3 Things To Do During Memorial Day Weekend In Pittsburgh

It’s time to get ready for a long fun holiday weekend! With so many local activities to choose from and hot spots to visit, deciding what to do with friends or family this weekend may feel overwhelming. Not to fear - we’ve chosen a few of our own ideas to help you make this decision! Here are our recommendations for “what to do” during your holiday weekend:

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• Visit the Pittsburgh Zoo. A visit to the zoo is always a blast - but there's an extra special incentive to visit sooner rather than later. Earlier this year the Pittsburgh Zoo welcomed an adorable new addition: an Amur leopard cub! After lots of TLC, this darling baby has begun exploring the outside world, to the delight of zoogoers. She’s out and about in her exhibit from 9am - 11am every day, so as long as you don’t mind waking up a little early, you can start your day with this ball of adorableness!
• Avoid the heat at a museum. It’s definitely getting hotter outside, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying what our city has to offer! To avoid the worst of the heat during a day out, just head on out to a museum. The four Carnegie Museums always make for a great day out. The Heinz History Center is also a great place to visit, with a special exhibit on historic toys ending this month - and a flag folding ceremony on the 30th, in honor of Memorial Day. If you’re looking for something off the beaten path, though, don't worry: Pittsburgh has a plethora of smaller museums as well (including the ToonSeum, which is right in walking distance!)
• Spend a day at Kennywood. While we can’t promise that you’ll have the park all to yourself, this is definitely a good weekend to head to Kennywood. The coasters…the Potato Patch Fries…the newly christened Noah’s Ark ride! It all makes for a classic day off in Pittsburgh, and is a must this summer.

Those are our top picks for a holiday weekend in town. What about you? Let us know what you plan on doing this weekend in the comments!

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Get Ready To Plan Your Memorial Day Weekend Party!

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The unofficial start of summer is here in T-minus 16 days. For those of you who are staying in town for the holiday, that means you have just over two weeks to get your plans nailed down and your apartment decorated for any holiday parties you may be planning. No worries - with this trusty planning guide, you'll be set to ring in the warm weather and summer vacation season in no time!

• Plan your menu. Any good holiday requires a little menu planning, and Memorial Day weekend is not exception. You’ll want to figure out what you’ll be serving now so you can purchase ingredients and figure out what you’ll be making when, to avoid last-minute chaos and panic in the kitchen. TasteOfHome.com, FoodNetwork.com, and TheKitchn.com have some great ideas to help you get the planning started!
• Decorate. Not only do you want to write up your kitchen-related tasks, but there’s also the issue of decorations to consider. Patriotic banners, streamers, tableware, door wreaths, window flower beds with red, white and blue flowers…all of these decoration ideas can up the “Patriotic” feel of your apartment. You’ll definitely want to consider your budget, and your decorating tastes, as you get the place ready for company!
• Get the games ready. Any good party needs activities! Whether you and your friends are the type to conquer a video game or to share some laughs over a board game, it won’t hurt to figure out what you have on hand and what you want to ask friends to bring to help liven up your party. 

Thinking about these three things now will make your party prep run much more smoothly in a couple weeks. Perhaps most importantly, however, will be remembering to take a moment to appreciate the meaning of Memorial Day. As we prepare to enjoy a relaxing start to the summer season, we are thankful for those who sacrificed for our ability to enjoy our lives and time off. Please join us in preparing to salute those who have made this possible later this month.

Thank you, and happy Memorial Day planning.

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4 Things To Do On A Rainy Pittsburgh Day

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We’ve all been there: we’ve all had to bail on plans to walk along Mount Washington or walk in a local park because of pouring rain. Recognizing that the weather isn’t always going to cooperate is simple a part of being a proud Pittsburgh native. But who says you need to cancel a fun day out entirely due to rain?

While you just want to get out and about in your city, or you promised to show your visiting company the local sights, there are plenty of other things you can do that are quite enjoyable. Here are just a few of our favorite "Rainy day" backup plans:

• Visit a museum. Few things can beat a fun museum visit, and there are plenty of museums to choose from in this city! Pittsburgh is home to four different Carnegie Museums, each of which are full of amazing activities and exhibits. And the Heinz History Center is fantastic for history fans, if you're feeling like connecting with the region's past. So our museums have definitely got you and company covered when it comes to a lot of historical or natural sciences topics!
• Hit up an alternate "museum." Not quite feeling like spending the day in a museum? No worries - there are other great spots you can visit while staying out of the rain. For example, if you're more of a live animal lover, then the Aviary is the place to go. And if you absolutely must surround yourself with greenery to make up for the park walk you're missing out on, Phipps has you covered!
• Head to Station Square. As a historical site and a shopping center, Station Square is a great "everything in one spot" sort of place to enjoy on a rainy day. Plus, the Gateway Clipper docks in the area - meaning, depending on the weather, you could probably hop on board a boat ride and enjoy unique views of Pittsburgh despite a little rain!
• Get artsy. If museums or shopping aren't what you're looking for, why not try out some artsty activities? Pittsburgh is home to local Paint Monkey and national franchise Painting With A Twist. Both are BYOB, and both are tons of fun and worth looking into as a way to brighten up a rainy day!

Did we miss your favorite rainy day activity? We want to hear about what you do on overcast days - let us know in the comments!

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