Having a Time in the Burgh
- Vanessa Jordan
- Apr 23, 2025
- 4 min read
This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to take a little weekend getaway to Pittsburgh, PA. It was certainly a break I needed and I honestly fell in love with this city. The vibes, the people and the amount of things to do! I feel like we didn't even scratch the surface but did so much! I want to give you all a deep dive on this adventure and show how you too can have a little weekend getaway to feel refreshed. (Even on a budget!) So let's go!
Day 1
Our first day started with taking a half day and making the four hour drive from DC to Pittsburgh. This was such a beautiful drive through the mountains and seeing everything starting to bloom in Pennsylvania since it is already in bloom in Virginia.
We drove direct to our 6:40pm Pirates game at PNC Park and boy, was that fun! Sure, the Pirates didn't win but it was such a fun game to watch. The views are incredible of the city since the stadium sits on one of the three rivers that cuts through the city and the food was pretty solid! There are a lot of interesting offerings and if you are looking for something that isn't just stadium food, you will certainly find it here. Plus they have racing Pierogis! What a fun time!
After the game we headed out to our hotel by the airport (highly recommend for a lower rate) and hit the hay for our full Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Day 2
We started our day by heading out to the Strip District. This is an area of the city that sits along another river full of shopping, dining and many activities. We could have spent the whole day here! There are a couple of parking structures and lots around for parking but be warned that they fill up quickly.
Our breakfast/brunch brought us to Pamela's Diner. This came HIGHLY recommend from friends and social media and I can honestly see why. It has such a hometown vibe with great food. I had the Spinach and Feta omelette with toast and smashed potatoes (which are a Pittsburgh staple) and my boyfriend had the California French Toast. We were very full after this meal which called for some exploring to walk it off.
We spent the rest of our morning popping in and out of shops and wondering through the Strip District. Some honorable mentions for your to visit while here are:
Posman Books
Peace, Love and Little Donuts
Bitty and Beau's Coffee
Allegheny Coffee and Tea Exchange (we went back several times with requests from friends and family)
There is a killer t-shirt shop on the corner next to Allegheny Coffee and Tea Exchange which looked like a pop up (I hope they stay!). Be sure to stop by! They have the best prices and designs!
Penzeys Spices (it was so heart warming to see this Wisconsin staple here!)
love, Pittsburgh
We could have spent so much more time here but it was time for our next activity.
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. To say it took my breath away is an understatement. The Conservatory is full of indoor and outdoor gardens that rotate seasonly. It was so stunning walking through these gardens inside and the views of the city outside. What a treat! This is ticketed and you select a certain time to enter the gardens which they do to control crowd flow which is something to keep in mind. You can easily explore for about an hour, in the indoor gardens alone.
After your time in the Conservatory be sure to take some time to walk around The Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh which sit very close to the Conservatory. They have street parking which is helpful when finding a place to park at the Conservatory (which is VERY limited). We enjoyed seeing the views of the city and spending some much needed time in the sun.
After getting our steps in, we headed back to our hotel to freshen up for dinner. For dinner, you certainly need to bring your appetite! Dinner was at Burgatory, a local chain known for burgers, shakes and fun drinks. My goodness, I INHALED my burger. It was so good! You could even customize your burger to your liking via the order sheet on the table. It was certainly worth it and I will be dreaming about that burger.
After our long day, we made our way back to the hotel for some much needed rest.
Day 3
Last day in Pittsburgh! It was sad how fast the time flew by but we loved every second of it! In the morning we packed up, checked out and headed to 350 Degrees Bakery. Certainly a local spot with all of the side streets we were exploring. Parking is limited so be prepared to park on the street. This cute little bakery is full of delicious baked goods and fresh biscuit breakfast sandwiches. I could not resist the cinnamon roll which was DEVINE.
After our breakfast we made our drive back to DC.
This trip was so wonderful and it really shows how much adventure you can get into in a short amount of time and not that far from home! This trip we were really conscious of how much we spent and what we did. We hope to do a few more of these type of trips this year along with our very packed schedule of trips to see family and friends so sticking to a budget is KEY.
For those wondering the cost break down on a very surface level, here is what we spent:
Hotel: $250
Meals: $182
Gas: $30
Parking: $21
Tickets: $80
Souvenirs: $146
Grand Total: $709
Not too bad in the grand scheme of things! You can certainly adjust based on your needs, wants and non-negotiables. We brought snacks to help bring the cost down of meals and choose a Friday game vs Saturday to cut some cost as well. You certainly can't get away from ball park prices but that was a hit we were planning on. Let me know if these cost breakdowns help and I can certainly do more!
Would this be a trip you take in the future? What would you change or do differently? Let me know below! If you are ready for your Pittsburgh adventure, click the link below to download your itinerary! Until next time.
Your travel BFF,
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