Save Your Gas $$$ -- ‘Vacation’ Right Here in Pittsburgh

Gas prices are skyrocketing. Airfare isn't much better. And if you're like many people, some unexpected expense – a major car repair or a new heat pump or braces for the kids – is already forcing you to pinch pennies. All of these factors combined have you fretting, "How will I ever manage a fun family vacation without going way over budget?" Local business leader Joanne Sujansky, Ph.D., commonly referred to as the Ambassador of Pittsburgh by her clients, says the solution is simple: spend a week exploring your hometown.

"Financial worries aside, there are too many great activities to enjoy right here in Pittsburgh to go anywhere else," says Sujansky, creator of pittsburghwillsteelyourheart.com and author of an upcoming book by the same title. "There is a beauty, a vibrant spirit, a diverse and dazzling culture in Pittsburgh that I have never found in any other location in the U.S. When I hear people say they can't decide where to go on vacation, I always tell them to walk out their front door and go enjoy one of the many great activities our city has to offer."

Follow her advice and not only will you be able to pocket the savings in gas money/airfare and lodging, you'll go back to work raving about how much you love your hometown. Here, inspired by her upcoming book, Pittsburgh Will Steel Your Heart: 250 Reasons to Love Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Professional Publishing, 2006, ISBN: 0-9748299-1-9), are a few great ways to spend your vacation without ever leaving the city:

• Take a culinary cruise. Whatever pleases your palate, Pittsburgh has that flavor. Make a commitment to enjoy at least one meal at a different restaurant every day. Take a vacation from counting calories and enjoy some of the great food you can find only in Pittsburgh. The options are sure to make your mouth water! Enjoy the world's best biscotti at the Enrico Biscotti Company. Savor Pittsburgh's most famous sandwich at Primanti Brothers. Chow down on some pierogies (here, they are practically a food group)! Take the family to one of the city's many mom and pop pizza parlors. Of course, you will need a way to wash down all of this great food, and what better way to do that than with an Iron City beer – created right here in Pittsburgh.

• You don't have to fly to Paris, London, or New York to enjoy the arts. Great theater is thriving in the Cultural District, and the dancers in the Pittsburgh Ballet put the "P" in pirouette. You can enjoy art of every kind at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, or be inspired by the modern art exhibits at The Andy Warhol Museum.

• Do the great outdoors in Pittsburgh. You may think skipping the beach trip may leave you craving all of the time you normally spend outdoors while on vacation. Worry no more. Pittsburgh offers tons of great outdoor activities that anyone can enjoy. Go kayaking or fishing at one of the many rivers around the city. There are plenty of hillsides and waterfronts that make perfect locations for walking, hiking, or biking. If you prefer relaxing in the outdoors rather than working up a sweat, take a riverboat ride, go on one of Pittsburgh's famous Just Ducky Tours through the roads and rivers of the city, or ride the Duquesne Incline and enjoy the view of the picture perfect Pittsburgh skyline from Mt. Washington.

• Come out and root for the home teams. Pittsburgh sports fans are among some of the most die-hard in the world. We cheer on the Steelers during football season and the Penguins during hockey season. When the summer comes around, we show our Pittsburgh pride by cheering on the Pirates at the greatest ballpark in the nation, PNC Park. There is no greater experience than enjoying a hotdog at PNC Park on opening day. Make your vacation go all nine innings and you can enjoy a magnificent fireworks display after each game.

• School's out for the summer, but Pittsburgh can teach the kids a lesson. Pittsburgh offers tons of museums and historical sites to keep the kids thinking while on their summer break. Go pre-historic by taking the kids to see the dinosaurs at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Plus, there's only one bird zoo in the nation and guess where it is? Yep, right here in Pittsburgh. At the National Aviary you can see birds from every continent.

• Finally, Pittsburgh will make you sing. Soaking up some music is a great way to spend any summer evening. If you like to rock, Pittsburgh will salute you. The Steel City regularly makes the lists of the country's most rockin' cities. And if rocking isn't your thing, the Pittsburgh Symphony is one of the best in the country. Oh, and here's one of the best perks of being a Pittsburgh resident: you don't have to spend money on any expensive concert tickets. Free concerts are offered throughout the summer at Hartwood Acres and South Park.

Chances are you'll find your Pittsburgh vacation to be the most fun, relaxing one you've ever had, says Sujansky. You'll avoid that exhausted, shell-shocked feeling that comes at the end of a week of hard-core tourism. And seeing your hometown through the eyes of a "vacationer" will make you appreciate it more the other 51 weeks of the year.

“Boomers” – August 2006, Vol. 10, Issue 5

To pre-order Pittsburgh Will Steel Your Heart: 250 Reasons to Love Pittsburgh, call
(800) 456-5790 or order online click here