Easter Weekend Gallivanting

It just so happens that this year, our family decided to celebrate the Easter Holiday in Pittsburgh, and so, Marty took a half day vacation so that we could drive out today in anticipation of a fun weekend with family. 

Now let me just say.....this is a BIG deal, because tomorrow is opening day of trout season in Eastern PA, and my husband originally intended to cast his rod in the waters back east, catch his limit, come home, then hit the turnpike to make the drive.  After I recreated the scenario in real life, he relented and I honestly don't think he is regretting his decision.  

I found an awesome place for us to stay, convenient to our visits this weekend.  I had originally booked just one night, but as soon as Marty indicated that he would consider driving out today, I contacted the B&B and asked if I could add an additional night onto the stay.  Well, it turns out that the original room that I booked was filled for tonight, so the proprietor switched the room to Mr. Bogg's Suite, and I'd say that we just might have the best room in the house!

We are staying at the Inn on Mexican War Streets, and this is the view from our room:

That's the Pittsburgh sky line that you see in the distance.  How awesome is that?

The history behind the mansion involves an entrepreneur named Boggs (thus the name of the suite), who started an enterprise with Buhl (for which Buhl planetarium is named), on the North Side of Pittsburgh in the late 1880's.   The present proprietors bought the building in 1998, when it was in an extremely dilapidated condition.  They found photos of the original decor and painstakingly remodeled the building back to its original beauty. And believe me.....this place is gorgeous on the inside.

Here are just a few photos of our room:

and the giant chandelier that stands over the curved staircase

There is a gorgeous grand piano in the library as well as numerous unique clocks and statuary throughout the place.   The proprietors have certainly managed to recreate what would have been a stately mansion at one time.  But, in reality, this was Boggs' townhouse.  He owned another "mansion" in Sewickley Heights, just a few miles north of the city.

We arrived just in time for dinner, and Jeff, one of the proprietors, recommended an Irish Pub, Monterey's, just a half a block walking distance away.  Since parking is a premium here, and it was unseasonably cold (are we in Scotland?), we thought that was a fabulous idea.

The houses in this area have undergone a huge renovation, all cleaned up and remodeled to the era in which they were originally built.

And it wasn't difficult to spot the pub with the Irish flag flying right outside the door!

I didn't capture a photo of the flag, but I did get one of myself, taking a photo of the sign. 

We entered the doors of the establishment only to find it packed with people, and we were told it would be an hour wait.  We befriended some locals who walked through the door right after us, and they introduced us to the owners, Carl and Nancy.   We were having such a great time gabbing with these people who were, of course, super friendly, and the next thing we knew 45 minutes had passed, and our table was ready!

I ordered the fish and chips and I can honestly say that I think my meal was one of the best  fish'n'chips that I've eaten.  The interior  of the place was reminiscent of the tv series, Cheers, and the crowd was a bit exuberant, watching the Pirate's Season opener on big screen televisions.  (Pirates won 13-10 after 13 innings).  

And, you know it must be an authentic Irish pub if it has a huge picture of St. Patrick hanging on the wall!

(Those intent faces are watching the Pirate game on a television in the corner.)

After our tummies were full, we headed back to our room, and crossed the street to the park to check out the sunset highlighting the glass buildings in the distance. 

I spotted this extremely tall column, and we decided to get closer to check it out.

Much to our surprise, it was a monument devoted to the people of Allegheny County who had died fighting in the Civil War.

It was difficult to capture it in its entirety.  If you look closely, you can see the inscriptions on the bottom:  Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Appotomatox

and an inscription honoring those men who lost their lives.

It is obvious that this monument has stood in this place for quite some time, and we were both surprised that we had been unaware of its existence.

Walking back to the B&B, I captured a photo of the front of the place where we are staying.  Our room is the one with the 3 windows above the porch in the front.

And, this is what we are treated to, gazing out the window from our bed. 

I don't know about you....but I'd take this over fishing any day.  (which isn't really saying much because I'd probably take just about anything over fishing.)

So, I suppose I better stop here.

Hope you all have an awesome Easter!

Downton Revisited

On Friday, I had the pleasure of visiting New York City with a special friend who knows the city like the back of her hand.  She had asked me if I was interested in joining her to visit the Downton Abbey Exhibition, and I was thrilled to be able to go with her.
We boarded a bus in Kutztown and the time passed by quickly as we caught up with each others lives.   Soon we were in the city and we headed towards one end of Central Park to enjoy some scenery.
It wasn't long before I spied Christopher Columbus standing high upon a tower

overlooking the world.

There was still some snow on the ground, adding to the charm of a horse and carriage in the distance.

and we even had the chance to see a few up close!

We made our way to the Brooklyn Diner.  

The place was hopping with activity, and we managed to arrive just in time for the brunch menu.  The staff was entertaining, and we met up with yet another friend from my past and her sister, who had come to enjoy the exhibit with us. 

I opted for the Tony Bennet Chocolate Walnut Babka French Toast.

Believe me.......it did not disappointed.  And neither did the company!

The Diner was conveniently located right next door to the exhibit

so we didn't need to walk far, and, as luck would have it, we were granted admission early so we didn't have to stand outside in the cold to wait for our scheduled admittance time.

The Exhibition is laid out on three floors of a building on 57th Street.  We entered through wooden doors and found ourselves in the servants quarters, at the foot of the stairs.  We were greeted by a hologram of Carson and Mrs. Hughes wishing us a pleasant visit.

I thought that was a brilliant way to begin our tour, and we turned the corner to explore the ground floor of the building, which primarily featured the servants' area of the bottom floor of the house.

In addition to a remake of the kitchen, there was the servants' table where meals were served

Carson's office which is often featured in the series

And, of course the infamous bells which lead to the various rooms needing attention.

In addition to the recreated rooms, there were informative displays that discussed the life of servants during the times covered by the series, and there was even a question and answer quiz to determine how efficient one would be in service.  But the many booths were busy with occupants, so we just decided to make our way up to the second level.    I'm not sure how well I would have fared taking the test, as the British have strict rules on many protocols of which I am completely unfamiliar.

The second floor was a real treat, featuring costumes and jewelry that had been used on the set.

There were many dresses on display;

An original cornflower blue cotton enhanced with clear glass beading, worn by Lady Edith

evening gowns worn by Rose and Lady Grantham

A Silver sequined antique cotton enhanced with glass silver bugle beading, worn by Lady Mary, just to list a few.

We were ushered into a large area that appeared to be the library, and we were soon fascinated by many of the characters that popped up in various spots, recreating scenes from the many years that Downton Abbey was featured on PBS.   The library suddenly changed to a World War I battlefield, taking us through those scenes of war, surrounding us on 3 sides,  gradually moving forward in time and the many changes that occurred in the house after the war. 

The exit from this library led us to the Dining Room, where the table was set, ready for dinner, and complete with mannequins featuring the Earl and Lady Grantham's evening wear.

There were displays explaining the seating protocol as well as the layout of the silver, dishes and glasses.  There were three forks to the left of the plate, and two knives, sandwiched between two large spoons, on the right side of the plates.  Of course, there was an explanation for all of this protocol, but don't ask me to set you straight on that!

We quickly went from dining to sleeping as we soon find ourselves staring at the duplicate of Mary's bedroom.

I thought it looked much larger than what I had imagined on the actual show. But certainly beautiful.

Around the corner, there was a special feature devoted to Violet, known as the dowager countess.  Those who are familiar with Violet know that she is known for her wit and comic relief in the show.

There was a movie running that featured nearly all of her clever comments, bringing quite a laugh to all of us in attendance.

Moving through the exhibit, we came to a rather large room that featured bios on the Downton Abbey Characters and a corresponding history of a real person who would have filled those shoes.  Explanations were given for all facets of life, and many items from certain time periods were featured behind glass.  There were brief movie clips running around various spots in the room, adding a bit of spark to the exhibit. 

It really wasn't difficult to imagine that one might actually be on the set.

We finally made our way up to the third floor, which primarily featured mannequins in costumes as well as many of the hats that had been worn, true to the time period.  If you are familiar with the show, then many of these costumes will be quite familiar.  

Edith wore the gold enhanced gown on the left, towards the end of the series, and, of course, how could we forget Sybil's shocking pantaloons?

There was Mary's garden party dress

and Mrs. Hughes and Carson in their wedding finery,

as well as Edith's two wedding gowns, with Mary's in the distance. 

Our final stop of the tour found us once again being entertained by Mrs. Hughes and Carson, this time joined by the Earl and Lady Grantham,  as they thanked us for visiting.

All in all, it was an extremely entertaining day, and we managed to find someone to take our photo as a memory. 

Lots of smiles, as you can see.

And, I couldn't resist one last photo op with the Downton Abbey group.

Isn't that a hoot?  As you can see, I'm not quite dressed for dinner.  Perhaps that is why Violet, the Dowager Countess, has that scowl on her face.  But no one else seems to really mind.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank my friend for her awesome invitation.  She and I made quite the gallivanting team if I do say so myself!  

Thanks, Kathy, the entire adventure was absolutely brilliant!

A Sunny Day in Phoenix

It's our last day here in the sunny state, and Marty and I were certain to soak up as much of the rays as possible today. But before I elaborate, are you curious about breakfast?

Eggs, sausage has browns, yet another delectable fruit bowl, as well as muffins and a Lemon Poppyseed bread that just melted in my mouth!  Actually, we haven't eaten the muffins yet, but I'm willing to bet that they will be scrumptious!

Honestly, I'd say that the best part of staying here is the breakfast.  It's kind of like Christmas morning....waiting to see what will arrive in that basket.  Only it's Christmas every morning!

I was kind of sad knowing that tomorrow we need to leave early and we will miss this daily excitement.  I wrote a note prior to leaving this morning, telling the proprietor that we wouldn't need breakfast tomorrow due to an early flight.

And, you know what she did?   She put food in the fridge for us to heat up, and she also left us bananas, orange juice, and more mini muffins!   How's that for a pleasant surprise!  Not sure if my body will be awake enough to appreciate the delectable treats, but I'll certainly try my best!

Now on to today's gallivanting adventure:  We started the day at Pueblo Grande Museum which is actually relatively close to the airport.

There's nothing quite like standing in a centuries old settlement, dating back as early as 450 AD, and watching planes taking off overhead.  And apparently the walls of the structures have needed extra support measures taken because the vibrations from the airplanes taking off have caused movement in the ground.  It's amazing that this structure stands at all.

The site is considered to be a National Historic Landmark, and it offers a fascinating insight into the Hohokam people who inhabited it from 450 AD thru 1450 AD when they seemed to have vanished.

This archeological site features the remains of platform mounds and intricate irrigation systems.  This map gives some idea just how widespread the irrigation canals were, some spreading as far as Glendale.

The Pueblo Grande platform mound is one of the largest known in the state of Arizona.  This is where the Homokan people lived and flourished.


A Hohokam ball court also stands on the grounds.  These were oval shaped with earthen embankments, making them unique from other cultures.  This area was used for ceremonies as well as games among the tribesmen.  This particular ball court at Pueblo Grande is one of the few that have been completely excavated by archaeologists.

There was a section with some recreated houses, set off in another section of the mound.

The gardens were set up to show how the Homokam used their unique irrigation systems in order to have water for crops to grow.  It is believed that the Hohokam cultivated more plant species than anomy other prehistoric culture in America.

There was a schematic in the museum that gave an interpretation of a mound civilization.

 The small Pueblo Grande museum held lots of artifacts not only from the local area, but from many miles away, which is how the archaeologists were able to determine that these people were tradesmen.

One of the unique items on display was a boulder from a Petroglyph.  These Rocks with their unique inscriptions are featured in the side of mountains near this area.

We never did have the chance to see any on the actual mountains.

When we were finished touring the museum,  we drove to Papago Park, which was only a few miles away.   Along the way, we passed the Tovrea Castle, Jewel in the Desert,  which can be spotted from the road.  I had tried to get reservations to tour the grounds, but the place apparently books up months in advance.

Certainly not something someone expects to see along the highway in the desert!

But these large red formations enhance the landscape beautifully.

And, here you see our intended destination:  The hole in the rock.

We ascended the trail, which was rocky but not too bad.

And the view at the top did not disappoint.

And, of course, we needed the selfie to document our adventure!

The decsent offered some equally beautiful vistas

Kind of looks like an oasis, don't you think?

And I couldn't resist one more shot of the mountain from this vantage point.

Isn't that bright blue sky just dreamy?

We decided that we had enough climbing for the day, so we headed towards Tempe Town Lake for a stroll along this waterway, and to check out the bridge that now spans this lake.

The bridge is beautifully constructed and is strictly for pedestrians and bicyclists.

And today, there weren't many people out and about, so Marty and I pretty much had the place to ourselves.

Gazing out from the bridge, I was surprised to see that the buildings seem to rise up out of the mountain in the city.

And, opposite, you can see the beautiful pointed hills in the background.

On our way back, we walked by the infinity pool which seems to flow from the Tempe Center of the Arts.  

And, by then we were pretty tired, so we decided to call it a day for our gallivanting. But before I close for the night, let me just pass on some interesting information regarding Saguaro cactus.  I may have mentioned this before, but it takes 50 years for one of these cacti to form an arm.

So, today, I realized that I was viewing pretty much an extended family of cacti when it came to age.

In the middle, at the bottom (where I must have inadvertently cut off the bottom of the cactus in my photo) you see a very small Saguaro Cactus.   I call that one the young' un. At the far left, if you look closely, you can see the tiny bud of an arm forming, indicating that that cactus has to be over 50 years old, probably the teenager in cactus years. In the middle are mom and dad, and in the far back, you can see the large cactus, being supported by wooden planks.  I figure that is the Grandpa of the Group. So, there you go, one big happy family of cacti, all in one spot. 

And, below you can see one happy guy enjoying them!

Just how much fun can you have in one day?

Apparently a lot, because we finished our day with a lovely dinner hosted by my best friend from high school, Tammy.  (I was going to say old friend, but that word seems to be a sensitive subject in my book as of late.) 

Memories to be treasured and fun that you can't measure!

How lucky is that?

Well, that's the end of this gallivanting adventure.  Glad you could follow along!  If I'm out and about anytime soon in the future, I'll be sure to keep you posted!