The Duquesne Incline

At this time last month, my husband came home late from teaching a night class and asked if DT and I would like to join him for an impromptu mini-getaway to Pittsburgh. We'd have to leave in less than 10 hours. He and a coworker had planned to be part of a Q&A panel at the University of Pittsburgh on the topic of effective implementation of pre-engineering programs in high schools, and his coworker suddenly backed out of the trip. Travel and lodging were covered.

How could I say no? I was giddy at the opportunity to get away as a family. So bright and early, we loaded a day's worth of clothes and swimsuits for the hotel, and drove the six hours from South Bend to Pittsburgh. In all we would spend only 24 hours there before heading home, but we would be sure to find all the fun we could.

While my husband attended to his Q&A business, DT and I took a map of the Oakland area from the concierge and began wandering on foot.

Hungry from the long drive, we aimed for "The Original Hot Dog Shop."

I ordered "The Superdog." Warning: This dog comes with 2 thick slices of bacon and cheddar cheese.

With full tummies, we putzed around Oakland and eventually wound up back at our hotel, enjoying the pool, and searching the web for something to do in the morning after check-out.

And here's what we found! The Duquesne Incline. (view from the parking lot below)

Opened: 1877. Cost to Build: $47,000. Length of Track: 794 feet. Elevation: 400 feet. Grade: 30.5 degrees. Speed: 6 miles per hour. Passenger Capacity: 18 per car.

Going up!

That one's going down at the same time, right next to us.

DT checking out the view from the top, just outside the incline drop off.

Both of my boys. You can see the convergence of three rivers from here. Just don't ask me now which ones they were.

Here's a view of the incline from the top. What was cool at the top was that you can look through a peak hole and watch working parts of the incline inside the drop off booth. We're talking huge gears! And you can learn the history of the incline and view pictures of it being installed and used over time.

Once you leave the drop off booth, there's not much to do. But if you walk to the top of Mount Washington, you'll find this cool monument. We didn't plan on seeing it, so it was a nice educational bonus! It's called Points of View and it depicts a meeting between George Washington and Seneca Indian leader Guyasuta.

I hope you can zoom in to read this plackard that goes with the monument.

DT and I overlooking the city, just behind the Points of View monument at the top of Mount Washington. DT did not like having this picture taken. Nor did he enjoy his travel up or down the incline. This is when we discovered how truly afraid of heights he is!

Thank you, Pittsburgh, for a wonderful day.

Ninjago Party Ideas

I wish the best of luck to all of you who may be planning a LEGO Ninjago theme birthday party! My last post has had quite a lot of traffic. So, you're not alone! Kids love Ninjago. The problem is you're going to have to be a DIY'er. If you want to see how to make a few of your own Ninjago party supplies, please go back to my older posts. You'll see my Ninjago invitations, balloons, and party cups.

My search for Ninjago party ideas began on-line. I found several people pinning LEGO party ideas. But I didn't see many ideas specific to Ninjago, except for cakes (and those looked insanely difficult for the novice DIY'er). So, I took what I found from a hodge podge of themed birthday parties and basically adapted the ideas to fit our Ninjago theme.

Some of my ideas turned out better than others...as you'll plainly see. But overall, I was pleased with the results. And more importantly, so was my son. A Ninjago theme was undeniably present at his 9th birthday party.

I recognize the fact that my creations can be improved upon, but I definitely don't plan on hosting another Ninjago party. So please use and adapt to your heart's desire. Your Ninjago enthusiast will love you for it! (And he'll probably even want to help.)

9x13 LEGO brick cake.

At the Betty Crocker website you can watch a How-To video on making a LEGO brick cake. Instead of putting connectors (marshmallows halves) on the middle section, I posed two of my son's Ninjago spinners on top of the frosting like they were battling in the Spinjitsu arena.

LEGO brick candles.

I was ecstatic to find these at Target in the party supply area. With the Ninjago spinners offset on the center third of the cake, I put the candles on the other side.

Ninjago cupcakes.

I'm not likely to ever try cake decorating again! My intentions were good, but I can't control the decorating tips. At least I used a yellow cake mix, allowing me to reveal the ninjas' faces without having to frost those too.

LEGO utensil holder.

Here's a great way to get your little ninja involved in the party preparation!

Guess how many Ninjago pieces?

Get the party started with a nice, quick guessing game. While the kids are eating, give them each a slip of paper and pass around the jar of random LEGO or Ninjago pieces. After they jot down their guesses, read them off in order of farthest from the actual number of pieces to the closest. Let the excitement build and finally announce the best estimation and the lucky winner.

LEGO mini-figurine giveaways.

These make great prizes for game winners or can be shared in lieu of goodie bags for guests. What's great is that each mini-fig comes in a sealed non-see-through bag. So, opening one feels like opening a present. You never know which mini-fig you're going to get.

Pin the Sword on the Ninja.

Find a good image of your child's favorite Ninjago character online and print, along with enough golden weapons for each child to have his own for a game of Pin the Sword on the Ninja. You know the the rest. Blindfold, spin around once or twice, and have them try to stick the golden weapon in the ninja's hand. This will be a hit!

Ninjago party table.

Trust me, it's all worth it to see that smile on your birthday boy's face.