Web exclusive: Oakland day trips

Those students aching to get away – if only for a day – from the bright lights and busy… Those students aching to get away – if only for a day – from the bright lights and busy streets of the urban university experience should take comfort in the fact that the Pittsburgh region has many exciting daytrip destinations.

Coasters and rivers and bears, oh my!

For the adventure lover, or the child at heart, there are three amusement parks within an hour’s drive of Pitt (unless there’s Parkway work on the day of your trip), each catering to a different type of visitor.

Kennywood Park, located in West Mifflin – east of campus and the city – is one of the nation’s oldest and most celebrated amusement destinations. Founded in 1898 and designated as a historic landmark in 1987, Kennywood has been entertaining Pittsburghers – and amusement-park lovers worldwide – for more than 100 years.

There, a visitor to the park can ride world-famous, classic roller coasters (Kennywood was dubbed the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World” in the late 1960s and has added a nice handful of rides since) or simply enjoy the regional summer staple, Potato Patch fries – with gravy, always with gravy.

Students desperate for ways to beat the heat when they return to campus need only look as far as Homestead/Munhall’s Sandcastle Waterpark.

A relatively quick jaunt from campus, Sandcastle offers a huge number of waterslides and rides. Among the most popular is the Lazy River – a serpentine stream where visitors can lounge on an inner tube and float through the park – a great way to relax on a hot, summer or early autumn afternoon.

Finally, Idlewild Park, located in Ligonier, offers members of the student body a chance to reconnect with their inner-child via Storybook Forest, a section of the park devoted to the characters of childhood fairytales. In addition, the park has some larger rides and draws for college-aged amusement seekers.

The great outdoors – and indoors – a fun break from the grind

Those interested in a more cerebral sort of excitement might be interested in the historic Fallingwater, in Mill Run, Pa. Named for the fact that it was built atop a waterfall, the home was built for the Kaufmann family in the 1930s by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Haven’t touched on your particular niche yet? How about a little shopping?

The gargantuan Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills complex, recently opened in Tarentum, houses an IMAX theater and hundreds of the most popular retail and dining destinations in the area.

There is also the Waterworks complex in Blawnox for shoppers and movie theater patrons interested in more variety.

Be pro-budget with a trip to a minor league game

Those students with an appetite for athletics (but with a college budget to feed it on) should consider the numerous minor league and semi-professional sports teams in the region.

Like baseball? Take a trip to see the Wild Things in Washington. Individual tickets start at $6, and you’re more likely to see a win than those students staying in the ‘Burgh for their baseball.

Is hockey your thing? With cutbacks to the Penguin’s Student Rush program and rising ticket prices, it’s become more difficult for the average hockey fan to catch a game. The solution: the Pittsburgh Penguins minor-league affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.

For around $100, a student can get two game tickets and a hotel room for the night. Adding to the appeal is the fact that you’ll be able to catch some of the future Pittsburgh Penguins before they enter “the league.”

Think of all the fun a sports aficionado can have telling his/her friends, “I’ve known about [insert big star here] forever, I watched him on the Nailers.”

Those interested in winter sports have a few options. First and foremost, there is Seven Springs ski resort in Seven Springs, Pa. Pitt sporadically sponsors bus trips to Seven Springs over the winter, both in connection with and independently of the Ski Club.

There is also Blue Knob ski resort in Claysburg, Pa. A little farther of a drive, but it is the highest skiable mountain in Pennsylvania.

There is also a nearby casino and racetrack, if the mood should strike. Not exactly the Las Vegas action and atmosphere, but until the North Shore casino opens, it’s as close as you can get.