First Trip After Settling Down - Pittsburgh, PA

I haven't seen my friend who moved to Pittsburgh a few years back in a long time. I decided to take a road trip to visit her and her husband for a few days and stop by New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia.

On the way to Pittsburgh, I stopped by Bush Creek Falls Trail that was barely crowded. The hike broke up the 7.5 hour drive in half and provided some exercise after sitting in the car for a while. The waterfall was not really that impressive, but let's be real, I am a bit spoiled.

I arrived at my friend's house just after 5 pm after stopping at Whole Foods to pick up some dessert. That weekend in late June was very hot, and we planned to walk around Pittsburgh for a while visiting historical buildings. We took a map and followed the directions from one air conditioned building to another.

Impressive ceiling set up at one of the theater places

I realized that many of my photos feature ceilings... but it's really pretty, right?

Speakeasy cocktail bar - sadly, closed during the daytime hours

In the evening, we had a nice dinner which for me consisted of different spreads and flat bread. I really enjoyed it!

The following day I headed out in the morning to hike in the national park. The drive was only 3 hours that day, so I had plenty of time to hike during the afternoon. My first hike was Long Point Trail, a short 3-miler with some fantastic views.

I then decided to stop by the visitor center where I walked on the boardwalk following another short trail to the view point.

The last hike of the day was Endless... Literally, Endless Wall Trail felt long but rather pleasant to walk with similar viewpoints of the bridge and river. But then it was time to check in my Airbnb and get dinner. I was surprised to have found a neat place in Fayetteville, WV serving sushi-like bowl. It was absolutely delicious!

The next day I was heading back home, but not until the late afternoon as I had Grandview Rim Trail to Turkey Spur Rock to hike. The trail was located in a different section of the national park that required a 40 minute drive. I didn't have high expectations, but was blown away by the beauty and energy of that place. Firstly, I was the second person to arrive at the park's large paved parking lot. On a Monday morning, it was not surprising, but it also was the height of a vacation season. I had the first viewpoint and the hike to the mid-point all to myself.

Changing clouds and lighting made the river look different in every picture. I loved the rolling green hills of West Virginia covered in forest. 

It was nearing early afternoon, and I still had one more stop on my agenda. Blueberry picking. I found an ad on Facebook and decided to stop by at a small farm in Virginia. It was in the middle of nowhere, but I left there an hour and a half later with a gallon-full bucket of blueberries and $10 less in my pocket.

My friend stayed with Kitty, so I was at peace knowing that he was well taken care of. It was still time to go home.