Pittsburgh/Great Smoky Mountains/Shenandoah/Blue Ridge Parkway suggestions?

[ett]

We will be taking a trip to Pittsburgh, Great Smoky Mountains, and Shenandoah National Park later this month. Does anyone have suggestions for must do's, places to eat, etc.? Our kids are high school/college aged. We will have a full kitchen in our hotels, so will cook some meals to save on the cost of food.

DH grew up 45 minutes outside Pittsburgh and we both went to grad school there, but neither of us have been back there since then. We already have a whole list of things we potentially want to do (more than we have time for) including Andy Warhol Museum, Phipps Conservatory, Cathedral of Learning, Duquesne Incline, Heinz History Center, Rivers of Steel Tour, National Aviary. We wanted to visit Fallingwater, but all the house tour tickets are sold out. (Didn't realize they sold out weeks in advance.) We will stop at the Flight 93 Memorial on the way to Pittsburgh.

We are staying near Pigeon Forge when visiting Great Smoky Mountains and then taking the Blue Ridge Parkway to Shenendoah. We're thinking of visiting Monticello and one of the caverns in Virginia.

Thanks!

[SnuggleBuggles]

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[jgenie]

I’ll pm you


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Would you mind sending info to me as well?


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[AnnieW625]

In the summer of 2021 we stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown and it was great. We sprung for the two bedroom suite and we didn’t regret it. It was more than the $185 or so per night I like to spend on hotels but I am really glad we got it. The view from the higher floor (15+…..I can’t remember the exact floor) was great and we had a view of the river and PNC Park. We did the Pittsburgh Zoo (we love a good zoo and this did not disappoint), drove around Pitt/Carnegie Melon area, The Andy Warhol Museum, The Carnegie Science Museum, and a river tour. We ate at Primanti Brothers (Market Square, and airport location….the kids liked it so much we got food at the airport….garlic fries are amazing….although I don’t care for fries on my burger….I know that is Pittsburgh style now), City Works (near Market Square), and the Panera Bread on Centre Avenue (we just wanted something we were familiar with that day). We also got cookies and a cake from Oakmont Bakery, which was delicious (we were going to a family reunion about an hour east of there out kind of by Johnston). I do have to say that there was one portion of the Andy Warhol museum that we did not let then 11 year old DD2 go in because it was too sexual in nature. Dd2 really admires Warhol’s work (she has seen most of the mainstream popular stuff) but we had to draw the line there because it was just too risqué. I think DD1 may have avoided it as well, but I don’t really remember. Not sure how much help that is but we all really liked the area and hopefully will be planning another trip to Pittsburgh later as DD1 might look at colleges out there (if she can get scholarships).

Interesting about Fallingwaters being sold out already. When we went we could’ve gotten tickets, but there was no easy way to work it into our trip.

Also if you have Apple Maps try using another map service….Apple maps had us going all over through different neighborhoods (especially after leaving Oakmont Bakery to get back to 76 East….I think to avoid having to pay tolls), and leaving Gettysburg as well. I was a tad irritated so just pay the tolls which aren’t cheap, but will most likely get you to your destination sooner! (our week cost us about $90 in turnpike tolls as we aren’t east coast residents so tbh a few extra bucks in tolls at that rate wouldn’t have irritated me in the least).

(ETA: my hotel rec. doesn’t make much sense for you, but I will leave it in this post in case anyone needs it at a later date).


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[ett]

In the summer of 2021 we stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown and it was great. We sprung for the two bedroom suite and we didn’t regret it. It was more than the $185 or so per night I like to spend on hotels but I am really glad we got it. The view from the higher floor (15+…..I can’t remember the exact floor) was great and we had a view of the river and PNC Park. We did the Pittsburgh Zoo (we love a good zoo and this did not disappoint), drove around Pitt/Carnegie Melon area, The Andy Warhol Museum, The Carnegie Science Museum, and a river tour. We ate at Primanti Brothers (Market Square, and airport location….the kids liked it so much we got food at the airport….garlic fries are amazing….although I don’t care for fries on my burger….I know that is Pittsburgh style now), City Works (near Market Square), and the Panera Bread on Centre Avenue (we just wanted something we were familiar with that day). We also got cookies and a cake from Oakmont Bakery, which was delicious (we were going to a family reunion about an hour east of there out kind of by Johnston). I do have to say that there was one portion of the Andy Warhol museum that we did not let then 11 year old DD2 go in because it was too sexual in nature. Dd1 really admire Warhol’s work but we had to draw the line there because it was just too risqué. I think DD1 may have avoided it as well, but I don’t really remember. Not sure how much help that is but we all really liked the area and hopefully will be planning another trip to Pittsburgh later as DD1 might look at colleges out there (if she can get scholarships).

Interesting about Fallingwaters being sold out already. When we went we could’ve gotten tickets, but there was no easy way to work it into our trip.

Also if you have Apple Maps try using another map service….Apple maps had us going all over through different neighborhoods (especially after leaving Oakmont Bakery to get back to 76 East….I think to avoid having to pay tolls), and leaving Gettysburg as well. I was a tad irritated so just pay the tolls which aren’t cheap, but will most likely get you to your destination sooner! (our week cost us about $90 in turnpike tolls as we aren’t east coast residents so tbh a few extra bucks in tolls at that rate wouldn’t have irritated me in the least).

(ETA: my hotel rec. doesn’t make much sense for you, but I will leave it in this post in case anyone needs it at a later date).


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Yes, I couldn't believe that Fallingwater was sold out for weeks. Tickets for just the grounds don't sell out, but it was something like $17 for those still. Decided it wasn't worth it to trek out there and pay that much and still not be able to see the house. Thanks for the heads up about the Warhol Museum. DS2 is 15 and a half, so close to your DD1's age.

We are an Android family here, so no Apple Maps for us! DH left after grad school in 2000; not sure how much he remembers the roads there!

[ett]

I’ll pm you


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Thanks! I responded to your pm.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Outside of Pigeon Forge (and Dollywood -which is fun) we came across a lovely horseback riding place that was half the price of doing it in our area. It was so fun! There must be 10 riding stables just outside of town.

Also, every family needs to do Old Time Photos at least once. Our kids still laugh each time they see our pics. https://oldtimephotos.business.site/

[jgenie]

Outside of Pigeon Forge (and Dollywood -which is fun) we came across a lovely horseback riding place that was half the price of doing it in our area. It was so fun! There must be 10 riding stables just outside of town.

Also, every family needs to do Old Time Photos at least once. Our kids still laugh each time they see our pics. https://oldtimephotos.business.site/

Do you happen to remember the name of the stable?


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