Built as a monument to Civil War veterans, the Soldiers and Sailors Museum wasn’t intended as a museum. But after the Civil War, people began donating objects and artifacts  to the monument, and this collection has now grown over the centuries. Today, artifacts are displayed from American conflicts from 1861 to today. Here are some … More The Soldiers and Sailors Museum

Built in the 1890’s as a gift to the city of Pittsburgh by steel magnate Henry W Phipps, the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden houses a collection of plants from around the world, in 19 Victorian greenhouses. Here are some photos from a visit.   The Phipps Conservatory. The atrium. Inside one of the greenhouses. … More The Phipps Conservatory

Some photos from a visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo: The Pittsburgh Zoo “Cocoa”, an Eastern Screech Owl, is one of the animals used for educational shows. Goats in the Petting Zoo. A pair of Taiwan Cave Snakes Gila Monster snacking on a mouse. Barn Owl. Yellowfoot Tortoises making little tortoises. A Gorilla having lunch. Blue … More The Pittsburgh Zoo

Well, I’ve been in Pittsburgh for almost a month now, so it’s time to think about moving on to the next stop. So as of now, my plans are to stay in Pittsburgh until this coming weekend, and head on over to Columbus OH (site of one of the best zoos in the world). I’ll … More Planning Ahead……

I’m camped out today in the Food Court at the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh PA. Since the Mall is a bit of movie history–it’s where George Romero filmed his classic horror flick “Dawn of the Dead”–I thought I’d give a little bit of the story behind the scenes. When Hell is full, the dead will … More The Monroeville Mall: A Bit of Movie History

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is one of the premiere science museums in the world. Here are some photos from a visit. Life-size statue of “Dippy” the Diplodocus outside the museum entrance. Prep lab where fossils are cleaned and mounted for display Fossilized trackway left by a Eurypterid, an ancient giant sea scorpion. Diorama … More The Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Just a couple days after arriving in Pittsburgh I was walking along the riverfront downtown, on my way to the Carnegie Science Center when I noticed something odd–a blue and white parakeet hopping along the sidewalk. And there, kneeling near it, was a middle-aged woman with her finger out, apparently trying to coax it onto … More The Bird Lady

So today I had lunch at a cool place……. Located near the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, Conflict Kitchen is a nondescript little take-out kiosk with a twist–it only serves food from countries that the US has had a confrontation with. Conflict Kitchen, in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park The campus of the Carnegie-Mellon Univeristy in … More Lunch at the Conflict Kitchen

The Pittsburgh National Aviary has bird species from all over the world, many of them in free-flight enclosures. Here are some photos from an afternoon at the Aviary. The National Aviary in Pittsburgh A free-flight enclosure One of the veterinarians gives a talk about her patient, a Boatbill with an eye cataract Feeding birds during … More Pittsburgh Aviary

In 1754, as the French and Indian War was beginning, French forces built a wooden fort in what is now Pennsylvania, where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers joined to form the Ohio River. It was named Fort Duquesne. A year later, the English sent an expedition under General Braddock to capture the fort, but his … More The Fort Pitt Museum