August 28 Run: Start at Big Dog Coffee on the South Side, 2717 Sarah Street

Since we didn't come up with a plan on Sunday,  I've got the controls here.  So I was recently inspired by reports of Pittsburgh's plan for a new giant park in Hays, so let's do a South Side run on the trail, starting at Big Dog Coffee, and heading toward the Bald Eagle nest, which is in Hays Woods.  I don't think there is a trail in from there, but we can look.  We can watch the river along the way, and also hang out on the Big Dog terrace afterwards.

On Sunday we followed Lainy to the hidden pedestrian entrance to the Fort Pitt Bridge (guess what - next to Fort Pitt) and so inaugurated one more river crossing for the RG.  Runners headed down to the West End Bridge to get back; walkers went over the Smithfield Street Bridge, after a detour inside the Grand Concourse which was unaccountably open at 7:30 - good to know when in search of a gorgeous bathroom.   Conversation and endorsements were technology focused:

• Pittsburgh Gigapanorama (thanks, David Bear!) - so you can see what's on top of the downtown buildings.  Sometimes there is a surprise - see photo.
• Cut & Sew classes and workshops (will the cashmere obsession return with cold weather?) Also Lainy mentions: Gloria Horn studio.  This is technology too!
• App-a-rama:
• Life360 tracks your family
• Find My Friends tracks everyone
• Transit will change your non-automobile life anywhere
• PAT Track covers, naturally, PAT buses, in real time
• Target Cartwheel - special discounts 
• GoMobile - will change your automobile parking life
• NoWait gets you seated at restaurants without the lines
• The WSJ weekend magazine shows you what apps celebs are using. 

August 21 Run: Downtown from PPG Place fountain aka Tomb of the unknown bowler

Direct from our leader Lainy: "Downtown.  Tomb of the unknown bowler.  3 Rivers run including running group first... A bridge the group has never crossed on foot before!"
If that doesn't get you there, I don't know what will.

Last week was a North Side tour - starting with the amazing Randy Land.  I can't report for the runners, but the (power)walkers headed up, up, up into Fineview for, naturally, some definitively fine views, and the marvelously named corner of Compromise and Hemlock.  Coffee at the newest
Commonplace Coffee locale, lovely though, due to their exceedingly careful attention to coffee technique, a bit slow.  But nobody cared.

August 14 Run: North Side run - meet at Commonplace Coffee, 1501 Buena Vista

August 14 already!  I don't care how miserably hot and humid it's been (and I'm living without air conditioning) - it's summer, and it's almost over! Well we might as well make the most of the rest of it, i.e. early morning runs that aren't dark, so let's meet this Sunday at the newest Commonplace Coffee - 1501 Buena Vista Street on the North Side.  Lots of possibilities route-wise - bring ideas! Powerwalk option is now a fixture.

Due to my terminal midsummer laziness, last week we had a bulletin instead of a posting, so here's the quick story:  last week, downtown prelude to Open Streets, visiting some riverside spots, including the newly resurrected bronze Manchester Bridge statues on the North Shore (click on that link for cool details!)
and this past week, Highland Park highlights.  I did keep track of endorsements:

• Open Streets was fabulous - new route to the West End snaked around multiple neighborhoods and over 2 bridges in surprising ways - lots of activities involving spandex - last one until 2017 :-(
• Sunday evening Highland Park "Reservoir of Jazz" (5-7) followed by Summer Soul Line Dancing with Roland Ford (7-9)
• Movies:  Bad Moms (stay for the credits) and Lo and Behold from Werner Herzog (many CMU-ites involved.)
• Our CLO - Aida (over), and South Pacific (coming up this weekend)
• Gaucho Parrilla Argentina - someone else recommended it, but I just checked out the menu and am totally psyched about the Choripan, which I had no idea was available in the Northern Hemisphere. Assuming it's made with Argentine chorizo - could be revelatory.
• Kayaking. The Venture Outdoors rentals in Aspinwall and on the North Shore couldn't be easier.   Plus, Pam found a kayak at T.J. Maxx that fits inside a Prius!
• Iceland - Virginia will report back
• Painters - Bill Ervin/Recovery Painting (there was another but I can't find him)
• Quadrathlons - we want to develop one that has Water Aerobics (led by Karen), Zumba (Wendy), Yoga (me) and finishes with the Original Jane Fonda Workout video  (this copy is blurry but it's the whole thing.)  Did anyone else start their journey to fitness with Jane and Leslie "there's so much more to you than meets the eye" Lilien?  They're still awesome!