Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh lies where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River, in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania. First an 18th-century French fortress and trading post, Fort Duquesne, then the British Fort Pitt, the city emerged as an industrial powerhouse in the 1800s, mostly due to iron and steel production. Today, the days of steel manufacturing are mostly gone, and with them the industrial pollution that earned the city the nickname "Smoky City."

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When to Go
The weather in the Pennsylvania area varies from region to region, but, overall, is typical of the northeastern United States. In general, the spring and fall months are the most pleasant, while winter temperatures, particularly in January and February, often hover around the freezing mark, and in summer, heat waves are common in which the thermometer can soar well into the 90s.

What to See
Kennywood: One of America's oldest amusement parks and a National Historic Landmark, Kennywood features water rides and several roller coasters - including three of wooden construction dating from the 1920s.

Fallingwater: Sixty miles southeast of Pittsburgh, in Mill Run, is Frank Lloyd Wright's residential masterwork - a stone, concrete, and glass house dramatically cantilevered over a waterfall.

Carnegie Museums: The Carnegie Museums group consists of four museums -- the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Carnegie Science Center. The first two are in the same L-shape complex that also includes the Carnegie Library and the Carnegie Music Hall.

• Andy Warhol Museum. The late Andy Warhol, a Pittsburgh native, was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. The Andy Warhol devotes seven floors to the work of the pop art icon, including a collection of drawings, prints, paintings, sculptures, film, and audiotapes. Much of the collection details the artist's life.
• Carnegie Museum of Art. More than 500 pieces of original art are on permanent display here. Collections include French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings and American art from the mid-19th century to the present. Not to be missed is the Hall of Architecture -- CMA has one of the world's largest collections of plaster casts of architectural masterpieces.
• Carnegie Museum of Natural History. A dinosaur hall and Egyptian hall provide a lot of hands-on activities, while other exhibits tell the history of humankind.
• Carnegie Science Center. Bring your family here for the planetarium, an aquarium, hands-on science exhibits, and a four-story Omnimax theater

Carnegie Library: In 1895 Andrew Carnegie presented the library to Pittsburgh with the stipulation that it be maintained by the citizens and funded through public tax money. Today it remains free and houses an enormous selection of books, magazines, and periodicals.