The End

Well, the cross-country road trip has ended. It is definitely a bitter sweet feeling. I loved every moment of the trip but it's always nice to be home. Many have asked, but I have no favorite places. From the great nightlife in New Orleans to the beautiful sunsets in Utah, I've loved everywhere we've visited. Below is a visual summary of our trip. Enjoy!

Steel City

This past weekend Nick and I spent time with my mom and our family in Pittsburgh, PA. We were given wonderful tours of the city by my cousin, Dennis. We were able to see the city and I was able to spend some time with my family. The first night we took a driving tour of downtown Pittsburgh. We ended the evening at the top of Mt. Washington, which is a hill over looking the entire city. It was a beautiful way to end our first night in the Steel City. In the morning we ventured over to the Strip-a bustling street of shops and vendors. They had everything from Polish delis to a fish market. The sights, sounds and smells of it were overwhelming in the best way. From there we went to the famous restaurant/bar The Original Oyster House. This legendary tavern known for its huge but delicious fish sandwiches, is Pittsburgh's oldest restaurant and a personal favorite of my mom's. After spending a wonderful night at my cousin Kathy's we went over to Ohiopyle- a park highlighted by a beautiful waterfall. From there we made our way over to Frank Loyd Wright's masterpiece Falling Water. We took a tour of the grounds and learned about the house and the original owners, the Kauffmans. Pittsburgh was even better than I remember it and it was great to see my family on our last stop!

Slide Show of Chicago

Chi-Town

Yesterday Nick and I spent the day in downtown Chicago. The city was beautiful, even if we didn't have the best weather at times. We stayed at the James Hotel, a modern boutique hotel in the Magnificent Mile-Chicago's Fifth Avenue. We wandered down to the Navy Pier to see the lake and eat some delicious deep-dish pizza. From there we went to Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower. We went up to the famous Sky Deck, 1,353 feet in the air. Nick and I reluctantly went on the newly built ledges, fully enclosed glass ledges overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking but it was one of the scariest things I've done. It was fifteen dollars per person but it also included a short film of Chicago's history so it was worth the money. It was very crowded for a Thursday afternoon so I wouldn't recommend going on the weekend. For dinner we went to Niu, a sushi fusion restaurant-it was the best sushi I've had! For the night we traveled to Wrigleyville, an area by Wrigleyfield with streets lined with bars. The bars were packed but the prices were right and all in all it was a great night. Nick and I fell in love with the Windy City and we were sad to leave but now we're in Pittsburgh, my mom's hometown, to visit family and show Nick around town. It's our last stop on our road trip so we're going to make it memorable!

Slide Show of Our Time Out West

One Mile Above Sea Level

Nick and I spent last night in Denver, the Mile High City. Upon arriving we visited the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO just outside Denver. We took a 30-minute tour which gave us an inside look on how Coors beers are brewed. The tour was free and at the end we were able to taste some freshly-brewed beers including my favorite-Blue Moon (to think we were going to pass on taking this tour). From there we went to eat at Wynkoop, a legendary brewery/restaurant in downtown Denver. The food was unbelievable and the beers were pretty good as well. We also took time to visit the historic part of Denver. We stopped by the Capitol Building as well as viewing the beautiful Denver Art Museum. On our way out we stopped by City Park, a beautiful park near the Denver Zoo with a lake and a beautiful view of the city. Denver was awesome, my only regret was not staying another day. Now we're at a pit stop in Kansas City, MO before we head out to Chicago. Although we're leaving early tomorrow morning we did manage to get some fabulous BBQ at Arthur Bryant's Restaurant. This incredibly famous restaurant is a favorite of the stars including Steven Spielberg and I can tell why. I'm not an expert but this was the best BBQ I have ever eaten. This simple restaurant is legendary and one of my new favorites. For the night, Kansas City, tomorrow on to the Windy City.

The Old West

On our first time heading north, Nick and I spent yesterday traveling through Arizona and up into Utah. Our first stop was Sedona-one of the most beautiful places I've visited to date. We spent most of our time at Slide Rock Park. This park, just a couple of miles north of the city, has a naturally made waterside in the middle of gigantic mountains. The park was extremely crowded so I definitely recommend coming on a weekday but at just ten bucks per car it's a must-see attraction for those visiting Sedona. From there we traveled north to Monument Valley, right inside Utah. We camped at Gouldings Campground which overlooked huge rock monuments spread throughout a beautiful valley. It was an amazing place to camp and the price was right as well. Now we're currently at the gorgeous Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Denver-thank you Mrs. D! Our plans for tonight are to get some good grub and see as much of the city as we can.