Steel City . . . here I come

After months and months of having the "we really need to get away sometime soon" discussion, Mr. Incredible* and I have finally settled on a date and location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Not only is it the city of my birth (travelers who wish to visit my birthplace museum should go to the city's website for more details), Pittsburgh is, in my mind, the quintessential blue-collar city. If you've ever watched a documentary on Pittsburgh, you might notice that the locals have a very curious take on the English language, and as far as I can tell, it's the only city north of the Mason-Dixon line populated by hicks. And before you assume that I mean that in a derogatory way, check out some of my music preferences in my profile. Though "ain't" may not be in my vocabulary, I am a fairly well-adjusted product of small-town America.

So why would I even want to go the city at all? Well, despite its relaxed pace, rural life offers very few cultural events or interesting restaurants. We don't get out much here in the country. But what I LOVE about the city is that you're not dependent on cars to get you where you need to go. Between the feet you were born with and public transportation, the entire business of moving from one place to another is more relaxed (for uptight drivers like me, at least).

But even more important, as a country dweller, the city can be an in-your-face reminder that you're part of the human race -- a reminder that we rural folk need from time to time. Don't get me wrong; wide open spaces are what I'm all about most of the time (and last time I checked, crime rates seem to be most closely linked to increased numbers of people per square mile -- we all need our space)! But living in the country and small towns, we don't even need to talk to our neighbors most of the time. When we go places, we don't brush up against other people crowded sidewalks; the closest we come to human contact is tailgating on the way to work.

I don't mean to say that in the city, no one gets lonely; I know as well as anyone that groups of people can be the loneliest places on earth. But I can't help being attracted -- if only for a weekend -- to the city.

I could go on about how I love the gritty feel of Pittsburgh, and how the rivers seem to keep the city alive, but I'm really supposed to be working. On an unashamedly advertising-edly note, we booked our urban 3-star hotel using priceline.com, and let's just say we realized maybe getting away wasn't so unaffordable after all. So thanks, Captain Kirk, for letting me know in your washed-up-manic-actor way, that priceline is the way to [boldly] go.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.