A weekend in Pittsburgh (with special guests: Mom and Dad)

Pittsburgh ranks No. 1 on my list of the best cities in Pennsylvania. My girlfriend, Cassidy, said it's her favorite city of all time. She might be biased because we had our first date in Pittsburgh back in fall 2012.

Cassidy sits inside a polar bear trap during our first date at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium in fall 2012.

If you think our opinion doesn't matter (honestly, it doesn't), you can check out Pittsburgh's travel website to see about 30 lists that ranked the city for everything from "best place to live" to "quirkiest city" in 2015.

Anyway, you should get the idea by now: Pittsburgh is a wonderful city. Cassidy and I recommend that you visit the "City of Bridges," the "Steel City," the "City of Champions" and "that place with Donnie Iris came from."

We're so confident in our opinion of Pittsburgh that we decided to take my parents there for a weekend trip in January. Mom and Dad never visited the city before because of its distance from their home in Mountain Top -- it's about a four-and-a-half hour drive. In comparison, Altoona is only two hours away from Pittsburgh.

Since our college days, Cassidy and I have traveled to Pittsburgh at least five times because the drive is much shorter from our apartment, yet we still haven't seen everything in the city and its surrounding suburbs.

We wanted to give my parents a good time in a place foreign to them (trust me, western Pa. is definitely foreign to NEPA). Here's a rundown of our visit.

Strip District

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

The first destination on our trip was the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, but we arrived in the city before the zoo opened, so we changed plans and went to the Strip District first.

The Strip District rests on the eastern bank of the Allegheny River on Pittsburgh's northside. It consists of a few streets that feature dozens of locally owned restaurants, bars, grocery stores and shops. Our first stop was at "Yinzers in the Burgh," a sports merchandise store dedicated to the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins. Yinzers sells everything black and gold, including shirts, scarves, beer glasses, shot glasses, mugs, hats, decorative license plates and thongs -- I wish that last one was a typo. Cassidy ended up buying a "Minyinz" T-shirt.

Cassidy's "Minyinz" T-shirt and my Pittsburgh Penguins scarf.

Just so my northeastern Pa. comrades can understand the joke: "Yinz" is Pittsburgh's version of our "youz." "Yinzers" are native Pittsburgh residents. "Minions" are those yellow characters from the cartoon movie "Despicable Me" or those memes in your mom's Facebook feed that have ridiculous life quotes on them despite the fact minions can only speak three words in English. Add "yinz" to "minions," and you have just struck pun gold.

If you want to learn more "Pittsburghese," you can consult the Pittsburghese dictionary here.

Likewise, for my Pittsburgh-, Johnstown- and Altoona-area friends, you can research my romantic-sounding dialect -- coal speak -- by reading our dictionary. I think some people from northeast Pa. can even benefit from looking at it, since we're still in debate over what "heyna" means.

Getting back on topic, Cassidy got the shirt, and my dad bought me a Pittsburgh Penguins scarf. I contemplated getting a Steelers mug the size of my head, but the cost was a bit steep at $40.

"Stay caffeinated, my friends."

We ventured around to some of the other stores during our trip to the Strip including Penzeys Spices, In The Kitchen, Wholey seafood market and Lotus Food Co., an Asian grocery market. My favorite place is Wholey's because it's got several varieties of shrimp, fish, crab cakes, scallops and other seafood. The store even has aquariums with live lobsters and trout in them. We declined from buying food from there this time, but Cassidy and I once bought a pound of giant Argentinian shrimp from Wholey's, and we still consider it some of the best shrimp we've eaten.

The Strip also has street vendors selling Pittsburgh sports merchandise, Mexican and Asian food, flowers, fruit, vegetables and baked goods. Cassidy and I once bought chicken on a stick from a sidewalk Asian grill. Not only did it taste great, but neither of us got E. coli or food poisoning. How can you beat that? During this trip, my parents spent nearly $40 on cookies and homemade cannolis. My mom's sweet tooth and her dentist couldn't be happier.

Speaking of food, we finished our Pittsburgh trip in the Strip with lunch at the original Primanti Bros. restaurant on 18th Street, but I will come back to that later.

To summarize our visit to the Strip District: We like its food and ate a lot of it.

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

Photo courtesy of Google Maps.

On the way to Pittsburgh, we argued in the car about what we wanted to see. My parents never visited the city before, so they didn't know what to do. Cassidy and I have gone to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium a handful of times, and it never disappoints. Plus, my parents like animals, so I figured we couldn't lose with a zoo.

On the drive down, however, rain and wind made it look as though the zoo would be a bad option for the day. The forecast said the weather would let up later, so we went to the Strip District first to kill time until the rain stopped. Our plan worked, and after munching on baked goods and counting how many stores sold Pittsburgh sports merchandise (too many), we headed to the zoo.

Even if you haven't visited the Pittsburgh Zoo and & PPG Aquarium, you can guess what it's all about. The zoo has several different kinds of animals from across the planet, while the aquarium features fish, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, seahorses, starfish, etc.

One fun feature is its penguin exhibit, where the goofy birds sit behind a glass wall with a swimming area. What we didn't realize when we went to the zoo that day was that it was featuring a "penguin march," where the handlers would walk the birds down a pathway for visitors to see and take pictures. Out of all the times Cassidy and I have visited the zoo, we never saw this. It turns out the zoo hosts the penguin march only on the weekends during the coldest months. We figured we were in for an interesting show.

We went to the walkway outside the aquarium where the penguins would waddle toward us. Other people had the same idea; about 100 or more lined up along the sidewalk waiting to see the birds. We had to wait about 10 minutes while the wind blew and everyone shivered.

Finally, the time came for the penguins to make their scene. My parents, Cassidy and I stood near the end of the sidewalk where the penguins would turn around and head back up the hill. The funny thing was we could hear the crowd at the top of the hill "aww-ing" before we could see the birds. The awes echoed closer as the penguins made their way toward us.

Eventually, we could see them: The penguins waddled downhill with a clumsiness resembling a toddler walking for the first time. They kept their wings up as a way to balance, and occasionally they stopped so the crowd could take photos.

Photo by Cassidy Sherman / The penguins make their way down the walkway outside the aquarium at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.

Photo by Cassidy Sherman / The one on the left resents the fact it can't fly.

Photo by Cassidy Sherman

The penguins showed off for about five minutes and then made their way back to the aquarium to do penguin stuff, which is mostly sleeping, jumping off rocks and swimming. A majority of the crowd darted for the aquarium because it is indoors and was much warmer than it was outside. We had the same idea and decided to look at some fish.

Mom and dad spent a decent 10 minutes or so staring at sharks in the one tank and watching the other fish swim stress-free around the sharp-toothed nightmares. It's weird to see sharks swimming around an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet and not show any interest.

We also saw some seahorses hanging onto plants. They're so skinny that they blend in almost perfectly with the twiggy seaweed they cling to. We visited the penguins again, this time in their exhibit. There's also a "petting zoo" that has stingrays and skates (similar to a stingray but smaller) for people to touch. We tried, but they lacked any interest in us, so we left them alone.

We made our way out to the zoo portion of the complex now, where we saw polar bears, sea lions, (land) lions, tigers, red pandas, bats, snakes, a Komodo dragon, elephants and many other critters. Some of the animals weren't on display due to the cold weather such as giraffes, emus, antelopes, rhinos, kangaroos and my favorite, the river otters. I was slightly disappointed that not all the animals were available for viewing, but my parents didn't seem to mind. The penguin march impressed them the most, which I don't blame them; that made the trip worth while.

After seeing the zoo and aquarium, we decided to head back to the car and drive over to the National Aviary, which resembles a zoo except it houses nothing but birds. When we got to the car, however, my mom realized she forgot her purse somewhere in the zoo. Cassidy and I stayed in the car while Mom and Dad went on a safari for her bag. It took them about 20 minutes because she left it in the cafeteria, which is located on the other side of the zoo. The delay put us too close to closing time for the aviary, so we opted to head to our hotel to check in.

Once we got to the hotel, we unloaded the car and proceeded to relax for a couple of minutes since we had been running around since 7 a.m. We eventually wanted to find a place to eat. I kept insisting we go to Station Square because it features several different restaurants, but we settled on "trying" to go to a seafood restaurant on Mount Washington. I say "try" because when we got there, we could not find any available parking. The only open lots required us to pay a valet, which none of us wanted to do. The side streets were too narrow to fit our car, and after much frustration and cursing on my behalf (I was driving), we opted for Station Square instead.

Station Square

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Station Square is a collection of restaurants, hotels and a small shopping mall on Pittsburgh's South Shore. Some of the restaurants include Joe's Crab Shack, Bar Louie, and Hard Rock Cafe. Station Square and South Shore also offer a phenomenal view of Pittsburgh's skyline, specifically at night. Outside the Hard Rock Cafe is a set of fountains that, during the warmer months, is synced to rock music. The jets of water change color with the music, which provides a fun (and free) light show.

Station Square was the nearest district to our hotel in Green Tree, and since Mount Washington couldn't provide us with a place to eat, we chose to have dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. I've seen commercials for Joe's in Altoona and Mountain Top, even though both cities don't have one. My family loves seafood, as well, so we figured we couldn't go wrong.

My dad and I each got a seafood platter that featured half of the stuff you would find scurrying across the ocean floor; Cassidy went for coconut shrimp (not to be confused with the coconut crab, which exists in the Pacific and nightmares); and Mom went with two bowls of lobster bisque, which Dad and I also ate and enjoyed. All of us loved our food except for Dad, who said he's eaten better food from the Susquehanna River. I do admit that the seafood portions in the platters were small compared to the mountain of deep-fried onions and coleslaw also included, but we were just happy to have a place to sit down and enjoy food after the debacle on Mount Washington.

Speaking of that place, we needed to go back up it, but not in our car.

Duquesne Incline / Mount Washington

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

According to Cassidy, it's mandatory that we ride the Duquesne Incline every trip we make to Pittsburgh. It's hard to argue with her when you get views like this when you make it to the top:

I think Cassidy might be overhyping it.

The incline, which is basically a slow-moving, one-hill roller coaster, has served as a commute for workers between Mount Washington (formerly Coal Hill) and the city below since May 1877, according to the incline's official website. The track is 794 feet long, goes up 400 feet from base to summit and has a grade of 30.5 degrees, the website says. For adults, a round-trip costs $5 EXACT CHANGE. I put emphasis on that part because the cashiers working the incline don't accept credit or debit cards and won't break bills. It's a pain, especially because I never carry cash, but it's not hard to stop by an ATM beforehand and to take out a few dollars.

The trip makes it worth the inconvenience. The night we went up with my parents might not have been the best because the temperature hovered somewhere in the low 20s. We stuck around long enough for my parents to see the Pittsburgh skyline, and then we bailed.

After visiting the Strip District, the zoo, Station Square and the incline, Mom and Dad were bushed. Cassidy and I weren't exactly in the mood to go clubbing, either. We returned to our hotel for the night and decided to restart in the morning, when we would go and pester some exotic birds.

The National Aviary

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

We had only a few hours to enjoy Pittsburgh on Sunday because we had to drive two hours back to Hollidaysburg, and then my parents needed to drive another two-and-a-half hours to get back to Mountain Top.

The weather remained cold like it had on Saturday. None of us really wanted to be outside if possible. Cassidy and I came up with the idea to visit the National Aviary since my parents liked the zoo and aquarium so much. My family has appreciated birds for a while, especially after we got our pet cockatiel, Kipper. The aviary is also primarily indoors, so it was a way we could have fun and not risk frostbite.

Cassidy and I visited the National Aviary on a previous trip and had a fantastic time. You can read more about it in this previous post by clicking here. But for those of you who don't want to surf the Internet, you just need to know that the aviary is like a zoo dedicated almost entirely to birds. There was an exception there this time when we found a sloth inside the toucan display. I figured it just got lost and was too slow and lazy to find its way out.

The sloth can get in the way at times, but the toucan can't argue with splitting the rent in a city as expensive as Pittsburgh.

I didn't take as many photos this time around because I did so on my previous trip here, but I did catch two moments where Cassidy and my mom bonded with two of the aviary's inhabitants. The birds were quite complacent for the most part.

This wattled curassow was a bit camera shy.

As was this guy.

My mom's favorite exhibit was the African penguins, which always steals the show no matter where you go. The penguins impressed her so much that mom bought stuffed penguin toys for herself, Cassidy and I.

We spent about two hours viewing birds before reaching the consensus that we wanted to eat lunch and make our way back home. The decision was to return to the Strip District to find food. We walked around for about 15 or 20 minutes and failed to choose a place. Finally, I stuck my neck out and told my family we had no choice but to visit a Pittsburgh staple -- the original Primanti Bros. restaurant in the Strip.

Primanti's is as synonymous to Pittsburgh's culinary scene as the Steelers are to its sports and the three rivers and bridges are to its scenery. The food chain is mostly known for its sandwiches filled with french fries and coleslaw.

The restaurant started as a food cart in the city's Strip District in the 1930s to serve food to truckers and shift workers, according to Primanti's website. That expanded into its first restaurant on 18th Street, and over the next few decades, Primanti Bros. locations popped up in several spots in Pittsburgh, across the commonwealth and in other states, including Florida, Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia, according to the website. Primanti's recently opened a location in the Wal-Mart plaza near Duncansville, giving me a reason to never move out of this area.

My family crammed into the small Primanti Bros. restaurant on 18th Street. We're lucky that we arrived when we did because the Steelers were having a playoff game that day about 4 o'clock. Primanti's sells all its sandwiches for $5 during Steelers games, and being in the heart of black-and-gold country meant Pittsburghers would be flocking to the restaurant in a few hours.

I had my doubts that my parents and Cassidy would find food that they enjoyed there. All three of them detest coleslaw, and while they all love fries, they seemed concerned about having them ON the sandwich. I asked our waitress if we could order sandwiches without slaw and fries on them, and after rolling her eyes and letting out a sigh, she said yes.

My dad curtailed sandwiches altogether and went with vegetable soup. Mother ordered a cheese sandwich that I think had bacon on it, and Cassidy settled for a southwest chipotle bean burger, which I admit was the most random thing on Primanti's menu. I'm having a difficult time remembering what I ordered -- only because I love everything on the menu -- but I believe I opted for a sausage sandwich with all the fixings. To my fortune, Mom, Dad and Cassidy all liked everything they ordered, so I didn't have to feel guilty about dragging them to a restaurant they had no interest in visiting otherwise.

Nothing makes my family happier than food.

After a long weekend and full stomachs, we decided to venture home after a productive trip in the city. My parents said they enjoyed Pittsburgh a lot and were thankful that we drove them around everywhere and played chauffeur for the day. Cassidy and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

To us, Pittsburgh is a long-lost city that only existed in our imaginations because it seemed like it was a continent away from our small town of Mountain Top. In reality, it takes about four-and-a-half hours to travel between the two cities, so unless you make a weekend out of the experience, it's not worth a day trip. For Cassidy and I, it's a matter of two hours of driving from Altoona to Pittsburgh, so we've made our fair share of stops to the latter.

There's much more people can do than what I listed, but I covered many of the bases in this post. If you haven't visited Pittsburgh before, and you live close by, make the effort to go there. The city continues to rank high in several lists of top cities to visit in the United States. I don't care who you are -- you WILL find something to enjoy in Pittsburgh.

Revisiting the Thousand Steps

Cassidy and I at the top of the Thousand Steps overlooking Mapleton Borough in March 2016.

Cassidy and I first visited the Thousand Steps in Huntingdon County in October 2013, around the time of our one-year anniversary. To this day, I'm unsure how I convinced her to do something as strenuous as climbing the side of a mountain.

Since we've lived together, Cassidy and I have made great strides to stay in shape, including taking hour-long walks and hiking whenever we get the chance; however, back in 2013, Cassidy rarely hiked -- or walked for that matter. Neither of us was really in shape to attempt something like the Thousand Steps, but I told her it would be a unique way to remember our first year together as a couple.

As I look back on that day now, I remember it being hard to forget.

The hike, in the most poetic way I could describe it, sucked. It was steep; the weather was hot (even for October); the steps were overcrowded with people, forcing hikers to shuffle to the side to let others pass. On top of all that, the hike itself proved to be physically draining. Cassidy barely got to 200 steps before she looked as though she was on the verge of passing out, and she decided that she wanted to quit. I told her in the nicest way possible that "doing 200 steps of the Thousand Steps" didn't sound like much of an accomplishment.

I encouraged her several times to keep moving. At certain points, I needed to hold her hand and almost drag her up the incline.

We eventually reached the top, and the feeling was monumental. Doing a thousand steps on a stair-climbing machine doesn't carry the same significance as completing the same task on a mountainside. That day still exists as a special one in both of our hearts.

October 2013: At the time, we considered just rolling back down the mountain instead of walking.

Recently, the weather took a turn for spring. The sun peaked out; the clouds dissipated, and the wind blew in the most refreshing way. I had off work, and Cassidy and I both wanted to walk somewhere more adventurous than to the high school for a change. I hiked the Thousand Steps a week earlier, when Cassidy went to Delaware with her parents to search for a prospective beach house. At the time, I told her I did the Thousand Steps by myself, and she became envious because I made the hike without her. I assured her that the both of us would pursue the hike in the future. I doubted at the time that it would be less than a week later.

Regardless, I've possessed a hiking craze lately, and I hate myself whenever I ignore the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors on a gorgeous day. I made sure to warn Cassidy ahead of time that, despite walking and staying in shape all winter, the trail kicked my ass a week earlier, so I was uncertain how she would do. Cassidy ignored my warning and expressed only excitement to climb the Thousand Steps.

I must admit that she surprised me. On the way up, we paused several times so she could catch her breath, but, unlike me a week before, she never showed any possible signs of going into cardiac arrest. I remember sitting on the ground at one point because my heart felt as though it was about to explode.

It took us a while to reach the top, but I had no intention to rush her. After all, we wanted the hike to be fun. Besides, I had off work, so we had all the time we needed.

Just like back in October 2013, the two of us pushed together and finished our goal. The Thousand Steps don't give off a romantic vibe based off their appearance, but Cassidy and I always feel closer as a couple when we reach the top. The hike is always the ultimate bonding experience for us -- a test of whether or not we can tackle a struggle together as a team.

She doesn't even mind the fact I look like a wannabe NASCAR driver.

We once again proved that with this hike, and to celebrate, we made a detour to Raystown Lake and enjoyed the warm dusk on the small sand beach by the Seven Points Marina.

The only thing missing is a tiki bar.

I don't often get "cutesy" with my posts, so you can bear with me this one time.

Sure, the small spit of sand on Raystown Lake isn't the Outer Banks, but it's close enough. We just wanted to enjoy a few more minutes outside before returning to the mundane adult responsibilities we face day in and out.