9/24/2010
Every year the staff at my school get a random Friday in September off as a comp day in exchange for working during our school’s open house – because we teachers don’t get enough vacation days as it is, apparently. Last year Laura and I were all ready to use the day for a short jaunt to Pittsburgh, only to discover most of the free world was there to stop us. This year we decided to be undeterred.
We left around 9 am for the three-hour journey, but it’s becoming clear that someone, somewhere out there isn’t too keen on us going to the Iron City. Although we didn’t know it at the time, a diesel truck and a paint truck collided on I-70. That’s an OSHA field day, right there. Miles and miles of the highway were shut down, so that three-hour drive crawled to a six-hour one. We thought about turning around a few times, but we would have faced the same problem going back, so we persevered. (The truck drivers are fine, just in case you think I’m a completely heartless guy.) Also, Laura and I were both impressed in how well the kids dealt with the situation.
Our first stop was the Carnegie Science Center – a favorite of Laura’s that we had hoped to spend most of the day in, but since it was now 3 pm we only had two hours before they closed. Even with less time than we had hoped, this place was really fun – very interactive and extremely kid-friendly. Daniel ran amok, playing gleefully with all the exhibits. Bizarrely, his favorite “exhibit” was the handicap ramps – he seemed to think they were slides! Really sensitive to people’s disabilities, dude.
Anchored just outside the museum is a World War II-era submarine to explore. I took Daniel down there, but the cramped quarters freaked him out. Maybe a naval career isn’t in the works. Meanwhile, Laura played foosball with a robot. I’m not allowed to say who won. (Hint: It wasn’t her.) [Laura: HEY! It was 2-1!]
[Info that’s only really good for teachers: The admission price is pretty steep, but teachers can get a free ticket once a year. Just email the museum and their marketing manager will send you an email to print off. This isn’t very well advertised on their website, so take advantage if you can.]
After the museum we drove over to the Frick Art and Historical Center – former home of Henry Clay Frick, Andrew Carnegie’s business partner. The drive was supposed to take ten minutes, but again we were caught in a traffic disaster. A five-car pileup on the highway stretched that ten minutes into an hour.
When we finally reached the Frickin’ house we pulled into the parking lot where a sleepy-looking security guard stared blankly at us from his booth. After a little prompting he told us the house was closed. We asked if we could just look at the grounds. He said no. He didn’t look like he was prepared to stop us, but we left. What a Frickin’ waste of time!
Who cares about Henry Clay Frick anyway? Once called “America’s most hated man” his management strategy involved hiring gunmen to shoot striking workers. Where did this tragedy happen, you ask? Just down the road at the Homestead Works mill. We went there and read the historic plaque of “The Battle of Homestead Works” where in 1892 the workers successfully fought off their assailants after a 12-hour gunfight. The victory for the workers was short-lived when the Pennsylvania militia forcibly ended the strike, but the event remains a powerful symbol for labor unions.
No comments:
Post a Comment