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Dale Chihuly, a glass artist from my home town of Seattle, did an incredible exposition at the Phipps nature conservatory for much of 2007, and well into 2008. Visiting the Phipps is always free for Pittsburgh students, and only a few minutes walk away from the Cathedral of Learning. I often drop by for a moment of Zen.

This night-time view of downtown Pittsburgh is from the top of the Duquesne Incline, an old 19th century incline that will still haul you up to the top of one of Pittsburgh's many hills. There are some fabulous restaurants up there. I highly recommend grabbing a bite, and then descending the incline for a walk along the water, that conveniently dumps you out among a nice selection of bars at Station Square. Grab a beer and go home, or if you want to burn the midnight oil, pop into the Matrix Nightclub next door, or hop a 5 minute bus down Carson Street to the Diesel Club Lounge.

If you're up for a day trip out of Pittsburgh, you can make it to Falling Water in about an hour. Falling Water is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous works, built literally right on top of a waterfall in the middle of the woods. It's not open all year, but it's well worth scheduling a trip. Information about the tours is available at their website.

Every New Years, Pittsburgh closes off downtown and throws a huge party. For eight bucks you can see comedy shows, ballet, rock concerts and more. They even give you marshmellows to roast in little fires built along the streets!

The summer is all sunshine here, and the winter is all snow. Both are beautiful and worth playing in, whenever you finish your work.