Jeannie's Travel Addiction

Downtown city of  Pittsburgh as seen from the top  observation deck of the Duquesne Incline.

October 5, 2019

Pittsburgh is  a very walkable,  though sometimes,  hilly city.   It sits at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers.  There are 446 bridges connecting the city.  Of the 4 bridges I used in my wanderings, crossing the bridges on foot was easy and safe.  .

There are easy-to-find paved footpaths that lead you up, over and off the bridges safely.

Along the rivers’ edge, there are also wonderful paved  walking/biking paths, places where you can dock your boat and many parks, memorials, art , places to eat and touristy sights close by.

One such spot was the “Water Steps” fountain, which I was told is a popular place to sit by or sit in,  relax, let your kids and/or dogs play in and soak in the beautiful cityscape/ waterscape..   It is made up of 500 sandstone  blocks and 1000 smaller blocks and is 40 feet wide.   As you can see the water had already been drained for the coming winter but  I still enjoyed sitting for a bit and reveling in this beautiful, peaceful setting as I was falling in the love with this incredible city.

I also took  pleasure in a Gateway Clipper boat ride  to see the sights of Pittsburgh by water.   The  commentator was interesting and entertaining with many funny stories and tidbits  about the city.

I meandered through RandyLand, the quirky and  free, outdoor, public colorful art displays.  Randy Gilson bought some property and land with a credit card in 1995. As his story goes -” he would wait tables  and  then come home and paint  to bring happiness to his neighborhood.”  Much of his art work is  created with  repurposed items.

Did I mention it was quirky and colorful?

I am not sure if this is part of Randyland but it was located across the street.

I also explored the Mexican War Streets in Pittsburgh.  It is a historical area with 18th century  restored row houses, gardens, alleyways and lots of personality.

The streets were named from people and places of the Mexican-American War

I also passed by to admire the alluring architecture of  Carnegie  Hall.

A photo does not do justice to this gorgeous mural I discovered in my travels by foot.

This is the  Duquesne Incline.   Pittsburgh was at one time home to 23 inclines built into the hillsides.  Today only 2 remain – the Duquesne  Incline and the Monongahela Incline. Today they are largely ( no pun intended) used by tourists  but  still some use as needed transportation.

Going up……..I bravely rode the Duquesne Incline which has been operating since 1877.   It is 800 feet long, 400 feet in height and inclines at a 30 degree angle.  It moves very, very slowly and has a lot of creaking noises.

The cable  cars are not the original but they are still a century old.  From inside the top station, you can view the machinery  while it operates.

Going down gave me just as much reason to hold my breathe and renew my faith in God as going up.

All of the above was done in one day of exploring by foot, with time to spare.

“Blessed are the curious for they will have adventures.”

by Lovelle Drachman

Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed!