30 May 2016: North of Pittsburgh

No trip to Pittsburgh is complete without taking a drive around and reminiscing in the towns I used to hang out. We drove by my childhood home, elementary, middle and high schools.  From Ambridge we drove north through Baden and up the Ohio River Boulevard through Beaver, New Brighton, Beaver Falls, Ellwood City and Zelienople.  In Beaver, we walked along the Ohio River and got ice cream.  In Zelie, we stopped at the “new” Baldingers, no longer the ambience of the old Food of All Nations building but still fun.  A brief stop back at the hotel before heading downtown.

Along the way, we stopped to find my grandparents graves. It had been awhile but I thought I knew exactly where it was.  Cole and I walked around the cemetery for 30 minutes until I realized this Catholic cemetery had quite a few Jewish names.  Oops, I guess it had been too long, the Catholic cemetery was next door!  My grandparents are buried 20 feet from Art Rooney, the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  My grandfather might have never become rich or famous, but in the end he ended up in the same place as Pittsburgh royalty.