Travel Archives - Pittsburgh Quarterly

Food & Wine Travel

Flour, Fire, and Friendship: The Heart of Bread Furst Bakery

by Scott Goldsmith

A swirl of flour dust hangs in the air, caught in golden morning light as an artisan baker shapes a baguette. Through the expansive windows of Bread Furst, Washington, D.C.’s beloved neighborhood bakery, passersby pause, mesmerized by the rhythmic ballet of bread making. This is no ordinary bakery. It is the realization of a dream …

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North Side Museum Shows the Fascinating Evolution of Photography

by Barbara Eichenlaub

“I have discovered photography. now i can kill myself. I have nothing else to learn.” These dramatic words by artist Pablo Picasso convey the impact of photography. Imagine how that process, which captures unique moments in time, changed history. The Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History, tucked into a tiny second-floor space on East Ohio …

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First Cruise, Last Continent: A Voyage to Antarctica

There is a language for ice. Tabulas are broad, flat-topped icebergs, and growlers are smaller bergs under three feet tall. Brash ice is a collection of floating discs that form mesmerizing patterns in the water. Then there are the bergy bits, a name that sounds like an offering from a fast-food outlet but denotes chunks …

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Go West (to Cleveland) and Rock the Night Away

by Barbara Eichenlaub

As the Rolling Stones sang, “I know, it’s only rock and roll, but I like it.” In fact, LOTS of people love it. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which attracts over a half-million visitors annually who come to reminisce, learn and share their love of music with the …

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Home & Lifestyle Travel

The Amazing (and Unforgettable) Bayernhof

by Barbara Eichenlaub

Tucked away on a cul-de-sac in residential O’Hara Township is a museum you’ve likely never visited. The Bayernhof Museum is the culmination of the vision of Charles “Charlie” Boyd Brown, III (1934-1999), a quirky eccentric who left a legacy for generations to enjoy. Brown obtained his wealth by founding and running Gas-Lite Manufacturing, which made …

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Regional News Travel

New Airport Accentuates Pittsburgh’s Key Attributes

If you’re an old-time Pittsburgher who’s resistant to change, you fondly recall Forbes Field, even with its tiny seats and occluded views of the field. You long to shop in Jenkins Arcade one more time. You cherish the memories of your trips to Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, with its inviting observation decks and concession stands …

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Food & Wine Travel

Seasons Saltings

by Barbara Eichenlaub

John Tarallo is a happy person. And he seems to infuse his infectious enthusiasm and passion into everything he touches. Raised in Lawrenceville and Bloomfield, he started working at the legendary Groceria Italiana at 13. There, and in his Italian mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens, he watched and learned about food, flavors and cooking. He went …

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Food & Wine Travel

Pass the Pasta

by Barbara Eichenlaub

As the hot days of summer wane and we get out our sweaters and jackets, our meals also transition from lighter fare and grilled foods to heartier, cozier options — including pasta.Rebecca Romagnoli has a passion for pasta, so much so that she makes it available to her customers at a variety of “involvement” levels …

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A Garden for All Seasons

by Barbara Eichenlaub

Western Pennsylvania is about to be invaded by massive bugs, but unlike the spotted lantern fly, these insects will be welcomed by throngs of visitors. “Big Bugs + Pollinators” is an installation of 10 gigantic, anatomically accurate sculptures of pollinators, insects and spiders that will be on display from June 15 to Sept. 15 at …

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The Wonders of Iceland

by Marylynn Uricchio

When you check into the luxurious Silica Hotel at Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon, the receptionist mentions the possibility that the nearby volcano might erupt. The resort is built on lava fields that date back to the 1200s, but there are miles of fresh lava that stretch endlessly on either side of the highway in this …

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It’s Tapping Time!

by Barbara Eichenlaub

Most of us were taught that there were four seasons, but go to Hurry Hill Maple Farm Museum & Farm Stand in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and you will learn about a fifth one. It’s sandwiched between winter and spring, during the time of mud and snow when the nights are still freezing and the days are …

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Ohio’s Amish Country

by Barbara Eichenlaub

If you were lucky, at some point in your childhood, you collected a bunch of old boards, raided your dad’s toolbox, teamed up with your pals and built a treehouse. It might have been rickety, or so simple that it was basically a platform in a tree. But seen through the eyes of a child, …

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Going to Gettysburg

by Barbara Eichenlaub

The battle of Gettysburg was fought from July 1-3, 1863, in temperatures nearing 90 degrees. Fighting in wool uniforms and long underwear, with water and food in scarce supply, the 160,000 troops struggled to survive under Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Union Gen. George Meade, appointed to command the Army of the Potomac just …

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Two Pittsburghers on the Road Less Travelled

by Scott Bergstein

Even though we’ve been married for 15 years, Jessica and I converse. Usually, the exchange of thoughts happens as she drinks her morning tea and I, my coffee. The following comments are typical of what you might hear were you an early-rising fly on the wall of our living room. “There’s a new Asian restaurant …

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Twin Pine: A Singular Shopping Experience

by Barbara Eichenlaub

Inside a converted barn in Wexford, just beyond Winston, the life-sized horse statue decorated for every season, is Martin Potoczny’s labor of love. The serial creative entrepreneur used the forced slowdown of COVID to create his dream of opening a curated antique and vintage lifestyle store. His keen appreciation for artisans, innovators and inventors has …

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Home & Lifestyle Travel

If You’re Yurting for a Break …

by Barbara Eichenlaub

Whether you’re dealing with stress from work, the pandemic or just need a reset, a trip to the Savage River Lodge (SRL) near Frostburg, Maryland, may provide the perfect respite for your body and soul. Situated on 43 privately owned acres within the 54,000-acre Savage River State Forest, the SRL will force you to slow …

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Burn Beetle, Burn!

I am going to torch a massive, 30-foot-long beetle tonight. I will fork over twenty bucks and the local fire department will hand me a long branch that’s been swathed at the top with fabric. It looks like a giant Q-Tip, ready to be dipped in kerosene or gasoline or something easily combustible. They will …

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Corning Museum of Glass

A Trip to Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes

by Barbara Eichenlaub

With fall approaching, who isn’t itching to hit the road? No matter your age or interests, Corning, N.Y. and the Southern Finger Lakes region might provide the perfect escape. Much of the 4 1/2-hour drive goes through beautiful tree-filled valleys that will be exploding with autumn color. Charming, walkable Corning sits along the Chemung River …

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A Farm for All Seasons

by Barbara Eichenlaub

With so many events being held virtually, who isn’t craving a “real” holiday experience? One can be had only a few hours north of Pittsburgh in Erie County, near Waterford, Pa. Port Farms has been a working farm since 1897. In 2003, fourth-generation owners Kelly and Jerry Port began a transformation of the 200-acre property, …

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You Can Do Lots at Doolittle

by Barbara Eichenlaub

After months of practicing social distancing, people are itching for fun, and Doolittle Station in DuBois has something for most everyone. Since 2014, local oral maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Rice has incorporated many of his collections into an ever-growing complex filled with history and memorabilia as well as modern amenities. From trains, food, craft beer, …

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Pretty in Peat

by Marylynn Uricchio

The Machrie Hotel sits on grass-covered peat fields, a low-slung array of modern buildings that sprawl across the landscape like an apparition. Just completed last year, the newest addition to the Campbell Gray luxury hotel chain is on the Isle of Islay, home to some of the best scotches in the world. But Islay is …

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Skibo Castle: Andrew Carnegie’s Extraordinary Estate

by Marylynn Uricchio

Turning into the long drive that leads to Skibo Castle, one can imagine what it was like for Andrew Carnegie to arrive at his Scottish home back in 1899.That was the year he purchased the estate, hoping his young daughter Margaret would grow to love his homeland. In this, the 100th anniversary of his death, …

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