Travel Advice

[rabswom]

My cousin is driving cross-country next month. She's emailed me for some travel advice, but I thought I'd check with you guys to see if you had any thoughts.

They can't go more than about 400-450 miles/day since they're driving with the cat. They'll be stopping in the following cities and are looking for things to see and do. Any advice is appreciated.

Amarillo, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, St. Louis, MO, Dayton, OH and Pittsburgh, PA.

I told them about the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, the OK City Bombing memorial and botanic gardens designed by IM Pei in OK City, the Arch and visiting the Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis, and that Pittsburgh was generally awesome but didn't know of specific things to see.

Any help is appreciated.

Comments

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

Most Best Westerns allow pets.

[snowy-owlet.livejournal.com]

PS: In Dayton, the Human Race Theatre is an excellent theatre company.

[tigg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Arch and Budweiser are good in STL. I would also recommend they get pretzels (or pretzel dogs?) at Gus's Pretzels, which is literally right across the street from the brewery: http://www.guspretzels.com/

Also, anything in Forest Park is grand and free, particularly the Zoo and the Art Museum, but it might be a bit cold for the Zoo. There are also some neat old houses near the brewery and gus's. And, if they like Native American stuff, Cahokia Mounds right across the river is a great stop.

[yuda.livejournal.com]

Didn't Inbev end all brewery tours when they bought Anheuser-Busch out?

[tigg.livejournal.com]

Nope, they're still going on. A friend of mine just took a tour within the last couple of months. I'm told they mention Inbev as little as possible.

[acsumama.livejournal.com]

We're still figuring out what's cool to do in Pittsburgh, but the Carnegie museums have all been good so far.

In Dayton, they could stop by SunWatch (reconstructed Indian village), although I don't know how exciting it will be in the winter.

[crankyliberal.livejournal.com]

There is also the incline thing in Pittsburgh, which is a old fashioned train thing to the top of Mt. Washington. Of the Carnegies, the Warhol might be the most distinctive since he's a native son and all that.

[brittdreams.livejournal.com]

where are they starting and ending?

[rabswom.livejournal.com]

Sacramento, CA to New York City. She has the first few days planned out already and asked for my advice on these particular stops.

[brittdreams.livejournal.com]

If their route takes them through NM, they should totally check out either Albuquerque or Santa Fe.

[asd109.livejournal.com]

I can't believe you didn't suggest any of the exotic animal parks near OKC. :)

[rabswom.livejournal.com]

Ha! I thought about it, but felt that Jen's cat would not do so well with those. :)

[freddlerabbit.livejournal.com]

My buddy Jane grew up in St. Louis and went to college in Dayton. I have asked her for advice, and she is putting together an email - I'm just going to forward it to you, rather than post here, OK?

[rabswom.livejournal.com]

Okay -- thanks for the help!

[frivolity.livejournal.com]

I can suggest a few things for Pittsburgh:

• The National Aviary
• Duquesne Incline I always mean to do this when I'm in Pittsburgh but I never get around to it.
• various Carnegie Museums The science center has an IMAX theatre.
• walking tours Something else I want to do but couldn't convince the person I was in Pittsburgh with to do. It might be too cold this time of year.
• Stuff listed at http://www.visitpittsburgh.com/

[melisser.livejournal.com]

I love the Aviary, and all of the Pittsburgh museums are great! Phipps is also pretty great.

If they happen to be in Pittsburgh on a weekend, the Strip District is awesome. My husband swears by the Benkovitz fish sandwich. I've never had it, but he loses his mind every time he talks about it and he's a Pittsburgher-by-birth.

Depending on how/where they're headed, they might pass near Falling Water.

My favorite places to eat in Pittsburgh: The Quiet Storm, the Zenith Tea Room, Point Brugge, Cafe du Jour. Also very popular but new enough that I haven't been there: Dinette. People are FREAKING OUT about this place.

Also, favorite bar: Brillobox.

Depending on what kind of person your cousin is, Pittsburgh is the only place I have ever seen stripper karaoke in my entire life. If you're wondering, "do the strippers sing, or do the strippers strip while you're singing?, the answer, my friend, is yes. Both. It's a bit out of the way, but the place is just unbelievable and filthy and horrible and amazing.

[frivolity.livejournal.com]

OMG Bare-aoke. That's almost tempting. I wasn't going to mention it, but the Pittsburgh area is also home to the country's only drive-through strip club. I haven't driven through, but I have driven past and it's pretty run-down looking.

Phipps looks great. I'll need to check that out next time I'm in Pittsburgh.

[yuda.livejournal.com]

The Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh is not to be missed.

Food wise: Mineo's Pizza http://www.mineospizza.com/ and of course The O: http://pittsburgh.citysearch.com/profile/8608800/pittsburgh_pa/original_hot_dog_shops_inc.html (note: The O is kind of horribly greasy and a little terrifying and may have no value for somebody who hasn't spent time in Pittsburgh in the past. But Mineo's is great pizza regardless)

Sadly, it's the wrong time of year for Kennywood or baseball.

On the way out of Pittsburgh, there is of course Falling Water, but I don't know how feasible it is to leave the cat in the car for any stops like that (I'd guess "not very").

If they're into trains, the Horseshoe Curve is kind of cool and almost certainly on the way: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_Curve_(Altoona,_Pennsylvania)

[relena-wolf.livejournal.com]

I'll comment with Pittsburgh stuff tonight when I have time. We need to take the dog to the vet for boosters.

[skirmishgirl.livejournal.com]

If they are at all into airplanes, Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton is home of the Air Force Museum. It is HUUUUUUGE, as in at least seven airplane hangars full of just about everything America has ever produced. And, it's free.

[zyrya]

What does the cat want to see?