A TRAVELOGUE OF OUR TRIP TO
PITTSBURGH * THE WARHOL MUSEUM * FALLINGWATER * AND MORE
From the time that the Emmett Lee Dickinson Museum (above the coin-op Laundromat on Dickinson Boulevard) announced that my wife and I would be traveling to the Pittsburgh area, the press jumped on the story (as the press always does when the ELD Museum makes announcements about my travels). As the world's leading authority on Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request), this is just "part of the job." Examples of some of the hundreds of articles are below.
Click the images below to enlarge.
Dickinson Scholar to Visit the Steel City
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Dickinson Scholar to Tour Fallingwater
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INFORMATION ON WRIGHT'S MASTERPIECE "STANDINGWATER" IS FOUND HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
Joint Venture of AW/ELD Museums
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Dickinson Scholar to Tour Warhol Museum
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A Gala Welcoming Event was planned to take place at the New Stanton Travel Plaza:
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Below: The New Stanton Travel Plaza
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Below: Members of the National Guard on stand-by for the arrival of Jim Asher, the world's leading authority on Emmett Lee Dickinson.
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JULY 1
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Below: Mayor Perduto (bottom left corner) welcomes the crowd waiting for Jim Asher to arrive at the New Stanton Service Plaza on July 1, 2015:
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Below: An online petition has already been signed by 18,347 people to drop the $2.00 processing fee for the Turnpike fare due from Asher's trip across the state:
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Below: We stayed at the Hyatt Place in the North Shore Area. Our room looked out on PNC Park.
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We loved the Hyatt Place! Very clean, great amenities, nice breakfast -- and a very friendly staff! A special "shout out" to Bryan -- he was great!
Our first trek was to the Monongahela Incline where we rode up to Mount Washington. After taking in spectacular views of Pittsburgh, we ate at the Shiloh Grill where we dined on "Pittsburgh on a Bun": "From our yinzerific test kitchens deep below Ellsworth Avenue comes a combo of all things Pittsburgh: kielbasa, sauerkraut, whole grain mustard, and cheese-stuffed pierogi together in mini pretzel buns."
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Below: The Monongahela Incline
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Below: A shot of Pittsburgh from Mount Washington
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Below, left and right: The Shiloh Grill; "Pittsburgh on a Bun"; Bram's Tailor & Cleaner across the street from the Shiloh Grill (we at the ELD Museum are always on the look out for Laundromats and dry cleaners).
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Four thumbs up (two from each of us) for the Shiloh Grill! Great drinks and delicious food -- especially the "Pittsburgh on a Bun." We only wish we had room for the TaterTottoonine and a Bacony Icecream Sammich -- we'll sample those delights on our next trip through da Burgh! Special shout out to your menu writer. Funny stuff!
Below: A panoramic shot from Mount Washington.
Above and below: We spotted our hotel from the overlook
at Mount Washington. 
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Below: On our ride down on the Monongahela Incline.
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JULY 2
We began our first full day in da Burgh with a tradition as old as Fort Pitt: We walked the length of the North Shore while trying not to step in all the goose poop -- and we did pretty well for a couple of amateurs.
Below: A panoramic view of Pittsburgh with the Roberto Clemente Bridge on the right and the Andy Warhol Bridge on the left.
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Below: The 9th Street Bridge (now the Clemente Bridge) was awarded "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" in 1928 -- the year of Andy Warhol's birth.
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Below: A view of PNC Park from the bridge: 
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Below: Pittsburgh was smart to put the strippers near the convention center: 
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After getting most of the goose poop off of our shoes, we made our way to the nearby Andy Warhol Museum. The staff there was very friendly -- a shout out to the receptionist (Joanne? Joanna?) -- she was very welcoming! And a special shout out to our gallery guide on the 7th floor, Adrian -- he was VERY knowledgeable and friendly!
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Left: The Andy Warhol Museum.
Below: The entrance to the Andy Warhol Museum. (What the "Frick"?) Top right: The entrance way to the museum. Bottom right: Some of the Andy Warhol Museum's preparation for Cow Appreciation Day (information is HERE). 
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Above far right: Cow posters and cow wallpaper were everywhere throughout the Warhol Museum as they prepared for Cow Appreciation Day on July 15th. For information on Cow Appreciation Day (co-sponsored by the ELD Museum and the American Library Association), click HERE.
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The Andy Warhol Museum did not allow any photography above the 1st floor, so what you see (below), is all I got. P.S. I felt very rebellious taking a photograph of the "no photography" sign. |
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Right: Many people say that I look like George Clooney. Others say Steve Martin. Now, I suppose, some will say I look like Andy Warhol.
Shout out to the AW Museum Café -- delicious mochas! And, no, the cookie below is not Albert Einstein.
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One of our purposes for visiting the Andy Warhol Museum was to work out the details for an art/poetry exhibit to be co-sponsored by the AW Museum and the Emmett Lee Dickinson Museum. The exhibit, called "Soup Two Nuts," will run throughout October 2015 at the ELD Museum (above the coin-op Laundromat on Dickinson Boulevard in historic Washerst ("WAS"-herst), Pennsylvania.
For information on this notable and momentous exhibit, click HERE. Pictured at the right: Warhol's first painting of soup was "Corn Chowder," a soup recipe that was invented by Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request).
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Left: Warhol's masterpiece, "Dickinson's Corn Chowder" hangs at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City. MOMA reports that "Corn Chowder" is the most popular painting at the museum. MOMA also serve's corn chowder (Emmett Lee Dickinson's recipe, of course) in the museum cafeteria, and it is the most popular item on the menu. |
Below: News coverage of our visit to the Andy Warhol Museum:
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Following our walking tour of the Andy Warhol Museum, we took a double-decker bus tour of the city. Shout out to our tour guide Darian (sp?) -- he was just four days on the job but entertained us like a pro! And, of course, shout out to our bus driver Jim. "Stop that bus!"
Are you a Pittsburgher (or Pittsburghian...or Pittsburghite...or Pittsburghese...or whatever y'all call yourselves)? Take a look at the pics below -- can yinz identify dese Burgh locations? |
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Above and below: Identify all ten of these Pittsburghian locations and win FREE membership to the Dickinson Organization of Poetry Enthusiasts!
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We had dinner at Atria's at PNC Park -- the night before the game we were to attend -- because we figured we'd have to fight for a seat on the night of the game!
Shout out to our server, Nicky Jo (sp?) -- she was so professional and friendly! Delicious food and drinks too! ; ) |
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JULY 3
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We started the day out at the National Aviary. Loved it! What more can I say? 
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Following our visit to the National Aviary, we enjoyed lunch at Jerome Bettis' Grille 36. While the restaurant's menu was chock-full of tasty delights, we ordered salads -- and they, too, were delicious! We'd just been on the road for days dining on fattening, greasy meals -- so we realized that it was time for a little bit of roughage!
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After lunch, we walked over one of Pittsburgh's 457,600 bridges to Point Park to visit the Fort Pitt Museum.
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Below, left to right: Fort Pitt Museum; a depiction of Fort Pitt (built in 1764); the Block House (all that remains of Fort Pitt)
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Below: A map of the east coast to the Louisiana territory from 1765.
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Right and below: The Three Rivers Regatta was an added surprise to our trip -- we did not know it was scheduled for the weekend of our visit. Alas, high river levels and dangerous conditions led the organizers to cancel all of the river events -- a first in the regatta's 38 year history. Sooo...I s'pose we'll have to return in some future year to see it! Click the images to enlarge.
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In the evening, we strolled over to PNC Park (right across from our hotel) to see the Pirates play the Cleveland Indians.
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Did you know that Emmett Lee Dickinson invented baseball (attributed to Abner Doubleday), the modern-day baseball cap, and the hot dog? Information is HERE.
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Below: PNC Park from our hotel room.
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Below: The first pitch.
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Left: Emmett the Parrot (named after Emmett Lee Dickinson) is ready for the rain!
Below: The race of the pierogis. Chester, the cheese pierogi, won. 
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Below & right: We made it till the 7th Inning Stretch, and then the rain delayed the game!
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Below: Once the tarp was unfurled, it became obvious that PNC Park missed out on a great available spot for product placement/advertising.
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Below: The rain emptied a lot of seats. Fortunately, the seats I purchased months before our trip were under cover -- so we stayed nice and dry.
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Below: A view of the stadium from our room. We stayed at the game during the rain delay for about an hour-and-a-half hoping for the rain to let up, but ultimately, we returned to our hotel room.
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Ultimately the game did go on, but alas, the Pirates lost 5 - 2.
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Did you know that Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) invented the hot dog? Many people asked Dickinson for the ingredients in a hotdog, but he never told anyone. We enjoyed two hot dogs at PNC Park, and they tasted just like you'd imagine -- mysterious, hot-doggy, and delicious! |
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JULY 4
Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) was the first to say, "July the Fourth be with you" -- and it was with us, all day long! We began the day at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
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Above left: The entrance to the Carnegie Museum of Art. Loved it! We didn't have enough time to visit the Museum of Natural History, so we'll have to return! Above right: The steps to the art galleries.
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Above left and center: I collect glass and antique bottles, so I had to take pics of the Tiffany glass -- and the bottles are from the 1st century!
Above right: The picture evoked Dickinson's saying, "July the Fourth be with you"!
Above right: The picture evoked Dickinson's saying, "July the Fourth be with you"!
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Above left: My favorite painter is Edward Hopper -- so loved seeing "Cape Cod Afternoon"!
Above right: Is that Pittsburgh? #justasking
Below right: No, it's not upside down. At least, that's how it was hung in the museum!
Above right: Is that Pittsburgh? #justasking
Below right: No, it's not upside down. At least, that's how it was hung in the museum!
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Left: We couldn't take a picture of Warhol at the Warhol Museum, but we could at the CMoA. #justsaying
Right: Yes -- that painting, by Jo Baer, hangs in the CMoA. What do you think its title is? A. Winter Afternoon B. Symphony in White, No. 1 C. Arrangement in White D. Untitled E. All Of The Above |
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Left: The Carnegie Museum of Art even had an important piece of memorabilia from the life of Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) -- they had his writing desk! Dickinson would often write ideas, lines and poems on various scraps of paper and envelopes, and then stash them in drawers here and there. His desk would often appear messy and disorganized, but somehow, Dickinson made it work! |
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Right: After visiting the CMoA, we walked across the street to the Cathedral of Learning. Alas, it was closed, so we ain't learnt nuttin!
Far right top: One of the weirdest sites in Pittsburgh: the Stephen Collins Foster Memorial. A gothic church? There was absolutely NOTHING even remotely American about the memorial to the 19th century American composer. Middle bottom: A bust of Stephen Collins Foster in the SFC Memorial. Far right bottom: A statue of Stephen Foster across the street. At least it included a banjo player. |
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Next up was our sunset tour of Fallingwater; however, before we arrived at Wright's iconic home, we visited Ohiopyle State Park. |
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Frank Lloyd Wright's FALLINGWATER
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Below: Major Traffic Delays Expected in Fayette County on Fourth
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Below: Fallingwater's Fourth Fraught with Chaos
Click the images to enlarge. 
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Following lunch at Ohiopyle and a walk near the rapids, we visited Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" for a sunset tour. Shout out to our guide, Ken. He was very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable.
NOTE: I took about a ga-zillion pictures on our tour, but below I've only posted exterior shots. Before I post any other pictures, I need to check with Fallingwater about their guidelines (they explained it all at the start of the tour -- but I don't remember all of their regulations).
NOTE: I took about a ga-zillion pictures on our tour, but below I've only posted exterior shots. Before I post any other pictures, I need to check with Fallingwater about their guidelines (they explained it all at the start of the tour -- but I don't remember all of their regulations).
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Below: The sign at the edge of the parking lot.
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Below left: The path from the gift shop/café area to the home. Below right: The first view of Fallingwater upon our approach.
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Below: The "front door." Wright was known for hiding entrances.
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Below left: Wright's design for the "tower of windows" was ingenious! If you ever visit Fallingwater, be sure to take the in-depth tour so you can see how they operate! Below middle and left: Every aspect of the house -- from the stunning terraces over the waterfall to the stone walls and columns -- evokes the cantilever motif. Even the design and placement of much of the furniture inside carry out this theme.
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Below: An easy path beyond the house leads you to the area below the falls for "the view":
PITTSCELLANEOUS PICTURES
Miscellaneous pictures from our trip to Pittsburgh and Fallingwater
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PITTSCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
* The Ferris Wheel was invented by Pittsburgher George Ferris.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates played in the first World Series.
* Pillow fighting originated at the Ellis School, an all-girls, college-preparatory school in the Shadyside neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh.
* Jimmy Sheeran, a Pittsburgher, was the first person to say “ba dump bump.”
* Phoebe Jane Middlehorse, a grammar teacher from Pittsburgh invented the ellipsis.
* Pittsburghian Gideon M. Fenaghty once worked for Thomas Alva Edison and later invented the lamp shade.
* In the 1920s Bingo was born in Pittsburgh. It was originally called Beano and dried beans were used as the markers.
* Martha Graham worked in her father’s bowling alley in Pittsburgh, the first bowling alley in the United States to rent bowling shoes (which was Martha’s idea).
* Philadelphians refer to Pittsburgh as "Eastern Ohio."
* Jimmy Kimmel was once interviewed by David Letterman, and he admitted, "I wish I was from Pittsburgh." Letterman then corrected his grammar, and Kimmel became incensed. He stormed off the stage and has never talked to Letterman since.
* "Jorts" were invented by Pittsburgh fashion designer Rudolph Jorts.
* "Game of Thrones" was filmed entirely on location in Pittsburgh.
* "Doggie Bags" were outlawed at restaurants in Pittsburgh until 1978.
* Andy Warhol, a native of Pittsburgh, invented clumping kitty litter.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates played in the first World Series.
* Pillow fighting originated at the Ellis School, an all-girls, college-preparatory school in the Shadyside neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh.
* Jimmy Sheeran, a Pittsburgher, was the first person to say “ba dump bump.”
* Phoebe Jane Middlehorse, a grammar teacher from Pittsburgh invented the ellipsis.
* Pittsburghian Gideon M. Fenaghty once worked for Thomas Alva Edison and later invented the lamp shade.
* In the 1920s Bingo was born in Pittsburgh. It was originally called Beano and dried beans were used as the markers.
* Martha Graham worked in her father’s bowling alley in Pittsburgh, the first bowling alley in the United States to rent bowling shoes (which was Martha’s idea).
* Philadelphians refer to Pittsburgh as "Eastern Ohio."
* Jimmy Kimmel was once interviewed by David Letterman, and he admitted, "I wish I was from Pittsburgh." Letterman then corrected his grammar, and Kimmel became incensed. He stormed off the stage and has never talked to Letterman since.
* "Jorts" were invented by Pittsburgh fashion designer Rudolph Jorts.
* "Game of Thrones" was filmed entirely on location in Pittsburgh.
* "Doggie Bags" were outlawed at restaurants in Pittsburgh until 1978.
* Andy Warhol, a native of Pittsburgh, invented clumping kitty litter.
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Below: Excuse me, Sushi? Are you saying what I think you're saying? Right: Who knew?! Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from the Simpsons is from Pittsburgh! Far right: Proof that Andy Warhol was a visionary.
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Left and far left: During our tour of Fallingwater, we uncovered a shocking reality involving the living conditions of the tour guides at Wright's iconic home: all 47 tour guides are forced to subsist in a small basement area after all the tourists leave.
"We are required to live in too confined an area," said a spokesman for a group of eight guides who wanted to defect. The spokesman and the other guides asked to remain anonymous. "Leaks are a given in any Wright home," declared one of the guides, "but this place is beyond cold and damp. Please," he pleaded, "take us out of here!" We promised the guides to research this in more detail later and publish an explosé. In the meantime, we were able to leave them a half-used roll of paper towels that we had in the car. |