Pittsburgh Off The Beaten Path

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Erskine covered bridge in Washington County was built in 1845 by William Gordon. The red, box-like bridge is just 39 feet long and about 12 feet wide, and it rattles like a baby's toy as you drive across! The bridge, spanning Middle Wheeling Creek, was just refurbished in 2006.

It stands just one tenths of a mile from the West Virginia border, so it is the westernmost bridge in PA and the oldest bridge in the county.

Pennsylvania has 197 covered bridges still standing, and there are 28 remaining covered bridges in Washington and Greene counties.


To get to Erskine Covered Bridge, take I-70 west from Pittsburgh. Take exit 1 just before the WVa border and go south on Old Brick Road. After about 2 miles, turn right on State Route 3018/Middle Creek Road. Go about one mile and the bridge will appear on your left at the entrance to Erskine Road.

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The Strip District Trail runs along the southshore of the Allegheny River from it's juncture with the Monongehla River, east, 1 1/2 miles to 21st street. Another half mile is being developed. Along the route, you'll pass under the Three Sisters (6th, 7th, and 9th Street) bridges.

You'll have a view of the northshore, where the old Trinity Cathedral is visible and PNC Park.

The Three Rivers Heritage Trails - South Side Trail runs along the southshore of the Monongahela River from it's junction with the Allegheny River to 3 miles up river. Here, it joins the Baldwin Borough Trail for another 2 miles. The western end is located at the Duquesne Incline, past the Monongahela Incline and Station Square.

Across the river to the north is downtown Pittsburgh.

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The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is a combination of four trails, along the riverfront. The North Shore Trail is along the northshore of the Ohio River from 3 miles below (west of) the point between the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers to 4 miles above the junction along the north side of the Allegheny River.

The D4DR Club is a social club like no other.

Geared at those individuals that are willing to go on vacation to that far flung, war torn country or the guy who is wiling to risk his life by bungee jumping inside a cave....

They come from all walks of life. Men and women of all denominations and races, their common denominator is an elongated D4DR gene.

The D4DR is a gene at the end of chromosome 11. We all have it, but when it is mutant or elongated, it causes that person to seekout high stimulation via adventure travel or extreme sports.

For the first time, we have managed to bring together a unique niche within our society, filling a vacuum which laid dormant for years.

Just weeks after our site was launched it had already seen an amazing response. Over 2500 visitors and 100 email requests came in soon after its launch.

Why do people join the club? Some join to have a forum where they can interact with others like them, others want to take advantage of the club benefits and some want to advance the research on the D4DR gene.

According to a 1999 Time Magazine article, people living today do not encounter danger on a daily basis as they did centuries ago. This has caused people to search out and take risks on their own to satisfy this urge.

Either way, the club has definitely tapped into something which many of us could just not put our finger on previously.

As the site's home page states, "if you've got the D4DR gene, no need to do genetic testing, you probably know it!"

Also check out this recently published article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04328/415890.stm

History and learning doesn't have to be boring!! This building was formerly the Chautauqua Lake Ice Company building, and is located in the Strip District (look in Must See section for more about this fun area). It has been associated with the Smithsonian Institution since 2000. Devoted to the history and heritage of Western Pennsylvania, the History Center is a 160,000-square-foot museum and research facility, which is about to grow by roughly 40,000 square feet when its five-story addition opens in 2004. There are both permanent and travelling exhibits as well as Kidsburgh and Discovery Place, especially for kids.

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Clayton is the name of Henry Clay Frick's late-Victorian home here in Pittsburgh. It was Henry Clay Frick’s first home as a married man and the chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company; it now houses the Frick Art and Historical Center. There are over 5 acres of lawns and gardens and various buildings. The house was home to Helen Clay Frick, Henry's third child until the 1980s when she died. Many of the original furnishings, including their purchase receipts still remain. A fascinating look into the Victorian era!

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Check out the former location of Forbes Field, now located on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Home plate still sits in its original location, enclosed under plexiglas in the main hallway in Posvar Hall (formerly known as the "Forbes Quadrangle"). This building is just across the street from the Cathedral of Learning.

Inside Posvar take a look at the home plate that was actually used in the final game as well as the famous print from Life magazine of the students watching the World Series from the top of the Cathedral of Learning (the print is framed with a letter signed by Bill Mazeroski).

Just in front of Posvar Hall you call follow the line of the old left field wall--now just a double row of red brick--and see the plaque marking the exact spot where Mazeroski's home run left the park in game 7 to win the series over the still-hated Yankees.

Around the side of Posvar is Roberto Clemente Drive and a stretch of the original Forbes Field left-center field wall. A sign at this location reads,

"FORBES FIELD -- The first all steel and concrete ballpark in the nation, Forbes Field was home to the Pirates, site of four World Series in 1909, 1925, 1927, & 1960 and two All-Star games. Hosted the Homestead Grays, Steelers, and Pitt Panthers, as well as political rallies and boxing matches. Site of Bill Mazeroski's game seven, ninth inning, World Series winning home run on October 13, 1960 and Babe Ruth's last 3 home runs. Damaged by fire, razed 1972."

Other historical baseball sites in the Pittsburgh area include the site of Three Rivers Stadium and Exhibition Park on the North Shore, the Pittsburgh Crawfords' former home in the Hill District, the Western PA Sports Museum in the Strip District, Josh Gibson's gravesite in Lawrenceville, Honus Wagner's birthplace in Carnegie, and finally Donora--birthplace of Ken Griffey, Sr, Ken Griffey, Jr, and Stan Musial.