Don’t you just love the vibrance of RED?
And how about the luminence of yellow and orange?
Happy Fall, Ya’ll!
(and Joe – I swear I’d taken these before you started your incredible Wonder of Autumn series. Blogger friends – if you haven’t seen that series, please visit The Visual Chronicle)
It’s Election Day in the United States
Do Your Part! Have a Voice! Cast a Vote!
No Excuses!!
Can you handle just a few more photos from a great trip to Pittsburgh? I sure hope so because this is the last post!
Ruth and I rode the Monongahela Incline, one of two cable-powered inclines designed for transportation between the river valleys and the communities on top of the overlooking bluffs. The first two photos are mine, but I really think my friend Ruth’s photo captured the feel of the inside of that cable car. Please check the link for information about these historic inclines! So very cool!
Check out that 78% grade!
Once at the top, we walked the Mount Washington community, enjoyed a warm beverage from a local ice cream / coffee shop, and enjoyed chatting with the local business owner.
Ruth holds the framed article about that same business owner, while he tells us about the Mount Washington community and it’s local businesses.
Ruth thankfully is a photographer, one who has taught me much, and has complete patience with my non-stop shooting. Before riding back down, we posed for a picture in front of a the beautiful cityscape.
Just a few more shots that I think capture the essence of Pittsburgh.
Catsup 🙂
Bridges
Rivers and History
and Sports
Thanks for coming along on our road trip to Pittsburgh! I wonder where we’ll travel to next year?
During our six mile walk around Pittsburgh, in addition to enjoying the bridges and rivers, we were impressed with the mix of old and new, the historic and the modern. We stopped for a light lunch, and of course I had to taste a Pittsburgh pilsner, but otherwise we didn’t shop. We just looked, and walked, and marveled and exclaimed. It was a perfect day to explore.
Ruth pointed out that the leaves of the Honey Locust tree, which we saw all along the streets, are the colors of the sports teams of Pittsburgh.
The Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail complex, designed in 1883 by Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson, and built between 1884-1888, is a beautiful historic building right in the middle of Pittsburgh’s downtown business district.
The P&LERR (Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad) terminal building, or the Landmarks Building, was constructed in 1900. This historic landmark, once a busy passenger station and hub of the P&LERR railroad, has been renovated and in now contains shops, restaurants, and is a wedding venue.
The interior was being set up for a wedding but we were allowed to take a quick look. The low light made for difficult spur of the moment photography, but wow! Isn’t it a beautiful room?
The Union Trust Building was erected in 1915–16 by industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The Flemish-Gothic structure’s original purpose was to serve as a shopping arcade. Known as the Union Arcade, it featured 240 shops and galleries. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This beautiful movie palace was a major theatre in Pittsburgh, opened originally as the Grand Theatre in 1918. Renamed Warner Theatre in 1930, it was used as a cinema through the 1980s, deteriorating all the while. The auditorium was demolished, and a two story shopping center named Warner Center was built on the site. The beautiful doors and a portion of the huge lobby have been retained.
The clubhouse of the Harvard, Yale, and Princeton Club of Allegheny is a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1894, the building originally contained 12 three-room apartments and served as workers’ row housing. Pittsburgh architect and club member Edward B. Lee (Harvard Class of 1899) was commissioned to transform the space into a private club, and after extensive renovation was re-opened in 1930. The courtyard reminded us of one that might be found in New Orleans, and had a quaint feel in the middle of the big city.
The Buhl Building is a historic commercial building in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Built in 1913, the building is faced with multi-colored terra cotta tiles. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The yellow honey locust trees look even better against those blue and cream tiles, don’t they?
Isn’t this pedestrian walk way, with water feature and lovely purple lights, wonderful? We came across this as we were walking near the Rachel Carson bridge (I think), but I was not able to find any information online about it.
One PNC Plaza is a high-rise office building located in the Central Business District. Constructed in 1972, and 30 stories high, it currently features the world’s largest green wall.
I sure hope you enjoyed this walking tour of downtown Pittsburgh. The information for this post was taken from Wikipedia and from a variety of Pittsburgh websites.
Next and final Pittsburgh post: Inclines and other sites in this fun city.
Venice is known as the City of Bridges, but Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania actually has more. Three more in fact, for a total of 446!
Ruth and I planned our trip to Pittsburgh with a primary goal of watching a football game, but we had plenty of other fun things planned as well (see the posts about Fallingwater and the drive through southwestern Maryland and western Pennslvania). We spent most of Friday exploring the city, walking over bridges, and soaking up the history, architecture, and culture of Pittsburgh. Over 6 miles, and too many photos to count later, we felt we’d gotten a real taste of the city.
Many of you have posted photos of locks of love on bridges from around the world, and it appears that Pittsburgh is getting into the act, too.
Some of the bridges in this river city have pedestrian walkways which join a riverwalk. The Three Rivers Heritage Trail evolved from five separate trails and today comprises several unique sections over 37 miles.
The confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River is at Pittsburgh’s 36 acre Point State Park. It is there that they form the Ohio River. As we walked along the riverwalk, we passed a vibrant collection of runners, walkers, cyclists, and dogwalkers.
Expansive views of the city can be found from many vantage points, including the Monongahela and Dequesne Inclines (more on these in the next post).
Three of the 446 bridges are known as The Three Sisters. Similarly built self-anchored suspension bridges that span the Allegheny River, the bridges have been given formal names to honor important Pittsburgh residents: Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Carson.
We walked over 2 of the 3.
We were never at the right vantage point to catch a photo of the 3 Sisters in one view, so I downloaded this one so you could see how beautiful they are.
The melding of the historic and the modern are everywhere.
What a fabulous city!
Next post: Pittsburgh – Buildings and Architecture
Continuing our ride through western Maryland and into southwestern Pennsylvania (see On the Road), we reached Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA with a few minutes to spare before our 10am tour.
Fallingwater, “one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most widely acclaimed works, was designed in 1935 for the family of Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar Kaufmann Sr”. (comments taken from Fallingwater literature).
Wright designed and built the house to rise above the waterfall rather than face it. Fallingwater “exemplifies Wright’s concept of organic architecture: the harmonious union of art and nature”
Constructed between 1936 and 1939, the home was made of sandstone quarried on the property and was built by local artisans. The stone serves to separate reinforced concrete trays that were cantilevered over the stream.
Our guided tour (no indoor photography allowed) lasted about an hour and while a bit rushed, was fascinating. We enjoyed hearing about Wright’s architectural themes, the extensive process involved in making this masterpiece, and the occasional design disagreements he had with the Kaufmanns. New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger called Fallingwater Wright’s “most sublime integration of man and nature”.
Fallingwater was the weekend home of the Kaufmann family from 1937 until 1963 when Edgar Kauffmann, Jr entrusted the house, it’s contents and grounds to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The home was opened to the pubic in 1964 and over 5 million people have toured the home since that time.
After our tour we walked the trail to the Visitors Center, Museum Store, and Cafe.
We enjoyed lunch in the environmentally friendly cafe with food that was healthy and locally sourced. Reusable dishes and utencils! Recycling! and a relaxing view.
If you are anywhere near this National Historic Landmark, I urge you to go. Definitely a highlight to our trip.
Next Stop: Pittsburgh!
Each year, my friend Ruth and I take an annual “Road Trip to Watch the Hokies … and Explore a Cool Town”, and what started as attendance at an away football game has turned into an opportunity for adventure in a new place. (If Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer knew our Road Trip / Loss to Win ratio, he would ask us to stop planning our trips around a game!) Thankfully, the game has become less of a focal point. Once the destination is chosen, we research places of interest to visit along the way and no matter the outcome of the game, we always have a great time!!
This year’s trip was to Pittsburgh and in order to get there, we drove from southwest Virginia, and into western Maryland. Low lying mountains, curvy rural routes, fall foliage, and historic small towns made for a great ride. We left for Hancock, Maryland on Weds after work, and were up and on the road for Pennsylvania early the next morning.
We’d not gone far when we saw this farmhouse and just had to pull over.
The view of Cumberland Narrows, a water gap in western Maryland, had me calling out “I need a picture!”. The sunrise and the misty hills were a site to see, but finding a spot to pull over was a bit of a challenge. These next two photos were taken through the front windshield of the car, and even though the quality suffers, they offer an idea about how pretty this part of Maryland is.
For those interested in history, we were traveling on Rt 40 also known as the National Pike, a section of road that passes through the Cumberland Narrows and lots of rural farmland. Sections of this road are also called the National Road. This road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government and was a gateway to the west for thousands of settlers. It was also the first US road to be surfaced with macadam. The National Road now has a multi-state tourism / historical partership that collarborates various towns, cities, and counties.
Even when pulled over, photography remained a bit of a challenge.
Between the traffic, the road signs, and the lightposts it was hard to capture an unobstructed view of the early morning mist.
I had the same problem catching this rainbow.
The photos may not do justice to the morning, but I’ll not forget it anytime soon. It was a wonderful start to the trip!
Next Stop: Falling Waters – One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most widely acclaimed works
Family and Friends.
I’m so very fortunate to have been loved and surrounded by both this past year, and I truly believe that I would not be where I am today without them. One year ago this coming Saturday, the final destination of a 4 day fall bike trip was the Harvest Festival at a winery in North Carolina. After being struck while riding my motorcycle through an intersection, the plans changed dramatically.
As the anniversary of the wreck drew nearer, friends and I talked about ways to recognize the one year mark. If I think too much about the wreck, it freaks me out (just a bit!), so I just keep focusing on celebrating life!
My friend Amy suggested that we come full circle and “finish” last year’s trip. So despite the rain, we headed off to North Carolina’s Wine Country. Home to more than 100 wineries, we decided to visit 3 of them. Amy doesn’t ride, so we took off in the truck.
I’m sure you’ll not be surprised to hear that I have many, many photos to process, but I wanted to share a few with you today. It rained on and off the whole time but we had a blast none the less.
Thank you, Amy, for coming full circle with me!
As you read this post, I’m driving to Pittsburgh with my friend Ruth to watch the Virginia Tech / University of Pittsburgh Football Game.
Life never offers me a dull moment, and I’m doing my best to practice gratitude daily!
Before heading out of town to celebrate life and the one year anniversary from the wreck, I was able to spend a few moments along the New River. We’ve continued to have daily rain showers, making for overcast skies (and muddy shoes and pants).
Knowing that I only had a few minutes, I literally ran down the path towards the trestle.
We hope that this trestle, connecting the City of Radford and Pulaski County, will eventually be available for shared use between pedestrians, cycists, and trains.
One of our citizens spends hours making these bluebird houses. He finds the perfect spots to place the birdhouses, and monitors bluebird activity. Carl is one of those unsung local volunteers, making the natural world and the community a better place through his hard work.
You’ve heard me ask this before: how lucky am I to live just 5 minutes from this river?
Next Post: North Carolina Wineries and “finishing” the trip I started one year ago!
Many of you are already familiar with Joe’s beautiful photography, and some of you know of his incredible spirit of generosity.
His passion for photography moved him to create Monochromia and allowed the crew of photographers and photo nuts to embark on a wonderful adventure. He is generous with his time as he teaches less experienced photographers new techniques (please see his blog for his “You Asked For It” series). He shares each and every Monochromia post on our FB page. He reblogs every Monochromia post on his own blog The Visual Chronicle. He has helped me to learn the basics of lightroom (and helped me with so many other things), and he and his wife have become my friends.
PLUS I just love this image!
Here’s to you, Joe, with a big ol Southwest Virginia THANK YOU!!
Nikon D610 and Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 IF-ED AF-D lens – 1/160 @ f/4 – ISO 800
“The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?”
Edgar Allen Poe
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 