by Roy A. Barnes
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was once synonymous with steel and the home of some of the most iconic barons of finance and industry, including Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Mellon. But even as the steel industry in America has declined and the barons of generations past are no more, the city can boast one of the greatest collections of offbeat attractions of any major city.
The most fascinating classrooms are on the University of Pittsburgh campus
In the neighborhood of Oakland, east of downtown Pittsburgh, resides the University of Pittsburgh campus. Dwarfing this campus is the 42-story high Cathedral of Learning. On the first and third floors of the tallest educational building in the United States resides a collection of 29 different rooms which honor various nationalities who have contributed to Pittsburgh’s history, and which must contain interiors that reflect any period before 1787, the year the university was founded.
Known as the Nationality Rooms, they are used for actual college classrooms and study areas. Because of this, I was only allowed to tour a number of empty ones, but the ones I did see left me in total awe. The ones which stood out most for me included the English Nationality Room, which was modeled in Tudor-Gothic style of the British House of Commons and contains more artifacts from that iconic place than anywhere else, including actual woodwork and a fireplace.
I found the most striking, yet homey room to be the Norwegian Nationality Room, built to resemble an 18th century house interior from Norway. The chairs in the rooms feature Viking symbols, adding to the room’s ambience and sense of times past.
I was fortunate enough to get a tour from the longtime director E. Maxine Bruhns, who came from humble beginnings (deeming herself “a West Virginia hillbilly”) to oversee one of the most special collection of rooms college students have the privilege of matriculating in. Her stories about the various rooms were very heartwarming, including the ones about her favorite room, The Early American Room, where some of the artifacts her ancestors owned are located. It’s best to make an appointment in advance to view the rooms.
Just across the street from the Nationality Rooms in Schenley Plaza is an eclectic place to eat that celebrates the cuisine of countries the US government spats with. Called Conflict Kitchen, this takeaway stand was serving dishes from Palestine, so I partook of some freshly made hummus and a dish called Rumaniyya, which is a Middle Eastern stew. Past menus have focused on such enemies of the US like North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela.
The Most Fascinating Trundle Manor
Trundle Manor is billed as “The Most Unusual Tourist Trap in the World Meets the Most Bizarre Private Collection on Public Display.” When I arrived at the museum/home located in Swissdale (a borough east of Pittsburgh), I noticed a funeral limousine parked out front as I sauntered up the creepy steps. I was feeling a bit of trepidation over seeing a collection of dead artifacts and even more apprehensive about just how odd the curator, who goes by the name of Mr. Arm, and his assistant Velda Von Minx, would be.
But upon walking through the door, I was warmly greeted by both characters, and I can easily conclude that the manor’s billing isn’t false advertising, and the two hosts are about as harmless as the jars of preserved animal fetuses and bullocks on display for the curious. Despite the vast amount of reminders of death and hair-raising items from animal taxidermy to large, rusty meat cleavers, jars of mice skins and rat hearts, a sense of peace and tranquility prevailed amid a mix of ’20s and ’30s novelty and jazz tunes blaring out. Mr. Arm demonstrated his “singing tumor” machine which he concocted. It stars an actual large, benign tumor taken from a belly dancer friend of his. It moves about while music plays. For Mr. Arm, all the consumer inventions available aren’t enough for him, so he invents more.
One of the strange phenomena of this place is despite all the displayed artifacts, very little, if any, signs of dust can be found. Mr. Arm stated that this place has never once seen a dust mop, which makes it less worrisome for the couple before they host horror movie nights as well as Halloween parties, the latter which have drawn hundreds of folks.
The tour includes five areas, including the “experimentation room,” which disguises the couple’s kitchen. Other displayed artifacts include military, occult, and a variety of other jarred specimens. The gift shop features original Trundle Manor items like necklaces which small vials of octopus tentacles or rat claws are the centerpiece, a must for the woman who has everything!
Photo and camera history abound at Photo Antiquities
As a travel writer, I’ve developed a passion for finding and taking great shots of the places I write about. So I enjoyed experiencing the history of cameras and photography at Photo Antiquities, located just north of downtown Pittsburgh. Bruce Klein, the director, intrigued me as he took me down the very black and white as well as colorfully historical road of photography, which began with him showing me one of the earliest ever photographs taken by Nicéphore “Joseph” Niépce during the 1820s. This museum prides itself on being the only 19th century photo museum in the United States and only one of a handful on this planet even though 20th and 21st century photographic history and items are also featured from Polaroid to disposable cameras.
Many of the photographs on display capture a 19th and early 20th century pictorial history of the Pittsburgh area. Daguerreotypes, of the first commercially-available photos, are prominently featured here as well as lantern slides and travel post cards from centuries past.
I got to see the special exhibition of 19th century post mortem photos, mostly children, who were made to look as if they were still alive for their final images captured before they were laid to rest. And yes, they did give me the creeps, but my creepy feelings soon melted when I saw more positive 1800s photos of dogs and their owners.
Klein’s knowledge of photo history was only outdone by his vast knowledge of photographic equipment in plentiful supply in various exhibit rooms. It seemed that every camera ever made was somehow acquired for this museum, including an 1870s stereo tissue viewer, which when looking through it, one can actually see a color photograph, though color photos in general wouldn’t be available for 60-plus years.
In the spring of 2015, the museum is set to host an exhibition featuring the most photographs ever of Abraham Lincoln in one place.
Childhood memories relived at Bicycle Heaven
Nice memories of owning a bike as a child flooded my senses again after my visit to Bicycle Heaven, located in an industrial park on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. It’s the result of Craig Morrow’s 30 years of collecting which he had to store the bicycles and parts in various garages around town until he was able to open up this complex that used to be a tractor plant.
Because Bicycle Heaven serves also as a repair shop and dealership, getting to the main part of the museum meant navigating through rooms of countless bicycle parts (which number as many, many millions) and bicycles hanging upside down above my head. But the navigation was well worth it as the museum seemed to feature every bicycle ever made, with models going back to an 1860s wooden “boneshaker,” which gave riders quite a jolt.
I got to see the world’s largest collection of Schwin Stingrays as well as an array of rare, hard-to-find models like the ones made to honor Oreo Cookies, Marilyn Monroe, Coca-Cola, and Elvis Presley. Movie studios have even rented models from Morrow, and I saw one bicycle on display which was used in an upcoming movie called “Fathers & Daughters” starring Russell Crowe. Those interested in tricycles can view the first ever one made during the 1890s.
Bicycle Heaven has all kinds of vintage bicycle signs decorating the walls, plus even more surprises, as Morrow collects more than just bicycles.
Pittsburgh Brewery Tour with Lunch or Dinner
If You Go:
Also worth checking out…
♦ Andy Warhol’s grave can be seen at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery in Bethel Park at Connor Road and Pennsylvania Route 88, south of downtown. A live 24/7 webcam monitors the gravesite.
♦ RandyLand is a brightly-painted and decorated home full of artistic expression located in the Mexican War Streets district north of downtown. Its owner, Randy Gilson, is a community activist who has helped to improve and revitalize this historic area.
♦ “Roboworld,” located in the Carnegie Science Center, features the only robot hall of fame in the world (honoring movie robots like R2D2) as well as the world’s largest permanent robotic display. Other exhibits are interactive, including one where you can play air hockey with a robot plus chat and get thermal readings from others.
♦ I stayed at the Caribbean-themed Parador Inn, just north of downtown in the Allegheny West neighborhood. The spacious rooms have names like Bird of Paradise, Oleander, Lady Palm, and feature comfortable beds, free high speed internet, and access to the parlor, library, and kitchen areas. Free quest passes to the nearby YMCA are available. Guests can enjoy the back yard, which reminded me of being in Key West, Florida.
More Information
♦ University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms
♦ Trundle Manor
♦ Photo Antiquities
♦ Bicycle Heaven
♦ Warhol grave webcam
♦ RandyLand
♦ “Roboworld” Carnegie Science Center
♦ Parador Inn
♦ Pittsburgh Tourism Information
About the author:
Roy A. Barnes attended a press trip hosted by Visit Pittsburgh, but what he wrote and shot photos of were of his own accord, and not vetted and/or approved in advance by his hosts. The writer is from Wyoming and is a frequent contributor to Travel thru History.
All photos are credited to Roy A. Barnes and may not be used without permission.
The place to go in New Hampshire is the magnificent White Mountains, located in the central and northern parts of the state. Like many destinations in North America, this region is also best explored by car. There is no public transport and cars are simply the only way to reach certain places. And there are several places you will want to reach in the White Mountain National Forest.
Another major highlight is Franconia Notch State Park, a mountain pass with Echo Lake at its northern end. The viewpoint of Artist’s Bluff – what’s in a name – is breathtaking. There are no less than 48 mountain peaks above 4,000 feet in the White Mountains, the highest of which make up the Presidential Range. The tallest peak of them all is the appropriately named Mount Washington, located in the east of the mountains. It is possible to hike up the mountain – but be prepared, the weather can be dangerous –, but also to take the Cog Railway to the summit, or drive up. Either way, the views are spectacular (if it’s a clear day).
While New Hampshire offers towering mountain peaks and lakes, its western neighbor, Vermont, has a different scenery. A typical Vermont landscape consists of rolling hills – green in summer, orange in fall and white in winter -, picturesque villages, wide valleys and farms. Compared to New Hampshire, it is less rugged and spectacular, but more gentle and friendlier.
Just like New Hampshire, the best way to experience Vermont is by driving. Don’t even think about entering the interstate though. The small back roads are where you want to be. And don’t be afraid to get lost; that is exactly when you will stumble upon unexpected rural beauty. After living in Vermont for five months, I do know that that is the truth. Most small roads aren’t on the bigger maps and I have gotten lost several times. However, getting lost in Vermont is never frustrating. Although there is no ‘most popular destination’, there is in fact a suggested thing to do. State Route 100 crosses Vermont from north to south and essentially runs through the heart of the Green Mountains. If you happen to be driving across Vermont in the fall, let it be there. Make sure to allow time for a few detours.
Imagine the following scenario. After driving on an unpaved road through the woods for a couple of miles, you suddenly find yourself in a narrow valley, crossed by a fast-flowing river and flanked by hills on both sides. The hillsides look as if they are on fire; it is early October and the landscape is made up of all possible yellows, oranges and reds. In the valley, dozens of brown cows graze peacefully in still green pastures. A bright red covered bridge crosses the river, allowing tractors and other farm vehicles to reach the surrounding fields. The road follows the river and leads to a small village. On the way you occasionally pass signs saying ‘fresh berries’ or ‘maple syrup sold here’. The village consists of several wooden houses, most of them painted white, but there are some light yellow and green ones as well. The center of the village is the typical village green, a large lawn fringed with tall maple trees. Two gazebos stand on each end.
In the fall sunshine a man is raking leaves in his front yard and raises his hand as you drive by. It is a Saturday morning and people are looking for kitsch or antiques at this year’s last flea market. A little further on another guy is chopping firewood. You think about what it must be like in winter in a village like this. You imagine several feet of snow and you can hear the sound of wood knispering in the fireplace. But now, it is still fall and you want to continue your drive through the Vermont countryside. The road leaves the village and climbs up the hillside. Before you turn around a bend, you pull over on the roadside. You grab your camera, get out of the car and snap one last picture of the valley and village below.
The French Quarter Festival is a free annual music festival located in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, first held in 1984. It features traditional and contemporary jazz, R&B, New Orleans funk, brass bands, folk, gospel, Latin, Cajun and zydeco played by Louisiana residents. There was an estimated attendance when we attended in 2012 of over 574,000, and over 732,000 for the 20th annual festival in 2014. The French Quarter Festival is funded solely from donations, sponsorships and grants. It is the largest free festival in North America.
The French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, founded in 1718. The area includes all the land stretching along the Mississippi River from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue, and inland to North Rampart Street, an area of 78 square blocks. The district has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
As you would expect with a festival of this size, rooms are at a premium during the festival. There are many accommodations in the Quarter itself, but we feared that it would be too noisy to sleep there. We opted for a small hotel in the nearby Garden District called the St. Charles Guest House. A great example of NOLA faded glory, it featured air conditioning, a lovely pool, antique furnishings and very friendly and helpful staff. Just two blocks away was the famed St. Charles Trolley Line, the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world. The totally restored vintage streetcars were magnificent to look at. The fare was $1 (now $1.25), and the cars were jam-packed morning, noon and night during the festival. Despite this, one seldom had to wait very long for a ride.
Of course, fascinated as we were by the architecture and the culture, we had come to see and hear the music. Friends who had been before us advised that it was a “great little festival”. We could only assume that they were comparing it to the massive New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, since half a million attendees over four days made it much bigger than any other outdoor event we had ever attended. The total of 21 stages, many of them as large as the largest festival main stage we had ever seen, was a bit mind-boggling.
There was a lot to see and hear in evenings, after the festival activities wound down, in what is probably the most musical of all cities in North America. We went to a Cajun Fais Do Do with Bruce Daigrepont at Tipitina’s uptown, a regular feature of the club. Several friends told us that we absolutely had to go see Charmaine Neville at Snug Cove, where she had been entertaining for many years. This was about the only real disappointment of our trip – she was much too self-indulgent and tourist-pandering for our liking.
Aside from being unprepared for the enormity of the festival, the other thing that was a bit of a surprise was the temperature. Mid-April in Vancouver is still quite moderate. We knew that it would be a bit toastier in the Deep South, but were still surprised to be greeted by the high humidity and mid-nineties temperatures (about 35 degrees Celsius). We slowly came to the realization that we just couldn’t take tramping around in the heat all day every day, so we decided on a couple of other activities.
I have been inexplicably drawn to its music and culture of New Orleans for most of my adult life. It’s a fascinating city, full of contradictions such as the enthusiastic celebrations of God and Satan that surround you all the time.
To our right plodded the Hippo bus, an amphibious bus tour wallowing methodically on the water leg of its 90 minute city tour. The excursions are provided by three such vehicles appropriately named Harry, Happy and Henrietta; operated by Victoria Hippo Tours.
As a float plane began its shuttle to take-off Captain Bob explained how the Inner Harbour is a designated airport with its own control tower and seemingly endless stream of float planes flitting in and out. It is hard to tire of watching these elegant planes slowly lift off and rise gracefully against the horizon or skim to elegant landings.
As we puttered near the shoreline we again spotted walkers enjoying views and vistas from the shoreline, the odd one waving.
I soon found out while walking in Old Town that one doesn’t just share sidewalks with droves of locals and tourists wearing short shorts, but many other two-footed creatures who have ditched any clothes altogether: chickens. While these fowl have been around for almost two centuries, their numbers especially grew in the 1950s after Cubans fleeing Cuba brought them for use in cock fighting, food, and eggs. Their numbers multiplied over time after cock fighting was outlawed and grocery stores provided easier access to eggs and poultry. The roosters don’t just crow with the sunrise either as I found out at 230 a.m. in my hotel room. Nonetheless, there’s what seems to be an uneasy tolerance for the chickens’ presence here because they do feast on pesky insects, even though they have irritated many locals because of where they choose to poop, trespass, etc. This has resulted in various plans and schemes to deal with them over the years in what’s been called the “Great Key West Chicken Controversy” or “Key West Chicken Wars.”
A setting sun has this ability to captivate the eyes of its admirers. I’ve seen beautiful sunsets in Wyoming, but I must say that the two I saw in Key West really gripped me so unexpectedly, for I never imagined sunsets being that impacting. I first watched one from the brick walkway of Mallory Square, which overlooks the Gulf of Mexico, and the other while on a sunset cruise.
I strongly advise travelers in Key West to get off the beaten path from the touristy Duvall Street, and walk through the surrounding residential neighborhoods of Old Town. It’s here where I found a respite from the hustle and bustle of traffic while getting a glimpse into a unique kind of architecture called Conch Architecture. This style compliments the various plantlife in the area like hibiscus, fiscus, gumbo limbo, and frangipani. Earlier settlers of Key West used lime made from burned Conch shells to help build their homes, which became known as “Conch Houses”, a name which would stick even as wood became the prime building material.
These homes implement different styles, influenced by New England, Gulf Coast, Bahamian, and African influences. To my eyes, they greatly reminded me of the old plantation homes still found in the “Deep South” such as seen in such movies like Gone with the Wind. They are built to help withstand the tropical climate. I especially noticed the sloping roofs, which help reflect the sun better and sent water down to the gutters more efficiently.
As a U.S. presidential history buff, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could easily visit a place where numerous Presidents of the United States stayed and performed their duties, most notably Harry S. Truman. He lived and worked at “The Little White House” for 175 days via 11 working vacations from 1946-1952. Even on “vacation” here, he still had to sign his name 200-600 times a day to help keep the country running in a place originally built for the US Navy’s base commander and paymaster in 1890. Unlike the other White House farther north, I didn’t have to make any special arrangements or go through any other fuss to walk around a property containing the 8,700 square foot house and nicely-manicured lawn and gardens. It’s in the midst of a quiet neighborhood, a short walk away from Duvall Street. I can see why our past leaders must’ve found the property to be a respite just as I did from the boisterous tourist crowds.
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