On Friday (June 19) I headed to work and worked a full 8 hour shift. That was probably one of the longest shifts I've ever worked. Knowing that I was about to embark on one of the most epic adventures so far in my life was just eating at me!
Finally my shift was over just as Donny text me that he had arrived at the airport! I haven't seen this man for 6 months and I could't wait to start our trip together! I headed straight to the airport with a head full of ideas of things to do and see in Pittsburgh!
We checked into our hotel and headed out for a night in the city. First stop: the original Primanti Bros in the Strip District. We drove around the city for a bit as I showed him some of the fun things we have: the Gateway Clipper Fleet, Station Square, Oakland/Pitt, Southside, etc. well, I showed him some of that stuff because I forgot to turn on my GPS and ended up driving too far east on 376. Haha.
Finally, we got to Primanti Bros! No wait on a Friday night! Awesome! We got settled into our seats and the first thing I ordered was a Yuengling beer for Donny, as he has never had it before. The verdict? He likes it! Then we ordered our sandwiches. I forgot how insanely huge they are! 
It was a really great experience to eat at the original location and introduce Donny to traditional Pittsburgh food. Where else are you going to get French fries and coleslaw on your sandwich?
Once we finished up there, we headed out for a walk down the Strip. It was surprisingly dead. I haven't been there since 2002. I guess I just thought it would be a little more busy. Most of the shops were closed and only the restaurants were open. We left there and drove around North Side. I showed him the Priory, which is where I had originally wanted to stay.
Once it started to get dark, we headed in over to the Duquense Incline. It is an incline that takes you up the side of Mt. Washington to some of the best views of the city. There is so much history at the top in the little museum. We stood and looked at pictures and read information about the history of the incline and of the city. Really interesting stuff!
The best part of the Pittsburgh portion of our trip was, by far, the view from Mt. Washington at night. I'd love to see it sometime during sunrise too, as the sun would be coming up from behind the city.
The next day we headed to REI Pittsburgh and bought a few things for our trip before heading north to Mercer.
We made a pit stop at McConnell's Mills State Park and did a quick little hike to Hell's Hollow Falls before going to my house for the evening.
When we got home, we had dinner with my parents and then kicked back with my girlfriends from high school. They are the best group of friends anyone can ask for. Their love and support for me on this trip has just been incredible. They have encouraged me every step of the way and gave me a great send off that night. Knowing that they have my back gives me so much strength to go on this journey. Thanks girls!
The next day, Sunday, Donny and I finished packing and set off on our trip west. First stop: Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We stopped by the visitors center to get my passport stamped (of course) and then grabbed some organic ice cream at Trail Mix, the little shop at the visitors center. Donny has never had a Buckeye, so we just had to get some of those too!
Satisfied with our choice of snack, we headed off to do some hiking. There are a few waterfalls in CVNP to see, and with the amount of rain we had been getting, I knew they would be flowing full force. We saw the small Blue Hen falls and then the larger Brandywine Falls. There was even a rainbow at Brandywine Falls. 
Once we left CVNP, we headed into Harbor Creek State Park near Sandusky to set up camp. My last blog actually picks up from here, so that's where I will stop for now. Well, that and I am getting car sick from typing this all out. I need a break!
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