Travel Tips

My route runs for four miles through the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. I've run this route thousands of times but maybe these photos will help explain why I still haven't grown tired of it. Less than a half mile from home, I turn up one of the few cobblestone streets left in Pittsburgh. Cars make a pockety-pockety-pockety racket. Everyone drives slowly, afraid that car parts will shake off at more than 25k per hour. You can't tell it from the photo, but this is quite a steep grade and I'm always huffing by the time I turn off.

From the cobblestone, I turn unto the grounds of Chatham College. It has the look of a quaint women's college in New England - but it's here in the middle of my city.

The trees and mini-mansions of the campus are elegant and old. It is usually very quiet here - I almost never see anyone (no self respecting college student would be up at this hour.)

I follow the road through the college, then through some residential streets in Squirrel Hill, then a long, lovely mile on the curvy, upscale section of Beechwood Blvd.

One of the many mansions on Beechwood Blvd. that I sometimes lust after. Until I think about the vacuuming.

Near the end of Beechwood Blvd. is a small park, so I usually cut the corner and run through it. I tell myself it's not cheating as the park is hillier than the sidewalk around it.

Out of the park, and then, a half mile from my house, I smile. I always smile when I see this. The handprints and initials of a small child, perhaps 4 years old. The best part? The initials are the SAME as MINE!

Finally, just a hundred meters from my house, I see the light filtered through these golden ginko trees. (Ginko trees are best gazed at from afar - they drop a horrid small fruit that, when ripe, smells like vomit if you inadvertantly step on it and squash it!)