Falling down the rabbit hole is something I do quite well so I was pleased to catch the Alice in Wonderland summer flower show at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. It closes on September 27 so if this sounds at all appealing to you, now is the time to find your way to Pittsburgh.
The Phipps is probably the best Conservatory I have seen and is nice to visit in any season. They are known for putting on some special flower shows but this one was truly unique.
They use flowers and other materials to bring to life scenes from the book. The White Rabbit greets you at the entrance.
Then there’s the Red Queen and her castle. This scene is stunning.
And the Cheshire Cat grinning down at you from a tree.
I loved the tea party.
Plus, the place is just gorgeous.
They did a great job bringing to life a classic children’s story for all ages to enjoy and get lost in. We saw a few people who came dressed for the occasion.
While paying for our treasures at Riverstone Books, we asked the nice employee who was ringing us up if there was a good bakery nearby. He referred us to Gaby et Jules, a patisserie specializing in French macarons and some other fancy little desserts. It was just steps down the street from the bookstore and a logical place to pause for nourishment after a strenuous morning of book browsing.
Before we proceed, I just want to point out that macarons and macaroons are not the same thing. They’re both little cookies made with basically the same base ingredients but a macaroon is a drop cookie and is relatively easy to make. The macaron is a more challenging frou-frou little sandwich cookie that is filled with buttercream or some other confection and are almost too pretty to eat.
Almost. But I digress.
Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of either cookie but that clearly was because I’ve never had one of Chef David Piquard’s specialty.
Not only are they beautiful, they have been voted the best in the city. They taste positively heavenly and are worthy of the recognition.
One of the main activities of my Pittsburgh trip last month was a bookstore crawl.
You see, the greater Pittsburgh area is home to dozens of independent bookstores. That doesn’t count the chains like Barnes and Noble or Half Price Books.
That’s just the small guys.
On previous trips we have made a decent dent in that list of local book shops but decided to make an effort to hit a few more.
Here’s where we went:
Amazing Books and Records.
This store specializes in used books and records. In a rare instance of restraint, I didn’t find anything but my friend left with a decent stack. It has a cool vibe with smooth music, coffee brewing, and a guy behind the counter who charmed me by recommending a couple of other stores in the neighborhood. I liked his sense of community among local businesses. Visit them here.
Riverstone Books
Just down the street we explored Riverstone Books which sells basically everything I would ever want to read and some things I didn’t know I need to read. This is a delightful store with a small but mighty nonfiction section amidst a robust collection of fiction, children’s books and bookish things. They host author talks and other events that made me want to come back. There’s also a French bakery a couple of doors down, in case you need to know.
Stay Gold Books
In terms of footprint, this store is small. However, this is a carefully curated collection where it feels like every book has earned its spot on the shelf. There’s a comfy sofa and the place is run by some lovely people so I was glad to linger here. Visit them here.
Kards Unlimited
This is a cool gift shop with a fantastic selection of books. So it’s not a dedicated bookstore but that’s half the fun. Not only do they have a good mix of the popular and obscure in books, there’s jewelry, blown glass ornaments, paper goods and lots of novelty items. Visit them here.
Beyond Bedtime Books
I have written about this used bookstore before. It’s really packed in there but everything is tidy and organized and you never know what you’ll find. I picked up a like- new signed copy of a Marie Benedict book for just a few dollars. There’s a small bakery down the block with amazing brownies. In case you need to know. Read about them here.
We also stopped at a Barnes and Noble so I could pick up the new Bella Grace Field Guide which is a different story for another day. We had three more bookstores on our agenda for that day but ran out of time. I think we ran out of time because we kept stopping for brownies and macarons but that’s also a story for another day.
We have goals for next time.
In case you’re keeping track, that’s six bookstores in a day plus a seventh in Bedford. We won’t discuss all the baked goods and candy involved in this trip!
This locally owned shoe store is packed with all kinds of quality and interesting shoes. While I wasn’t in the market for shoes, I was smitten with the outside of their building. The colors! The sign! Oh my!
Plus, if you look closely, you’ll notice dust flying in the distance. A crew was mixing cement for a sidewalk repair and causing all kinds of mess on this tree-lined street.
It’s basically the best depiction of a Pittsburgh neighborhood I can give you!
I’m home after a few days of adventures with my Pittsburgh pal. She gives me the insider tour of her city and, this time, we also took a day trip over to historic Bedford, Pennsylvania.
This was my first real adventure of the year and it didn’t come a moment too soon. I was feeling restless, deprived, and yearning for something more interesting than my own four walls. I have a good life but it’s better when I step away occasionally to see what else the world has to offer.
We did a book crawl, ate at a historic tavern, and looked at art and historic buildings. We shopped, contemplated the sacrifices made by our veterans, and browsed a middle eastern food market near her home.
It is never lost on me how different her life is from mine because of where we live.
There are about three dozen independent bookstores in the Pittsburgh area. There are radio stations that play more than top forty country and pop music. I listened to some jazz radio while in the area and was sad to lose the station as I traveled away from the city. There are markets and restaurants that cater to ethnic cuisines and her very nice neighborhood of tree lined streets is filled with people who have come from afar. There are more jobs, more money, more educational opportunities, more museums, more of everything really.
The contrast between urban and rural is surprising sometimes.
Yet, where I live is beautiful. We have a shared sense of community that comes from everyone attending the same high school, shopping at the same grocery store, and being so small we tend to know each other.
Where I live in the country, there are no sidewalks or streetlights. There’s also no traffic unless you count school buses, farm equipment, and the occasional road construction.
I can hear a variety of birds and frogs in my yard and my closest neighbors are far enough away I don’t really hear them.
Quality of life is awfully good in many ways here but it’s also nice to leave and to have different experiences.
At one point, I stood before a mirror in the ladies room at Bedford Candy. My hair was a mess and I had the wild eyed look of someone who was so busy running around and looking at stuff that time didn’t matter.
It’s true, I spent almost the entire trip without any idea what day it was or what time it was. I was in my element and didn’t give a gosh darn what the clock said.
I have missed that version of myself. Planning and schedules have nearly crowded her out.
Yet, all good things must end. I’m home safe. The people in my life are thrilled to have me back. My little house panther couldn’t be happier. I keep catching him staring at me like he just wants to make sure I’m really here.
I am really here, a country mouse tucked away in my country house with a few stories to share and a mess to clean up. Not only do I need to unpack, there are groceries and fun purchases that still need to be put away today.
For now though, I can take my time, enjoy my little cat’s company, and savor the memories of experiences that helped me remember who I am.
