Hidden Gem: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is an easy city to stereotype, so I really was not expecting much when I visited recently. Pittsburgh conjures images of steelworkers and burly football fans, coal mines, smokestacks and steel production plants, railroads and robber barrons, and perhaps even a few slam-dunking fish. However, after spending a few moments in Pittsburgh, it is immediately apparent that tucked away in the western part of Pennsylvania is a hidden gem.

One of the first things that you will notice about Pittsburgh is that it has a magnificent, photogenic skyline which looks great from a number of angles. For a particularly good view of the city, take one of two funiculars (cool, old, ski-lift like trams) to the top of Mt. Washington. Another thing you will quickly notice is that it is a city surrounded by bridges, hence Pittsburgh's other moniker, "City of Bridges", which is befitting for a city that is triangular in shape and bordered by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers (that then form the Ohio River).

Once you have had a chance to walk around Pittsburgh, you will see that the architecture too is also a pleasant surprise that is not at all dominated by its industrial past and actually quite unique and captivating. Two buildings of note are One PPG Place, which literally resembles a castle complete with turrets, and one of the Midtown Towers buildings which looks like it is capped with a velvet crown. Walking around downtown is definitely worth your time if you are a fan of interesting architecture.

Pittsburgh has a number of good museums, but if you can only see one, make sure it is the Warhol Museum, and be sure to check out the Silver Clouds exhibit which gets a lot of praise from visitors. The nightlife in Pittsburgh also has a lot to offer. There is a great selection of bars and restaurants to choose from throughout the city, but some notable places to find them are in the Strip District, the Waterfront, the South Side, and the North Shore. Pittsburgh folks enjoy live music so you will find much of it at many of their restaurants and bars. The new Rivers Casino which just opened in August is one of the latest hot spots and also a great place to spend an evening.

There are plenty of hotels in and around downtown, but I personally stayed at the Omni William Penn and can vouch that it is a top tier hotel, especially if you enjoy old world charm and impeccable service. It is the perfect location to set up your base for seeing the city and is very convenient to the Lawrence Convention Center. Word on the street is that the Westin, also located nearby, is a good place to stay too, if you prefer something more modern.

There is, of course, much more than this to Pittsburgh, but this is what stood out for me on a short two day trip. For more information, check out the Visit Pittsburgh website, and, of course, give us a shout below if you know of any other must sees in Pittsburgh, and, or have any good restaurant and hotel recommendations.

Royal Decameron, Montego Bay

We spent a few days at the Royal Decameron, Montego Bay in early July of this year. It is in the middle of the spectrum of all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica and an excellent value.

Situated in the heart of the Hip Strip, the tourist section and nightlife district of Montego Bay, it would be hard to find a more convenient location. Of course, the resort doesn't provide much reason to leave as the pools, beach, and activities offered could easily keep you occupied for days. Although the resort beach is compact and manages only a sliver of sand, this is Jamaica so it is still breathtakingly beautiful. We found that the free snorkeling here was among the best we have ever experienced at a resort. One downside is that we also discovered a surprising number of sea urchins very close to the beach. We are not sure if they were poisonous, so watch where you step! If you prefer a more spacious beach, you are also in easy walking distance of the famous and best beach in Montego Bay, Doctor's Cave, a site also known as essentially the birthplace of Jamaican tourism.

We found the food and service to be great and were pleasantly surprised to find an authentic sampling of local dishes. There are different offerings each day, but you can definitely eat like a local if you want. We had salt fish and callaloo for breakfast and jerk chicken and grouper fish for dinner. We also found that the bars were plentiful and conveniently located, and the drinks strong and easily customized to your liking.

The rooms were spacious, renovated, clean, and it seems that all face the beach. There are a variety of room options with some providing ground level patios and terraces. Wi-fi is also available, but sadly it is not part of the all-inclusive rate, and has to purchased in 15 minute increments. The reception was also patchy and completely unavailable in certain parts of the resort, and we had to go back to the main lobby to get a good signal. This was definitely less than ideal, but also something that we quickly forgot about as we enjoyed a rum punch at the swim-up bar. This is not the place to go if you need constant Internet access, but then again, do you really need constant Internet access in paradise?

The price is right too at about $75 per person per night and we have even seen it as low as $70 per person. We enjoyed it so much that we not only plan to return, but have already booked our next visit. Book yours now too! Enjoy!

Hidden Gem: St. Louis, Missouri

On a recent trip to a friend's wedding, we discovered what a great place to visit, St. Louis is. Who knew? It’s a small city with a compact downtown area filled with various sports arenas and stadiums, lovely suburbs with brick houses and manicured lawns, sprawling city parks with lush green space, and casinos for those seeking a little gambling action.

As we entered the city, the first thing we noticed was its most famous monument, the Gateway Arch. I have to say, it’s pretty impressive up close. You can even take a trip to the top of this behemoth structure for dizzying views of the city. And the area near the Arch, close to the river, is closed to traffic and home to many restaurants, pubs and shops.

After checking in to our hotel the first thing we did, was to seek out some lunch. Believe me, you wont go hungry in St. Louis. There is no end of BBQ to be had. This includes barbequed meats, sausages, and of course pulled pork, all doused with healthy portions of rivaling sauces. We sampled the 2-meat platter at Pappy’s Smokehouse on Olive Avenue and weren’t disappointed. It was finger-licking good, and only $8.99 for more food than we could finish.

Fuelled by our lunch, we went off to explore Forest Park. Many people had likened it to Central Park, and we thought we could probably do much of it in a day. Not so. The park is actually 500 acres larger than Central Park and is home to 2 golf courses, 2 museums, a boathouse, several ponds, over 1000 acres of woods and lawns, and last but not least, the St. Louis SZoo.

The zoo is a gem within a gem. It has over 3600 animals, many of them endangered, and is ranked as the best zoo in the country by Zagats. Some of the more remarkable features to us were the cold water misters strategically placed all over the property to help you cool down from the relentless St. Louis sun (who new it would be in the 90s!), the fact that you can buy a cold beer and drink it from the bottle while you stroll the zoo, and perhaps most amazing of all: free admission. Doesn't get better than that.

From our hotel room, we spied the Lumiere Place Casino across the street and decided to go see what it was like. Even though it was not officially non-smoking, it was relatively smoke-free and bearable despite my allergies. It was nicely designed and laid out, with endless rows of slot machines, black jack tables and roulette wheels with various limits; we sampled each one. We ended up winning a little, and losing a little so we pretty much broke even. A nice ending to a nice weekend.