Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

REMINDER: TO VIEW OLDER POSTS, CLICK ON "OLDER POSTS" LOCATED JUST BELOW THE LAST POST ON THIS PAGE. We were here from Thursday evening until Sunday morning. Mountain Top Campground, just outside Pittsburgh, was a former site of coal mine debris, which was then filled with soil and graded flat in the shape of a very large circle. RV's are situated on the outer edge of the circle. Photo. We came to the Pittsburgh area because we were invited to a party by a male couple who were at a camprground where we stayed in West Virginia. The incentive we had was that their home was a unique one which has been written about in several design magazines. It is situated in the Mt Washington area, high on a the side of a hill overlooking downtown Pittsburgh. The home is modern in style, 10,400 sq ft, on 4 levels, and has a unique "V" shape. It has 2 kitchens, 7 baths, a sauna, steam room, gym, disco, a huge walk in fully stocked wine room (with seating), and a infinity swimming pool. The views from all 4 levels is absolutely stunning. The rear of the home has floor to ceiling windows. Photos to the right of the views during daylight and at night, plus some interior shots. If you would like to learn more about the house, click on the following link: http://www.post-gazette.com/homes/20040124mtwash0124p1.asp. The next morning, we went for a hike with 4 people we met at the party (and their dogs) in Frick Park, a very large urban park where the dogs were able to run off leash. Photos. We then returned to the campground, dropped Tinsel off in the air conditioned RV, and drove a few miles to tour a Pennsylvania coal mine. It was quite interesting. The tour was led by retired coal miners. First, we went to "coal mine school," where we learned about the history of coal mining in the US, and then were driven in extremely small mine cars 160 ft below ground into a real coal mine. The mine was closed in 1968, but they still had much of the equipment there displaying how the miners worked in various periods beginning in the early 19th Century. Truly, they had a very hard life. Steve's ancestors were tin and copper miners in Britain, and he is certainly glad the family got out of that profession!!