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I visited Art Rooney Avenue for one reason only, to see the Pittsburgh Steelers' Stadium (known as Heinz Stadium after the ketchup/food business located in Pittsburgh). As someone whose father was a huge fan of the Steelers, this was a visit for nostalgia purposes and I was not disappointed. Located right on the Allegheny River, Art Rooney Avenue is a gorgeous drive when there is nothing going on at the stadium. At night, the city lights reflect off the river's surface and its just gorgeous, and the stadium itself is something to behold. I would recommend driving this street to anyone; just be sure to go when there is nothing going on to avoid traffic.

I-79 going into and in Pittsburgh is a fairly night highway system. It is cut into the mountains/hills, so it could feel closed in and tight; however, because they made the lanes nice and wide with good size shoulders, you do not feel closed in at all. I-79 drives like a boulevard. It rolls with the landscape and, because its so open, the exit signs are easy to see and do not usually sneak up on you as they do on I-279 in the city center. As someone who does not typically like highway driving and avoids it at all costs, I-79 is an easy drive. Please note that I drove it on the weekend and weekdays but never during rush hour.

OK. I have to admit that I love ketchup and that is what made me visit this street in Pittsburgh. I wanted to see the headquarters for H. J. Heinz Co. That being said, I was sorely disappointed not to find a giant bottle of ketchup or some sort of icon. Located in downtown Pittsburgh, Grant Street is just a typical downtown street lined with steel buildings and concrete roads/sidewalks. While its not ugly or rundown so to speak, its also nothing special. I took a picture of the building and also the US Steel Tower for good measure, but left feeling a bit let down.

My first and last experience with I-279 was horrendous. They had parts of it closed down due to a marathon with no detour signs and no traffic directors to help you around. I-279 is very difficult to navigate if you are a tourist on a good day, but with closures and poorly designed/unmarked detours, it was even worse. On a good day, the exits come up with little notice and the signs telling you about the exits are poorly labeled, leading to many experiences of getting lost for this traveler. You will find it hard to avoid I-279, but if you can plan ahead, try. If you can't avoid it, plan for the fact that it will take you longer to reach your destination than planned and you may get lost in some pretty bad sections of town in route to your destination.

Per a suggestion by the doorman at our hotel, we decided to visit Station Square located on West Station Square Drive in downtown Pittsburgh. We took the T (their light rail) for something different to do, as my wife had never been on a subway before. That was a bit much, as the T was very run down and some of the people hanging around the terminal were a bit scary. Once we got to Station Square, however, we were immediately impressed with the street vibe leading into the shopping/entertainment/eating center. West Station Square Drive is very historic and, being on the river, very pretty. Some of the buildings lining the street date back to the 1800s! As a history buff, this interested me more than the shops now inside all of these old buildings. I would recommend this place to anyone who likes history. That part is great. The shopping left a lot to be desired.

Chauvet Drive is the hub/main drag for a major shopping area in Pittsburgh that includes the local Ikea. That is why I visited this area myself. Like the road that Ikea is perched on, Chauvet Drive is a horrible road to traverse. It is on the side of a mountain with poorly designed traffic control. There are also a lot of spaces for rent and, for a shopping area so large, hardly any place to eat or spend the night. The Microtel Inn is fairly decent with reasonable rates, but it leaves a lot to be desired in the way of special services. If you want to shop at Ikea, its worth the drive. If not, do not bother.

For my 10th wedding anniversary, we decided to live it up and stay at the ritzy Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. The hotel was glorious! Great views and wonderful service, with rooms that made you feel like you were a millionaire. The area/neighborhood feel of the area was something else. There were homeless people right outside the hotel (across the street), people yelling at each other in their cars, and a general sense that you would not be safe there at night alone on the street. Needless to say, we did not explore the area very much. I made us take a walk down the side of the street the hotel was on during the day, but at night we were tucked safely in the hotel room.

I came to Park Manor Boulevard to shop at the famous Ikea store that all my friends were telling me about. While I loved Ikea and came away with a car full of great stuff, the road itself was horrible. Park Manor Boulevard is basically a road on the side of a mountain. You want to shop, its a great place to do that, but the drive makes it very difficult. The traffic is horrendous and the design of the road and the entrances/exits from the shopping/restaurants along the road are very poorly planned and difficult to navigate as a tourist. I would recommend going to Park Manor Boulevard for the shopping, just be prepared to sit in your car in a state of confusion for some period of time. Plan ahead and go when the stores first open to make the most of this visit.

I went to Sandusky Street in Pittsburgh to visit The Andy Warhol Museum, as I am a HUGE fan of his work. I was not disappointed in the museum nor the street itself. The street is such a big city street. It has the feel of being in New York City--all concrete, high traffic, and buildings towering into the stars. What felt odd about the street was its lack of people. The roads were busy and there were typical city noises, but not one single person passed us on the five minute walk from our car to the museum. I do not know if this is because it was mid-week mid-day, or if this is typical; however, it did allow us to really get a feel for the street without having to watch where we walked.

When recently visiting Pittsburgh as a tourist, I of course wanted to visit the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. This attraction is truly worth the drive, but the street it is on is almost an attraction in itself. Schenley Drive is green: green trees, green grass, a park in the middle of the city. Before you even get to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, you sense that you are coming near it just because the drive in is so earthy. We walked along the street and just enjoyed it a bit before going into Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens for our tour. With the city all around you, its like a little pocket of earth inside a cement bowl. Very interesting to say the least.

Morse Road used to be a great place to shop; however, now its pretty sad. Most of the area is defunct or lower economic development. Crime is pretty prevalent along this street as well. The local mall recently shut down and is now being redeveloped as office space. Many national chain stores and restaurants have moved out of the area and many once nice apartment complexes are begging for tenants. The city is trying to improve this area, but I fear its a lost cause.

If you like finding good shopping deals, they you will love the west side of Henderson Road. There are several outlet type stores (TJ Maxx, Mark's, etc.) along this older road, as well as locally owned restaurants like Las Margaritas that will tempt your taste buds. Henderson to the far west intersects with Riverside Drive. The homes on that end of Henderson are truly gorgeous and count themselves among the homes of Upper Arlington (historic and affluent section of Columbus). The east side of Henderson Road connects with High Street, so it is very convenient to downtown areas too. Its a great little east west street.

Sawmill Road used to be THE place to shop and live and eat. It still is A place to do this, but not THE place. There are tons of shops and its really close to the Tuttle Crossing Mall. There are also some really nice apartment complexes on and around Sawmill Road with gorgeous landscaping and nice pools. With the recent addition of a remodeled Target, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods Market to the area, it has recently seen an upswing in property values and street traffic. Most who live there get to enjoy Dublin City Schools, which are some of the best in the state. I still shop there on a regular basis and do not see that this street will be dying anytime soon.

OH-161 is a great road. It will take you through Columbus and far east and west of Columbus to the suburbs. On OH-161 you will find the 2nd largest Whole Foods Market in the country, as well as many other shops and restaurants. There are nice neighborhoods and poor, with everything in-between along the way. My favorite section of OH-161 takes you through historic downtown Dublin, OH. With its quaint buildings and wonderful restaurants, you are sure to find lots to do in Old Dublin. On the Columbus end of OH-161, you will find anything you could possibly want in a shop or restaurant, and there are many find places to live as well.

Bethel Road is a road that has seen better days. It is lined with old strip malls and older apartment complexes; however, if you look closely, you will notice that all of these strip malls are thriving and the apartments are all leased. Bethel Road is a multi-cultural heaven. Restaurants and grocers from all over the world. My favorite Indian restaurant, New India, is on Bethel Road. The stores may be older, but they are well maintained and this area is known all over Columbus as the place to go for global cuisine and shopping. If you are into ethic foods, Bethel Road is a must!

If you have ever wanted to "shop until you drop," then you need to go to Polaris Parkway in Columbus, OH. I do not think there is a store missing from all the chains in the country! And restaurants are EVERYWHERE! From major chains to locally owned/operated business, Polaris Parkway has you covered. There are multiple strip malls and detached restaurants as well as the Polaris Fashion Place Mall. Rave Motion Pictures shows all the newest movies in their awesome stadium seating and they have digital projectors for great shows. There are bars galore and even a family fun center with miniature golf and arcade games. Truly, the Polaris Parkway area has it all.

Riverside Drive runs right along the Scioto River in Columbus. That fact leads to some really pretty views while driving through mature trees and passing older homes and apartment buildings. There are a few nice river side parks along the drive as well, and plenty of shopping and eating establishments too. One of my favorite stops on Riverside Drive, is my favorite birders' store, Wild Birds Unlimited. I also love to stop by either parks and feed the Canada Geese that make the parks their homes. Riverside Drive will take you from downtown Columbus all the way into the countryside of Delaware County. The Delaware County end of Riverside Drive is some of my favorite driving.

A drive down Olentangy River Road is like a drive back in time. Most of the shopping centers are older, as is everything else on this road. It seems to have been developed in the 1970's to 1980's and then just left alone. Lots of great old trees and well made apartment buildings line the road, along with historic looking cemeteries. The drive will take you all the way to the heart of downtown Columbus to the south and just past I-270 to the north. Parts are shaded and park-like and parts are very urban feeling. Its a great old street.

US-23, going by many names along the way, will take you from WV all the way to upper OH if you want it too. In Columbus, it takes you from the ghetto to the country suburbs and every place in-between. Drive it through neighborhoods like German Village, Italian Village, and The Short North, or through major shopping areas all along the way. It will also take you to many parks, restaurants, and even corn fields. US-23 truly is the heart of Columbus, as, once you have found that street, you can find your way all over town.

I live in Delaware but like to visit Columbus frequently. My favorite route to get to Columbus is to take OH-315. On my end of OH-315, its a curvy, wooded, river following, gorgeous drive in the country. Homes on large lots with mature trees handing over the road to create dappling sunlight and the river rushing by, make you want to roll your windows down and take your time. North of I-270, OH-315 is a ride any driver would love.

My husband's family all come from Spanishburg, WV. When I met my husband, I had never heard of Spanishburg, but that was soon to change. My first visit to this little country town was a wonderful experience. The town is not incorporated, has no stop lights, does everything civic in their firehouse (including church dinners), and has one school for all grades K-12. You can walk on the "hard road" as they call it, or find a dusty gravel road to walk down--either way you will see the beauty of this mountaintop town. Herds of deer, farms, their own gorgeous waterfall, and wonderful/old-fashioned people. Its an old town, meaning that most of the residents are elderly, and there is not much in the way of shopping or eating out; however, if you want to count lightening bugs on a summer evening or dip your toes in the creek by the waterfall when you get hot, this is the place for you. I know it holds a special place in my family's heart.

I moved to Culloden, WV when I was 5 years old in 1978. There were two neighborhood streets there at that time and everyone knew everyone else. In a way, it is still like that there; however, there are more neighborhoods now and thus more people to know. There is one grocery store, Culloden Independent Supermarket, one pizza joint, Giovanni's (GREAT by the way), and a Family Dollar. Drive a little ways and you have access to the towns of Hurricane and Milton, which offer much more in the way of restaurants and retail. Depending on which side of Virginia Avenue you live on, your kids will either go to Putnam County or Cabell County schools. Both systems are good. I would recommend Culloden to families who want to be close to larger towns but not in one. Culloden is a little bit country, and that was great for my family. I no longer live there (left in 1991), but have visited recently. The changes are many but you just do not notice them. Its a great little town.

I have lived in Delaware, OH since 2002 and love it. It has all the feel of a small town but is only 30 minutes away from the capital of Ohio, Columbus, so there is never a lack of things to do or enjoy. Delaware itself is pretty spunky! With Ohio Wesleyan College in town, the actual historical downtown area is alive and thriving. There are several locally owned shops and restaurants downtown ranging from clothing and pet supplies in retail to pizza and steak dinners in restaurants. Every year we host the Delaware County Fair where the Brown Jug takes place. This event brings in horsemen from around the world to compete in the race. With holiday parades, a lively downtown, a thriving college, and restaurants galore, I would recommend visiting or living in Delaware to anyone!