On a weekend where almost everyone was at Rhinebeck and yours truly was sadly not! The best thing to clear out those “I wish I was there blues” is to do something fun and this was indeed a weekend of fun here in Western PA!

Friday Happy Hour was the perfect kick off, and it is my absolute favorite to do that right here at home. It is, imo, best done at home and we have our routine down! And, I have a hot tip to share… if your local Costco sells liquor, the Kirkland American Vodka is a winner! And, it comes with a price that is even nicer! Thank you, Traverse City Costco for having well stocked shelves!

Saturday, we made the big trek to Sewickley, with a stop at Sewickley Yarns where I did some very minor stash enhancement. Lunch however, was the star of the day! We discovered Najat’s Cuisine! This little Lebanese restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, but the food was incredible, and the owners were so warm and welcoming. We will absolutely be back!

We then headed to a local distillery for a few tastes! I figured this would be a good reward for Steve’s patience in the yarn shop… lol. McLaughlin Distillery is unique – it is very small – practically a one-man business. The distiller even makes the barrels he ages the whiskey in and we might have left with a bottle or two…

Sunday was my “nose to the grindstone” day… I powered through the i-cord and got blanket one done, but more on that tomorrow!

And, yet with all that fun we saved the best for last. We headed off into the Laurel Highlands on Monday and it was the most amazingly perfect day – sunny, clear, and yes… dare I say mild! We hoped to see some fall color in our visit to Fallingwater and Ohiopyle! And, while the fall color was very meh, Fallingwater was almost a religious experience. It is more magnificent than its photos! I was unaware of the history of the property, but the 5,100 acres originally were purchased by the Masons for a camping retreat. The Kaufmann family then purchased the property from the Masons in the 20’s with the idea that Kaufmann’s Department Store employees from Pittsburgh could vacation there to get out of the grime of the city and enjoy the fresh and restorative air at the Camp. At that time there was a train that ran with a stop about a mile from the Camp. In 1935 Frank Lloyd Wright designed the home in 1935 and construction was finished in 1937 and it was used by the Kaufmann family until 1963 when it was donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy intact – with all the original furnishings! There is a main home and a guest house. And, the rhododendrons… there are thousands of them around the house and along all the walk ways. The grounds are incredible to walk, and it is so amazing to see the house as a living part of the landscape, rather than an intrusion to it. Frank Lloyd Wright’s quote was achieved spectacularly at Fallingwater:

No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other.

We spent so much time at Fallingwater, we only stopped at the Ohiopyle falls before heading back home. It was the best possible ending to a wonderful long weekend!

I am closing with a couple of quick video’s of both Fallingwater and Ohiopyle! I hope your week is going well!

Now I am off to catch up on all your blogs! Happy Tuesday, all!

 

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