If you’re going to a place nicknamed “Steel City,” secure your valuables. It’s better to look like a tourist and keep your wallet than to look cool and lose everything.
Every person’s first vacation comes with some valuable lessons. The first lesson I ever learned? If you’re going to a place nicknamed “Steel City,” secure your valuables. It’s better to look like a tourist and keep your wallet than to look cool and lose everything. When I was 12, my dad took me to Pittsburgh via bus, and I was thrilled. We had big plans for the weekend, like visiting the gorillas at Pittsburgh Zoo and watching the Steelers perform at Heinz Field.
Unfortunately, it would be less than six hours after our arrival in Pittsburgh that my dad and I would be forced to hitchhike the four-hour drive home.
My father’s penchant for paying for everything in cash, coupled with his refusal to invest in a simple security device like a travel wallet, made him an easy target for a pickpocket. After getting a delicious lunch at the Burgatory, we went and bought tickets for a Steelers game. We never saw my dad’s wallet again. Someone in the crowd had snagged it out of my dad’s back pocket on the walk to Heinz Field, and taken the more than $300 in cash that was intended for our hotel and return bus ride the next day. Since it was a Sunday, the bank wasn’t open, and we had no chance of obtaining more funding that day. Pittsburgh had pitted itself against us.
The good news? In an ironic twist, the only thing the thief didn’t get was our Steelers tickets, which my dad had given to me to “hang on to for safekeeping.” Let me tell ya, that Steelers game was worth all the hassle we went through the rest of the day. Getting caught up in the excitement of a crowd of some 45,000 football fans in Heinz Field still stands out as one of the best experiences of any vacation I’ve ever taken.
Of course, once the magic of the game ended, we started realizing how much trouble we were really in. We had no money. We had no place to stay lined up in advance, like we would today. And this was before cell phones. But dang it, we were in Pittsburgh, and we were going to make the most of it. Turns out in a city as cool as Pittsburgh, there’s lots to enjoy even if you’re penniless.
I was disappointed we weren’t going to see the animals at Pittsburgh Zoo, so my dad took me to the Soldiers and Sailors Museum as an educational distraction. The museum’s huge collection of war artifacts and ancient weaponry will engross any child for a couple hours guaranteed – it sure kept me intrigued.
Of course, all that learning needed to be followed up with a bit of physical exercise, so we headed over to the 180-acre Emerald View Park. The park offers scenic hiking trails, ending in a gorgeous view of flowers and trees, with Downtown acting as the backdrop for it all. We hadn’t planned on visiting Emerald View, but having done so, it’s easy to see why the park draws well over a million visitors annually.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Although it was summer and therefore going to stay light late into the night, my dad eventually realized we needed to get home or we were going to end up sleeping in the park. My dad is an experienced hitchhiker and decided that “Escaping Steel City” would make for a good introduction to hitchhiking for me. Being 12, I thought this sounded more like a sweet adventure than a terrifying ordeal, so I agreed.
Over the next five hours, I met some of the most interesting people I have ever encountered. As it turns out, the people who are willing to give a man and his son a ride with no questions asked are pretty unique themselves. An enthusiastic Pittsburgh-based gardener told me about Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, with its thousands of diverse plants. A talkative foodie with only one thumb boasted to us of all the fine Pittsburgh dining he’s experienced and told us that everyone needs to appreciate the elevated cooking at Altius at least once in their lives. After hearing some great stories and getting some discriminating recommendations, we made it home safe and sound.
This wasn’t my last or best trip to Pittsburgh, although it remains the most memorable. I was able to go back and visit the gorillas at the Pittsburgh Zoo like I wanted to the first time around. Now that I’m an adult, I do a few things differently than I used to. I’m done with same-day hotel reservations; now I just purchase a Pittsburgh vacation rental in advance. And, of course, I’m happy to look like a tourist with my possessions swinging safely around my neck in my travel wallet.
