Keystone State Park, located northeast of Greensburg, can admittedly be a minor hassle to get through for Pittsburgh residents (can we all agree that Rt. 22 is a pain? Thank you.). However, if you’re willing to make the drive, it’s definitely a great way to spend a day off. Most of the park is built around Keystone Lake; fishing and boating are permitted, and canoes and the like are rented out (check for the building near the northwest corner of the lake). Swimming is permitted in one section of the lake, and indeed, there is an extended lawn near the… Read the rest

Image via Wikipedia Raccoon Creek State Park, which is located west of Pittsburgh, near the airport, is worth a visit if you’re ever in the area; there is a swimming area off of the lake, plenty of trails, and simply driving through the park is a relaxing, eminently enjoyable experience. I didn’t have time to hike all of the trails at Raccoon Creek State Park; it would surely take multiple visits to do so and, particularly at this time of year, I don’t think the city slicking likes of me are up for hiking the entirety of a 9.5 mile… Read the rest

One interesting consequence of Pittsburgh’s mad professor topography is the manner in which even the most mundane constructions can be made interesting if they are placed properly. For example, I generally hate malls and outlets, particularly in other cities where the stores are simply a large, ugly mass of commerce placed off of an interstate in a flat, boring tundra somewhere untouched by features that would make for interesting photography. However, even the more generic malls in the Pittsburgh region (the Waterworks, the Waterfront, the South Side Works) are at least partially redeemed by their proximity to our infamous rivers… Read the rest

Image by Getty Images via @daylife The Attic, a record store in Millvale, presents one argument against the “.mp3s are killing vinyl and CD” mindset.  Upon first entering the store, one is confronted by shelves stuffed with CD’s and singles, crammed into an absurdly tiny space.  From this view, one might conclude that The Attic is a snug store with a decent (ok, impressive) collection.  Of course (and you probably knew this was coming), there are two wings off of the main room; the room on the left contains more CD’s (a lot more, actually), and the room on the… Read the rest