Pittsburgh celebrated the 4th with the 35th annual regatta on the Alleghany River. Larry and I decided to go on Tuesday when it wouldn't be quite as crowded. We are not the bravest when it comes to venturing into the city, and there is a history when it comes to us finding our way around this town! However, this looked like a pretty easy trip for us. And it should have been. But... it's us, and it's Pittsburgh.
First of all, Larry works right up the road from where the Regatta was held. Even better, he works a couple of blocks from the Rivers Casino and a huge parking garage. And the river walk begins right outside the casino and follows the Ohio River along to where it meets the Alleghany River where the Regatta was held. So the plan was simple. Park at the casino, walk the 1/2 mile or so, past the Science Center, past Heinz Stadium to the Alleghany River, eat dinner at a restaurant right along the river and then watch the boat races. Simple!
Parking went as planned. Larry played a few games at the casino ('since we're here') and I went outside to see what I could see. Plenty of people seemed to have the same idea in mind. I wandered along the Ohio river walk for a bit and then headed back to get Larry. It was late afternoon, and still pretty hot. Larry met me at the door and we headed down the path until...what's this? A sign! For a free shuttle from the casino to the regatta... and here it came! A bus, just for us!
The bus driver confirmed he was taking people to the regatta. So we sat in the air-conditioned bus while he waited for more passengers and then we departed. We exchanged glances when the bus driver turned left instead of right at the stoplight. We headed away from the river, under the interstate, made a turn, wound around under the bridge again........Larry leaned over and whispered, "Are you taking notes?" "UmHmm." I mumbled back. Wherever we were going this was a new route!
As we got on I-279 south, we thought, Oh...we're going ACROSS the river! Not in our original plans. Dinner at the Tilted Kilt was suddenly out. We were going to Point State Park! Now, we have tried to go to Point State Park before, but... it's Pittsburgh. We could never figure exactly how to get there. For one thing, we are country folk. We figure when you have a park you have a parking lot at the entrance! Not Point State Park. It is a city park and you have to find your own parking lot and walk to it.
Well, we watched and we learned, and we went to the regatta at Point State Park right along the Alleghany, directly across from where we planned to go, but we had seats to sit on instead of a grassy bank, and we had the announcer letting us know what was going on, instead of guessing. And Larry had a corn dog instead of a beer and ribs for dinner. You win some, you lose some.
And when it was over.... the races ran late, and the shuttle was no longer running and we were on the wrong side of the river from where our car was. We had two choices. We could hunt around for the T and take the train across to the stadium, and walk back to our car, or we could use the pedestrian walk along the I-279 bridge and walk all the way back. It was not an easy choice. Choice 1 meant we had to hunt around for something in the city and like I said...as much as I really like Pittsburgh, this just isn't our town. We are not hunters here. We prefer going in caravans. BUT choice 2 meant I had to walk on a high bridge over a river, along with hundreds of cars and trucks. So guess what we chose? The bridge. My aversion to heights has bad moments and better moments. Tuesday was a better moment and I opted for the high walkway above the river over wandering city streets looking for an underground train.
Well, we made it. It was actually pretty great. The boat race was fun. We learned a little more about this fabulous city and we got home without getting lost. We even celebrated that fact with ice cream at DQ once we got back in our own little town.
A side note: This is a city built on a triangle, with 3 rivers, and hundreds of bridges. (After all, the steel was made right here!) Most of the bridges have pedestrian walks on them. The one along I-279 is as wide as a sidewalk and completely separated (by fence, and another walkway) from the highway. It is as solid as I could ever hope for. Everyone here is used to using them to get where they want to go. I was fine until we were 2/3 of the way across when Larry stopped to look out at the view. A truck rumbled by, the walk gave a tiny little quiver... and I was off. I didn't stop until I hit the steps on the other side! But I made it! Chalk one up for me!
OMG -- I can't believe the comedy of errors here. As I was reading, I was also wondering how Ray and I would have handled this. My first instinct was that we wouldn't have bothered to go in the city and avoided the problem that way - and in the process would have missed the regatta! Note how often we go into NYC??? Yeah .. like never. When it comes to city travel, we live a fear based existence, and what have we missed by living like that? In other words, we may be a little like you, only worse! Yeah -- I guess we both have a phobia of getting hopelessly lost, or maybe in an accident.
ReplyDeleteBut -- the upshot was that you took an experience where you were unsure what you were doing, and made it into a fun adventure, rather than going into a panic - and learned something in the process!
I also give you credit for pushing through your fear of heights by walking over that bridge. It's an accomplishment to do something you fear. I remember that from mountain climbing up Sabbatus in Maine. You didn't manage to make the climb onto the watch tower that I remember to be on top of that mountain (not sure it's there anymore), nor did you ever try the "Devil's Staircase". But - ya know - you didn't miss much. The real fun was just the view from the top!
Actually I did go up the firetower! Your dad was in front of me, coaching/coaxing me and Wayne was behind me kind of giving moral support. But no, I never did the Devil's staircase!!
ReplyDelete