dog and onion rings.
This giant groundhog sign was there as well.  I tried to get a good picture of the kids, but this is all I could get.
The entire town is based around Phil and Groundhog Day which makes sense.  We visited Barclay Square downtown where Phil lives.  There were 4 groundhogs total in the burrow.  Two looked like juveniles, but what do I know about groundhogs?
They have adorable statues all around town.
There was a food truck set up in the park serving pizza and baked goods, Leila Jo's.  The kids shared a chocolate whoopie pie and Jimmy got a peanut butter frosted brownie.
We headed out to Gobbler's Knob to see where the festivities occur each February 2nd.  Parker inspected their AC and it seemed operational.
After talking for months about visiting, Esme was being a bit of a stinker about pictures here, so I just let her pout.
It was a little drizzly, but it didn't damper the visit.  We headed to out hotel in Pittsburgh next.  It was right across the street from PNC Park, which was very convenient for attending a game that night.
This was the trickiest of our accommodations.  We had one king bed and a pull out queen.  I was hoping the kids wouldn't bother each other on the sofa bed, but I ended up having to share with Parker.
There was laundry on our floor that Parker had to check out.
We didn't head out too early in hopes we could make it through the whole game (we also brought iPads and headphones).  The iconic yellow bridge and silly kids when trying to take pictures.
Parker's new thing this trip was closing his eyes for pictures.
First things first, ice cream!
We could not have asked for a more beautiful day for a game.  It wasn't too hot and there were clear skies.
Jimmy and I split the famous Primanti Bros pastrami sandwich.  They had some really great recreation options for kids.  There was a baseball themed playground with a "base path" climber and huge baseballs.
There was also a replica yellow bridge and climbing tower that looked like a pirate ship sail.
We grabbed a lower level seat in the 8th inning to watch the rest of the game.  The Twins lost 0-3, but it was a fun night exploring a new stadium.
It was great being able to take a quick walk back to the hotel instead of having to drive.

Up next: Trollies, Holy Sundae, and a town called Parker

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Buffalo-Niagara Falls-Pittsburgh: Part 1

We were up bright and shiny the day after school finished to head to the airport.
The kids have truly become veterans of flying and love being in the air.  Parker was talking about it for weeks prior.
Here is the lunch we picked up after landing.  Little Caesar's pizza for the kids.  Wings for me and beef of weck for Jimmy from Anchor Bar, home of the buffalo wing.
Nest stop was Niagara Falls.  We started on the US side at Niagara Falls State Park.
Looking north with American Falls on the right.
South towards Horseshoe Falls
We crosses the Rainbow Bridge in to Canada and went to the Niagara Parks Power Station. This was the first major power plant on the Canadian side and is now a museum.
A glass panel elevator took us 180' down to a 220' tunnel and observation deck near the base of Horseshoe Falls.
It was a really incredible view.  The best you can get unless you go on a boat.
We checked in to our hotel which was within walking distance of Clifton Hill, the main tourist area on the Canada side.  We headed over there for some dinner and exploring.
We took a ride on the Sky Wheel which takes you 175' up for incredible aerial views of the falls.
We walked down to the river bank before heading back to the hotel.
Jimmy and I grabbed a juicy lucy and sweet potato fries for dinner.
The kids hit up the pool before bedtime.
I took a twilight walk back to the falls to see them lit up and watch fireworks.  It was a pretty brief show which is probably nice if you live nearby.
Next Up: Punxsutawney and Pirates