Things To Do
In addition to our own walking paths, explore well-maintained nearby rail trails, including the 36-mile Armstrong Trail http://armstrongtrails.org/, which connects riverfront towns along the east bank of the Allegheny River, and the 21-mile Butler Freeport Community Trail http://www.butlerfreeporttrail.org/, nestled in the scenic wooded valley that follows Buffalo Creek. In addition, three county parks, all within a 20-minute drive, provide trails as well as other activities. Hartwood Acres https://www.alleghenycounty.us/parks/hartwood/index.aspxfeatures bridle, cross-country skiing and walking trails as well as guided tours of the Tudor mansion. It also hosts free outdoor concerts in the summer and several equestrian events. Guests can fish in the ponds and play "Frisbee" golf at the 18-hold championship disc golf course at Deer Lakes Park https://www.alleghenycounty.us/parks/deer-lakes/index.aspx. And one of the largest county parks, North Park
https://www.alleghenycounty.us/parks/north-park/index.aspx, features an 18-hole golf course, ball fields, basketball course, horseshoe pits, 75-acre lake with fishing, outdoor swimming pool, ice skating rink, remote control airplane field, exercise trail and tennis courts. One of our favorite parks, Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve http://www.aswp.org/pages/beechwood, is home to the Audubon Society and features a plant nursery, guided hikes and miles of trails for stunning birdwatching.
North Park
Deer Lakes Park
Many guests love to go browsing for antiques, and several good shops are nearby, including Wagon Wheel Antiques https://wagonwheelantiques.us, Wexford General Store https://www.wexfordantiques.com/and Richland Antiques & Collectibles https://www.facebook.com/Richland-Antiques-Collectibles-108189784093831/. Of course, for that newer shopping experience, the sky’s the limit. Downtown Pittsburgh is compact and walkable and has a load of small business stores and boutiques https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/blog/top-10-under-the-radar-places-to-shop-in-pittsburgh/. Venture into Pittsburgh's unique neighborhoods, such as Shadyside, or to nearby towns such as Sewickley https://www.exploresewickley.com/or Oakmont https://www.oakmont-pa.com/, for an eclectic mix sure to satisfy your shopping fix.
Gourmands are surprised to discover a wealth of innovative restaurants within a short drive, including the restaurant at Narcisi Winery https://www.narcisiwinery.com/restaurant-1, Cala Lily https://www.calalilyrestaurantandbar.com/, Hotel Saxonburg http://www.hotelsaxonburg.com/, Hartwood Restaurant & Whisper’s Pub http://hartwoodrestaurant.com/, Zottola’s Pub & Eatery https://www.zottolaspubandeatery.com/, Breakneck Tavern http://breaknecktavern.com/, just to name a few. Let us know if you would like us to make a reservation for you.
Downtown Pittsburgh
Narcisi Winery
Golfers love our location. Bordering the southeastern corner of our land is Pittsburgh National Golf Club https://pittsburghnationalgolfclub.net/, where some greens are tucked into wooded alcoves and others dance along the edge of ravines. Literally dozens of other courses, ranging from intimate courses such as Pheasant Ridge https://www.pheasantridgegolf.com/to world-famous Oakmont Country Club https://www.oakmont-countryclub.org/, are within a 20-minute drive.
About 45 minutes west, on the banks of the Ohio River, is Old Economy Village http://oldeconomyvillage.org/, the last settlement of a 19th century Christian communal group called the Harmony Society. An hour north is the Grove City Outlet Mall and the Amish settlements of New Wilmington and Volant https://www.visitlawrencecounty.com/. An hour southeast are two downhill ski resorts—Seven Springs https://www.7springs.com/, with the largest snowmaking facilities in the East, and Hidden Valley http://www.hiddenvalleyresort.com/ great for beginners and intermediate skiers.
Just south of those resorts, Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater," https://fallingwater.org/considered the most architecturally significant home in the United States, lures visitors to view a masterpiece of design - the home over a waterfall. Nearby Wright's lesser known `"Kentuck Knob" https://kentuckknob.com/ also now offers tours to visitors.
But don't forget Pittsburgh, one of the most interesting cities in North America, with its brick-paved streets, narrow shotgun houses perched precariously on steep hills, and three mighty rivers where visitors can take paddle boat cruises on the Gateway Clipper Fleet. Pittsburgh offers a dynamic nightlife at clubs where you don't have to stand in line to get in and at restaurants that run the gamut of contemporary and ethnic cuisine.
Gateway Clipper @ PNC Park
Falling Water
The city also offers culture—from the famous symphony and ballet to Broadway shows, theater, and opera. Pittsburgh is home to the Carnegie Museums, which include the Carnegie Museum of Art https://cmoa.org/, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History https://carnegiemnh.org/, the Carnegie Science Center https://carnegiesciencecenter.org/and the Andy Warhol Museum https://www.warhol.org/. Other independent museums, such as The Mattress Factory https://www.mattress.org/, the Frick Art and Historical Center https://www.thefrickpittsburgh.org/and the Senator John Heinz History Center https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/, add variety to an already abundant mix. And, if you’re bent on losing some money, the Rivers Casino https://www.riverscasino.com/pittsburgh/on the North Shore, with 120,000 square feet of gaming space, will oblige.
Andy Warhol Museum
Rivers Casino
Required visits should be the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium https://www.pittsburghzoo.org/, where animals roam in natural habitats; the National Aviary https://www.aviary.org/, where birds fly unfettered; and Phipps Conservatory https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/, a century-old glass house filled with a changing display of plants and flowers that also houses The Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL), one of the greenest buildings in the world and the first and only building to meet five of the highest green certifications.
Sports lovers won't want to miss a game by one of the city's four professional teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates https://www.mlb.com/pirates(baseball), Steelers https://www.steelers.com/(football), Penguins https://www.nhl.com/penguins/(hockey) and Riverhounds https://www.riverhounds.com/(soccer). In Pittsburgh, you often can get tickets on game day.
Should you come for more “academic” reasons, the Sun and Cricket is within a 45-minute drive of at least 15 of the area's many colleges and universities and technical schools including the three largest—University of Pittsburgh https://www.pitt.edu/, Carnegie Mellon University https://www.cmu.edu/, and Duquesne University https://www.duq.edu/. Literally down the street from the Sun and Cricket is Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus https://www.chatham.edu/locations/eden-hall-campus/index.html, a 400-acre academic community dedicated to sustainable living, which hosts outdoor summer concerts.