Trip Report: November 27 - December 21, 2001
by Ted & Sylvia Blishak
28 DAYS ON THE RAILS
THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY
Sunday, December 9, 2001
This afternoon we attend a performance of the Pittsburgh Symphony at Heinz Hall, entitled "Ax plays Mozart." We are looking forward to hearing one of our favorite pianists playing a Mozart Concerto. However, Mr. Ax has become interested in the music of late 20th Century composers, and prefaces his Mozart with a concoction written especially for him by an otherwise unknown contemporary composer who describes his concerto as "music as it might be heard by a person suffering from mental illness." Fortunately I always carry ear plugs with me in case I find myself in a noisy environment.
We will be leaving Pittsburgh for Philadelphia tomorrow morning, so to simplify our travel experience and save thirty miles of driving, including Monday morning rush hour, we have made reservations at the Westin tonight. We will be close to the Amtrak Station and the Budget Car Rental return Monday morning.
When I made this hotel reservation, I assumed that it was at the Westin William Penn, the grand old hotel of downtown Pittsburgh. However, when it came time to plot my route to the hotel, I did not recognize the address, and learned that I had actually made a reservation at the new Westin Pittsburgh at the Convention Center. This hotel was opened in the 1980s as the Vista Hotel, operated by Hilton-International, then later taken over by the Doubletree hotel chain. This year Doubletree turned it over to Westin, and the William Penn Hotel is now operated by Omni. Do you have all that now? A person needs a travel agent to keep all of the names straight.
Actually, the new Westin Pittsburgh is very well located across the street from the Amtrak Station, which is located in the former Pennsylvania Station. A person traveling light would find it a fairly easy stroll. Pennsylvania Station has been remodeled to form a condominium and office complex.
After a light supper we turn into our Westin Heavenly Beds.
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