My husband grew up in central Pennsylvania, and his family still lives there. As such, we spend part of each holiday season in the Keystone State. The fact that my husband went to school in Pittsburgh and still has family there, however, doesn’t change the fact that I’ve still never been to Pittsburgh.
Whenever we fly back east for the holidays, we almost always end up flying into the Baltimore or DC area as opposed to Pennsylvania, because it’s not as far to drive. That’s one of the things that’s hard for people not used to the small size of eastern states to wrap their heads around, but it’s so easy to drive across several state borders in a day that the nearest airport to your house is just as likely to be in another state as it is to be in your own.
But I digress.
Most of the time when you hear about tourism in Pennsylvania, it’s centered around Philadelphia and all the U.S. history there. I’ve not been to Philly, either, but though I’d like to visit I’m slightly more intrigued by Pittsburgh. Sure, that’s partly because of my husband’s connection with the city, but from what I’ve heard (from him and others) it bears some striking resemblances to a city I know and love – Portland.
Mainly, it’s the rivers running right through downtown that make it look like a city I could spend time in. I know it’s not the ocean, but I like being close to water. So Pittsburgh’s got that going for it. Plus, like Portland, it’s not exactly a tourist hotspot. Yes, there are plenty of great reasons to visit and lots of things to do and see there, but it doesn’t have the same level of famous sights that Philadelphia does and so doesn’t attract the same number of visitors.
Although I still won’t be looking for flights to Pittsburgh for our annual holiday trek, since the DC-area airports are still much closer to my in-laws’ home, perhaps one of these days I’ll make it a point to plan a trip to PA for something other than the holidays so I can visit all the places I keep hearing about but that we never have time to squeeze in.
Of course, if my in-laws get word that I’m anywhere near them – even if it is much further to drive and nowhere near their home – I have no doubt that I’ll get there only to find that they’ve pulled the minivan into Pittsburgh airport parking and are waiting for me. Then I’ll just have to convince them I’m staying in Pittsburgh and not heading back home with them.
Right. Because that’s an easy thing to do… So, anyone got a plan B?
When it comes to spending a romantic exotic vacation, many places offer something special. While for the Europeans, the Caribbean is definitely an exotic place, most travelers would characterize both Philippines and Indonesia as exotic destinations. But what if you need to choose between those two?