Our Adventures in Pittsburgh - Part 2

Sunday morning we had another yummy breakfast - yogurt parfait with fresh mangoes and granola, orange bread and stuffed french toast and bacon. We said goodbye to the Inn and headed out for the day. We saw a bit of sunshine in the morning but it snowed again most of the day.

We headed towards the Squirrel Hill Tunnel to check out the Morrowfield building. My dad's grandfather was the architect and engineer of the building. It's built on a hill so that you enter the apartments from the back and the stores are on the first level in the front.

(Click on photo to view larger)

Main entrance on the front of the building.

The lobby. (It was locked so I took this photo through the glass.)

The front of the building.

We saw 2 of these on the sidewalk in front of the building.
Anyone know what these are?

The back of the building - where the parking is.

We then went to the National Aviary. It was under construction so a few exhibits were closed. The perk to this was that admission was half price. We loved seeing the birds up close and personal. The penguins were so entertaining but the open room with the birds flying around was something we've never experienced before.

Green winged Macaw

Hyacinth Macaw

Sea Eagle (huge!)

And friendly :)

Bald Eagle

The African Penguins were having fun flipping us with water.

Jason being brave.

Penguin feeding time

The woman in front fed them fish while the one in the back recorded what each penguin ate.

In the open room with all the birds.

The sounds were amazing and there were beautiful birds everywhere!

Some we were able to identify...
Pied Imperial Pigeons

Fairy Blue Bird

Others we couldn't - no sign available.
(Maybe due to the construction going on.)

Mandarin Duck
This bird made me laugh the way he kept tipping his head and looking at me.



Victoria Crowned Pigeon
(These 2 were having a great time swooping past people!)

White Headed Wattled Lapwing
(This one would chase people around and then run from them.)
And one video so you get an idea of how loud it was in there. :)

In another area were more birds...
Rainbow Lorikeets
Micronesian Kingfisher
Rhinoceros Hornbills

It was a wonderful experience and we'll definitely have to go again when we're back in Pittsburgh. We were there less than two hours, but we definitely thought it was worth the money spent!

We then headed back to Station Square for lunch and then the Duquesne Incline.

Inside the car - with the track in the background.

At the bottom looking up...

At the top looking down.

Panoramic view from right to left...

The station at the top.

Jason taking in the view (and freezing his eyes).

And then it was time to head home. :(

Dear Pittsburgh, thank you so much for your hospitality. We enjoyed the historical buildings and all the creative shops and restaurants. Your pot holes were a little unbelievable, but hopefully those will be taken care of before we get back. We promise to come back soon and visit a little longer next time. Thank you for the memories!

Final thoughts on Pittsburgh... the people there were truly some of the nicest, most helpful and welcoming people I've ever met. They love their city and are truly trying to make it a better place. (Dayton could take a lesson here.) Also, with all the shops we walked through, almost every one of them had Irish and/or Steelers items to sell. Usually both. I know St. Patrick's day is coming, but I've never seen so much Irish stuff for sale. I really had to resist buying so many things and settled on a pretty Celtic cross ornament. No, I didn't buy any Steelers items. My dad's family was Irish, so that part resonated with me while I was there. But I wonder how my dad made it out of Pittsburgh without forever being a Steelers fan.