Day 184: We’re in Pittsburgh

What a day. We started out about 8 miles from downtown Pittsburgh and after making our way through road construction mess, and the general uneasiness of not knowing for sure where we were, we got to the confluence of the three rivers and before you knew it we were right smack in the middle of downtown. Now it didn’t affect me as much as it did Valda. She had to contend with one way narrow streets, road construction, and traffic. She finally got on the right road and called me when she found a place to pull off – 9 miles away from where I was. She said to walk it because she wasn’t coming to get me if I got tired. I didn’t get tired. After we hooked back up, she asked me if we were about done with Pennsylvania.

I had an interview today with Rick Wills of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. I want to thank Rick and Andy Russell the photographer, for their time and also for the help they gave us in navigating our way through the city. They had some tips for us and it was all much appreciated. The story should be out tomorrow and will probably be on our ‘media page’ in a day or two. Check it out.

The walk today not only took us through the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, but also through the campus of the U. of Pittsburgh. It is about 5 miles east of the city and is actually a city within itself. Quite pretty.

Tomorrow we continue trying to get back to US 22 where we can walk it, and continue on east. We look to be okay for a while or until we get to Altoona, then it is back to trying to find an alternate route all over again. I was told today by the interviewer that New York City was about 380 miles from Pittsburgh…via the Interstate. I’m not sure how much further it is for us, but I know I’m getting close. I can almost smell the ocean.

Personal to Judy F. – I made it to Pittsburgh, Judy and this time I got to see it. Also, I swear I felt Dean tug on my sleeve today and tell me wake up, that it was my turn to drive.