Dan had a doctor’s appointment in downtown Pittsburgh and it was only a few blocks from the REI where I wanted to go to pick up some more food for my return trip so I went with him. While he was with the doctor I walk on the Allegheny bike path, the one that goes all the way to Maryland. Right next to the medical office is the Pittsburgh Steelers training facility. I walked past that but since I don’t know anything about football (it is football, isn’t it?) I didn’t know what to do except take a few pictures.
I walked up to the next busy intersection and found that it was the junction of Hot Metal Street and Water Street. That produces steam, right? There is a bridge, the Hot Metal Bridge, that goes across the river and I am told that they used to move hot metal from a plant nearby to a rolling mill down by the river, hence the name. The bridge now is split between vehicle use and pedestrians. Here’s the intersection of those streets.
When Dan was done with his appointment, it was still a bit before REI opened so he took me on a tour and we went down to Mill 19 where the hot metal was rolled. Of course, that industry is long gone but the mill has been repurposed and is part of a big redevelopment plan. They gutted out everything but the riveted steel structure and, within it, have been building office spaces. The roof is full of solar panels. The building is REALLY long. On one end they left and repainted the overhead cranes.
I could look at rusted, riveted steel structure all day.
We made it to REI and I stocked up on more of the Backpackers Pantry meals. Not only is their selection of vegetarian options great, the price is pretty good, about $8 for two servings.
I told Dan I’d take him out for breakfast and he just had to pick so we went to The Pub Chip Shop and got egg sandwiches and these potato tatty things to go that were really good. We ate them back at his place and then it was on to put new tires on my bike.
My tires, especially the front, were looking a bit worn and I didn’t want to chance it all the way back to Montana so I had gonet online to Revzilla and ordered both a front and rear tire, Michelins, and had them shipped to Dan’s. He has a motorcycle tire changing machine which does the hard part of the job. We pulled the rear wheel without incident, a new experience for both of us since this bike has a shaft drive rather than a chain. The front wheel was just as easy. Next up is to deflate the tires, use the machine to break the bead, and then up on the machine to remove the tire from the rim followed by mounting the new tire. We aired them up and then checked their balance on his static balancer. They were right on.
New shoes and ready to roll.
For our last dinner together I wanted to go out, something I never do in Billings due to the limited vegetarian options, and he chose Noodleheads. All I can say is that this was the best Thai food I have had in years. I had the See Yew and it could become an addiction. The prices are excellent. Pretty much everything is just $10. Service was very friendly and fast.
After we ate, Dan took me on another tour of Pittsburgh. I wanted to see the North Side and we drove around there a bit. By chance, we passed one of the locations the Mattress Factory, an art gallery I am familiar with from my art classes at MSUB.
Then we drove around other places and I just grabbed photos through the windshield. Pittsburgh is such an interesting city, historically, geographically, and culturally. I find it fascinating.
There are lots of bridges and tunnels in this city. We ended up our tour a brewery that I’d been to a couple of years ago when my wife and I went to Pittsburgh and ran their half marathon with Dan. That was a great time and the brewery, tonight, was good as well. Pretty quiet because it’s a Monday and most other places are closed.
That was it for the day. I sort of got things packed up. I’d done all my laundry so I am heading out with clean clothes, enough to get me back to Billings. We just hung out for a while and then called it a night.
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