2025 Eastbound Trip 1 - Day 24

June 22, 2025

I’ve started the day early with a run to beat the incoming heat wave.  The run wasn’t long but there were some serious hills.  I wa ted to find the end of Brookline Blvd. So I left here and took Eben Street north to Breining Street and that toward Brookline Blvd.  

Where this intersects is the end of the commercial/retail section of Brookline.

From here it is now mostly residential, with Brookline Park on one side.  Did I mention that it’s hilly here?

Passed some apartments and one building that didn’t have any windows.  Looks like maybe a church or former church.

There are a few places for sale and I’m always interested in what they are asking.  This one is 4 BR, 1 BA, 1,500 SF and they are asking $209,900.

Brookline Blvd. Swings to the right.

When I went past this house, a mechanical voice announced that I was being recorded.

This place has a nice big garage in back.  It looks like their electrical service was upgraded.

I got some downhill for a bit.

Yard art.

I arrived at the end of Brookline.  See the sidewalk across the way?  That’s the “trail” I want to investigate.  The map shows it going through a wooded area.

It’s not really a trail but a set of stairs following the terrain.  

I climbed down them and at the bottom there is a sidewalk that goes to the left so I’ll follow that.

It turns out to be a short walk to a tunnel under the railway.  Someone lost a bike.

The sidewalk ends at the busway.  This a road only busses can drive on and there is a bus stop here.

I headed back through the tunnel up to the stairs that go up the other side of the ravine.

About halfway up the stairs there is a flat area with a trail.  It didn’t go far but I had to check it out.

I finished the stairs which put me on Aaron Street.  I looked back at the sidewalk to those stairs.

Now it was an uphill jaunt most of the way back.  At one corner I did stop to get me bearings with a look at the map.  Another house for sale, but under contract.  3BR, 1 BA, 1,452 SF.  $212,000.

I trudged rest of the way up some more hills and finished off with just over 2.5 miles but it wasn’t so much about distance today but to get moving and do some exploration.  

Now for the rest of the day…

I took it easy as the day heated up, eventually hitting 95, and read a bit and works on a new drawing in my sketchbook.  My son stopped by and the dogs played in the backyard until they were panting pretty heavily.  About 6:30 we headed out for the evening’s adventure.

Allegheny County hosts weekly, free concerts through the summer at both their South Park and Hartwood Acres amphitheaters.  Tonight, at Hartwood, it is the Easy Star All Stars, a reggae band out of New York doing straight up reggae as well as covers of others pieces and tonight the highlight will be “Dub Side of the Moon,” their take on Pink Floyd’s Darkside of the Moon.

We met my son, his girlfriend, her sister, and their parents there along with the dogs.  It is a huge grassy field with parking on the top of the hill and open seating down the hillside.  There were LOTS of people there.  Parking is really well organized with people guiding each car in so it didn’t take long to get a spot.  Once we met up with everyone, we found a good spot and set up our chairs and blankets and got ready for the show.

And what it show it was.  I’ve always liked reggae so it really suited me and it appeared that everyone else was into it as well.  Some photos, starting with Bart at his first outdoor concert.

And some video clips…

We took our time gathering up and heading back to the cars which was great as there was no line in getting back out of the parking area.

The drive back was easy, little traffic, and I’m learning my way around so much better that I’m prepared for which lane I need to be in as I go across the Veterans Bridge over the Allegheny River, through downtown, across the Liberty Bridge over the Monongahela River, and then through the Liberty Tunnel.  We arrived back about 11pm which is a really late night out for us.

Tomorrow is departure day so it will be about getting up early, packing, and loading up.  It’s been a great 2+ weeks here.