Andy Warhol
Hubby and I recently motored through the Appalachian Mountains via four tunnels as we headed west on the turnpike to Da ‘Burgh! That’s Pittsburgh. One would think Pittsburgh was an island with its 446 bridges. The City of Bridges connects the city’s hills, ravines, and three rivers and is an attractive town, rich in culture and history. Many millions were amassed here with steel, coal, and food. The names jump off the history pages; you know them, Mellon, Carnegie, Heinz, and Frick, to name a few.
Pittsburgh seems so far removed from everything. It was only because I accompanied my husband on a business trip to the Three River City that I found myself here and trying to occupy my time. I didn’t have to look far for a lesson in Pittsburgh history; we stayed at the Omni William Penn Hotel. The nearly 100-year-old historic art deco-style hotel was developed by Henry Clay Frick in 1916. I saw evidence of the old world charm around the hotel: velvet settees, grand chandeliers, and ballrooms; it reminded me of the Plaza Hotel in New York City, the old money feel of everything elaborate.