I have some friends who recently moved to Pittsburgh, and they tell me it’s like a diamond in the rough.  Head to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, and you’ll see why!  From the LEED-certifed Welcome Center (the first of it’s kind in any public garden in the US), to the Giftshop that promotes the largest amout of fair trade items from Third World countries, the Phipps Conservatory is a green-lovers haven.  The Cafe serves locally grown, organic food with compostable servingware; and, of course, there’s the 13-room Victorian greenhouse and outdoor gardens.  Your kids will love to explore the hands-on activities in the Discovery Room, glimpse butterflies in the Stove Room, or take a crafts class in the Education Center.

Extra special this summer and fall is the Chihuly at Phipps: Garden and Glass exhibit.  If you’ve never seen Dale Chihuly’s glasswork in nature, please don’t miss this opportunity!  We went to see him last summer - kids love the enormous, colorful glass sculptures hiding among spectacular foliage.  Now go stop and smell the roses…