It's a 2-fer Tuesday

Good morning! I'm off today (some might argue I'm a bit off every day) so there's plenty of time to blog. I thought I'd do my regular 10 On Tuesday and join in the new Tuesday 4 everyone is joining in on.

First the 10.

10 Things You Must See In My Town

1. Fred Rogers was born here and grew up here. We are the original neighborhood. You can check out the Fred Rogers Exhibit at St. Vincent College while you are here.

2. Saint Vincent College was founded in 1846 by Benedictine monks led by Boniface Wimmer, who became the first Archabbot of Saint Vincent Archabbey, now the largest Benedictine archabbey in the world.

3. The St. Vincent Gristmill is a leftover from the days the Archabbey was also a self-sufficient farm. Today it houses a gift and coffee shop.

4. Another native son the town is quite proud of is Arnold Palmer. He maintained a home and office here his whole life. You can visit the Latrobe Country Club where he learned to play golf.

5. The Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve was the dream of Arnie's wife to preserve the native scenery, plants, and animals. It was a response to the development taking place along Route 30. Today the 50 acre reserve showcases a native landscape with trails, meadows, gardens, wetlands, a pond, and more.

6. The Lincoln Highway Experience is a museum that showcases all that was great about the nation's first coast to coast highway. Pay a visit and see why people still choose to travel this scenic highway when interstates are nearby.

7. Latrobe is also the official birthplace of the banana split. It was created by Dr. David Strickler at Strickler's Pharmacy in 1904. Today you will find a banana split statue in the downtown area and each year the town hosts the Great American Banana Split Festival. You can enjoy an authentic banana split any time you visit at Valley Dairy.

8. The Pittsburgh Steelers hold their training camp on the campus of St. Vincent College each July-August. There are public scrimmages, fan fests, photo and autograph sessions, activities for the kids, and often a pre-season game against another NFL team that ends with a huge fireworks display. 

9. The Latrobe Art Center was founded by Nancy Rogers Crozier (the sister of Fred Rogers) and provides a place for students of all ages and abilities to learn and grow their talent. In addition to a cafe, the center offers classes and programs for all abilities, community events, local art on display and for sale, and workshops.

10. Four Seasons Brewing Company continues a proud Latrobe tradition of good beer, good food, and good fun. For most of the 20th century Latrobe was home to Rolling Rock Beer. Now there are several micro breweries with Four Seasons being the most popular. It's a relaxed place to hang out with friends, enjoy good food, sample the brews available, and listen to some great music.

I could keep going all day with things to see and do here or in the Laurel Highlands area. This is a great place to live! However, if I'd better get to the second part of the post before this grows to an epic length.

Thanks to Toni for hosting and creating the Tuesday 4 Meme. Today is my first time, as it seems to be with lots of others. 

1.   Pumpkin Carving or Apple Picking?  I'm going to have to go with apple picking. While I love all things autumn related and all things pumpkin flavored, I don't enjoy being up to my elbows in the slimey innards of a pumpkin.

2.   Yankee Candles or Roaring Fireplace?  I am a big fan of both, but if I can only have one, I'd take the fireplace....warmth and soft light.

3.   Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider?  Apple Cider if it is of the unpasturized variety. I like my cider to have a little zing to it that the pasturized stuff just doesn't seem to have.

4.   Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie?  Tough choice, but I guess I'd take the pumpkin...and a whole lot of whipped cream, please.