it's in the same vicinity, just near Grand View Overlook. both overlook provide a more or less same…read moreview. so there is nothing different if you are already at Grand view overlook. Street side parking is availabl. Great spot to watch the sunset, good place to get your picture clicked.

This is a really cool park near Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Target around Upper St. Clair that I…read morelike to stop at whenever I'm in the area. The trail is great for beginners or if you just want a quick jog. There are several benches you can sit down on along the way, plus a tree stump in the woodsy part that you can also sit on to rest. It's a very well maintained trail that smells like freshly cut wood chips, and has a nice variety of terrain. I didn't see any dog poop (it's a no-dog park) and no litter at all, which the multiple trash cans around the loop definitely help with. While a good portion of the trail has the wood chips, some areas could use a bit more. After rain, a few spots can get muddy and it can get a little marshy in the grassy part where there is no trail. The outer loop is about 1.2 miles, and there are several spots where the trail branches off. There's a more "woody" section and a more "grassland" section, which keeps it interesting. It's also not hard to find parking at the church across the street. There's a lot of birds chirping and tons of squirrels and bunnies, and every once in a while you'll spot deer. Inside the barn fence there are lambs and sometimes horses, which is a nice touch. Also kind of cool is that there are wild chive plants around this trail which is common in the Pittsburgh area, and you'll find some growing in the park if you know what to look for.

This place is incredible. We stopped today for their Community Open House event, and even though I…read morehave been here in the past, it is always nice getting to see it again. The old house, and farm are really special, and I am so glad that the Upper St. Clair Historical Society maintains these buildings and property so we can occasionally get to visit and see how things used to be. Today they had all kinds of activities going on, from hayrides, petting zoo, sheep shearing, cow milking, yarn spinning, beekeeping, and of course tours of the historic house, barn and outbuildings, all of which are like a museum. This place was well worth the price of admission . . . FREE, but the suggested donation was $5 per person.

Cool thing but unless you are going to be out this way for another reason (before it is moved to…read moreWexford), it's probably not worth it. It is scaffolded a bunch and surrounded by fencing with barbed wire (my photo is taken through it but from behind it). Like the Hollywood sign, cool but untouchable without hopping a fence. Bottom line: Cool but may not be worth a special trip; have a second thing to do, like going to Costco or checking out Rivers of Steele or Trundle Manor.

Visiting the historic Westinghouse Atom Smasher in Forest Hills has been one of my favorite quirky…read moreadventures over the years. Built back in 1937, this iconic, 65-foot pear-shaped tower was actually the world's very first industrial particle accelerator, making it a huge piece of scientific history right in the Pittsburgh area. It's pretty wild to stand near this massive relic of the early atomic age, especially now that the old laboratory building is gone and the bulb is resting on its side. Even as an abandoned piece of history, checking it out always makes for a fun, fascinating afternoon of exploring and a great reminder of the city's innovative past.

The Three Sister Bridges--the Roberto Clemente (Sixth Street) Bridge, the Andy Warhol (Seventh…read moreStreet) Bridge, and the Rachel Carson (Ninth Street) Bridge--are three identical bridges that span the Allegheny River to connect downtown Pittsburgh with the North Shore. All three bridges are self-anchored suspension bridges that were constructed from steel in the 1920s. Pittsburgh has hundreds of bridges, and the Three Sisters might be the most famous with their beautiful yellow paint and their beautiful views of the city. People may drive and walk across the bridges. Furthermore, events such as the Picklesburgh festival are held on the bridges. I have driven over these bridges probably hundreds of times over many years, and occasionally I walk over them for baseball games at the nearby stadium, and I always admire the beauty of the bridges.

Three beautiful yellow Bridges cross the Allegheny River connecting downtown Pittsburgh with the…read moresports stadiums. When there's a baseball game they close the bridge to traffic and pedestrians can walk to the stadium. Nice to see bridges without tolls.

Mars, PA is a small town that is located about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh. According to the…read moretown's website, nobody is really certain of how the town was named. Some guesses are that a founder's wife was interested in astronomy or that the name is based off part of the last name of another founder. The Mars Flying Saucer is a quick-stop roadside attraction that is easily accessible to visitors. I have seen it multiple times while driving down one of the main roads. Visitors may pull over, stand near, and touch the flying saucer. The flying saucer looks to be sturdy and in good condition. Most importantly, the flying saucer is fun to see!

It was cool that they had a flying saucer in the middle of Pittsburgh suburbs but like it was kind…read moreof small and uninteresting. I still might go if you were driving close by or at a restaurant close by. Also if I were you, I would take pictures like this child down below. And if you want to film some cool clips with UFOs here is the place to do it.

This is a set of fantastical residential buildings (and their accessories) architected by Frederick…read moreSauer in the 1930s. The area is a lovely gem situated on the side of Center Ave up the steep hill right north of Route 28 in Aspinwall. The 4-5 buildings (maybe more) are residential (people seem to live in them) and share a common eccentricity (apparently, some have called the buildings "bizarre"). They are like stone castles, but hard to describe. The architecture is cold and stony, and not strikingly elegant (at least it was not for me), but the whole set of buildings fit together very well and they gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling of fantasy. Words cannot describe them - they are works of art. You gotta see them yourself, especially the magical Heidelberg and the weird mailbox. We went there when it was dark and still enjoyed the architecture and the hillside quite a bit. The hill is very steep and the very short walk by the area is enjoyable. You can park anywhere on the street after going under the Route 28 bridge. The buildings are pretty close to Route 28, so be ready for some highway noise. If you are in the mood for fascination, though, this should matter little. I would definitely like to go back when it is light out, snap some pics, take a hike up the hill into the residential area, and enjoy this beautiful architectural gem in Pittsburgh. ps. I was amused to learn Sauer also architected two of my favorite churches (architecturally, that is) in Pittsburgh: St. Stanislaus on 21st and Smallman in the Strip District, and the St. Mary of the Mount in Mount Washington. I am glad he lived here!

Of all the tunnels that lead into the City of Pittsburgh, this is the best one. As soon as you…read moreexit, you've got an amazing view of downtown spread out in front of you. The Point (Point State Park and its fountain), Mon (Monongahela) River...one of three that come together (the other two are the Allegheny and Ohio rivers), Fort Pitt Bridge, and the skyline of downtown. It's truly a glorious sight. However, getting through the tunnel from Parkway West (376 West) can be less than glorious as the two-lane highway often bottlenecks into the tunnel when traffic is the most backed up. But, take a deep breath, proceed with caution, and enjoy that beautiful landscape that is Pittsburgh.

The first time I came to Pittsburgh I approached through the Fort Pitt Tunnel. I had no idea the…read morecity, with its skyline and yellow bridges over the river confluence, was going to suddenly and dramatically reveal itself to me. It's a nice long tunnel, too, just to heighten the drama. Well, it's a long tunnel to get through a damn mountain but it has that effect as well. I don't even know why I ended up coming that way as I was driving from Detroit and much to my disappointment last month Google Maps didn't direct me through this epic tunnel but instead chose a more direct, sensible route, robbing us of the sudden reveal I'd raved to my dad about. It was an approach much like any approach to just about any city. Never fear - the Holiday Inn Express I'd coincidentally booked meant we'd travel to PNC Park for all 3 Tigers games there through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and be hit with BAM!!! YOU'RE SUDDENLY DOWNTOWN!! every time. And unlike almost every bridge we crossed over traffic wasn't absolutely logjammed through this tunnel. It'd slow down but it wasn't stop and go sea of taillights lighting up red for miles like the bridges sometimes were. And it afforded a little more breathing room before breaking out into four off ramps to choose from than the bridges. Actually it lets out onto a bridge after which you better be in the right lane for one of three choices. Old hat for locals I'm sure and most people are cool about letting people over but I'm glad the tunnel lets you emerge back into daylight or nighttime and the downtown view and reorient yourself for a few seconds before you hit some spaghetti junction. Anyways, great tunnel and it had been a very long time since I've driven through one besides something brief on the freeway. I'm sitting in Hart Plaza trying to figure out the last time I've driven through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. At any rate I like the Fort Pitt Tunnel better.

The Union Trust Building in Pittsburgh is an architecture heaven. It's got a Gothic design with a…read morebeautiful grand rotunda dome and stained glass. Formerly known as the Union Arcade, it was commissioned by industrialist Henry Clay Frick and completed in 1916. It was designed by Frederick J. Osterling and the inspiration came from Cloth Hall in Ypres, Belgium. It was build for office space and shopping and that is its current use today.

A grand building that has been carefully restored. Built as the Union Arcade in 1915 by Henry Clay…read moreFrick, it was renamed the Union Trust in 1923. Unusual features include a theater, a huge bank vault plus 2 smaller vaults, and tunnels underneath that lead to surrounding buildings. New additions include a gym. The lobby is spectacular, and there is a central space where you can look all the way up to a beautiful glass dome. The rooftop reveals beautiful views of Downtown, and there are 2 chapel-like structures on top Urban Legend holds that because the original property was the site of Catholic cathedral, Frick agreed to a restrictive covenant that required him to build a church on top. A great story, however there was never any proof of that. The building's Gothic style continues the speculation, however false. One lovingly restored feature are the mosaic ceiling glass that you can still see in many of the arcades. In all, an amazing historical structure and a wonderful building.