Day 427 -Take a Soak at Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

 

 

Just about two and a half hours from Pittsburgh you will find a small West Virginia town that was established around the flow of mineral water in 1776, Berkeley Springs. These springs were frequented by Native Americans and even George Washington. The Berkeley Springs State Park offers visitors the opportunity to take a soak at the Spa or The Old Roman Bathhouse and experience the healing and relaxing properties of this mineral rich water.  

Old Roman Bathhouse (1815)

Reflection

It's amazing to think that this natural wonder has been a spa since the colonial days. The Roman Bathhouse was built in 1815 for men only at that time.  Today these nine private rooms contain tubs with 750 gallons of water. The natural spring flows at 71 degrees but the tubs heat the water up to 101 degrees for the soaking experience.

They are clean and private and for a reasonable fee, you relax in the mineral-rich spring. (The first person is $32, and each additional person is $22 per half hour) The water is supposed to have health and healing benefits, but the relaxation factor was my goal. As the tension released from my muscles, I thought about how I was experiencing a little history not to mention, that my skin felt silky smooth afterwards.

You can also fill bottles of water directly from the spring fountain. The park offers gallon jugs for $1.00.  This is a must-do for the water tastes great and it’s a nice souvenir to take back with you.  

For the fancy pants patrons, there is a historic The Country Inn of Berkeley Springs. The Park also has a Bathhouse Spa where you can get facials, massages and/or a mineral bath and shower combination.

This place was like a diamond in the rough. I enjoyed the nostalgia of the Roman Bathhouse, and the rangers were so friendly and eager to explain the history of the springs. I could not think of a better place to take a soak or to soak in some history and nature.

(The baths and services book up, especially on the weekend, so call ahead for an appointment: 304-258-3976 for the Roman Bath or 304-258-2711 for the Bathhouse Spa services.)

 Other Sources

https://wvstateparks.com/park/berkeley-springs-state-park/

 

Day 425- Lullaby Project Celebration Concert, A Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Community Engagement Program-Mother's Songs of Love Spread Joy

 

 

The Lullaby Project is one of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Community Engagement Programs. This is the second cohort where the Trust teamed up with the Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute matching new and expecting mothers and caregivers with songwriters and musicians to create very personal Lullabies for their child. On March 1, 2025 the Trust's second cohort Lullaby  Project Celebration took place. The performances of these original songs spread joy that reminds us that no matter what our differences, the love between a family/mother and child is universal.  

Reflection

Brooke Horejsi, Chief Programming and Engagement Officer for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, put it so well, “This is a love celebration from the heart.”  The concert consists of seven participant poems that were transformed into soft, jazzy, even pop-like tunes. The musical quality was impressive but the messages of affection, hope and aspirations for these new lives showered the room with positivism.

I spoke with a family that participated last year. The mother beamed with pride when she spoke about her Lullaby, "Wonders of Oba."  “My son knows all the words, asks for his song often and we sing it nightly.” The experience  united the three familial generations represented at the table. Their song became a family mantra. 

"Wonders of Oba" is a family mantra

This project creates a gift which is like a time capsule of memories for each child.  Listening to them all, I thought about my own son. Many of the Lullabies captured things that I would say to him like:

“If ever you’re lost / Look at me, I’m like the North Star / Just lift up your eyes and you will know you’re not far from home” (Shooting Star by Diarra Clarke with Sean Baker.)

“Mama’s wish for you: That I can Give you comfort / and steer you the right way / that you’ll build strength and confidence to be a leader ev’ry day”(Mama’s Wish for you by Courtney Rhoton with Lynn Speakman.)

A memory with my own son 

This concert was filled with so many love songs that it was a party of pure joy. It showcased the way art can feed the strong bond between a mother and child which is a universal force in us all. 

(For more information on the Lullaby Project and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Community Engagement Programs go to   Lullaby Project  and Community Engagement.)

 Other Sources

https://trustarts.org/pct_home/engagement

https://trustarts.org/pct_home/engagement/lullaby-project

 

Day 424- Attack Theatre-Sessions- Combustion of Story, Song and Dance with alt-pop artist Rachel Sage and Cellist Dave Eggar

 

 

Founded in 1994, Attack Theatre is a modern dance company that fuses live music and other art forms in their performances. They are a company with a mission to “remain curious” for new ideas. That is just what they are doing with the "24-25 Season of Fire.”  In Sessions, alt-pop artist Rachael Sage, and cellist Dave Eggar combust with the dance company for an evening of storytelling, song, music and movement.

Day 423-Life of Pi, A Theatrical Experience-Finding “a Light” to Defeat Fear

 

 Life of Pi is a stage production based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel. The book was also adapted into a movie. A 16-year old boy’s journey to survive a cargo shipwreck sharing a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger is brought to life with the use of extraordinary puppets and special effects.   Pi, an explorer of spirituality, found his own “light” to defeat fear. He holds on for 227 days adrift in the ocean before being rescued.   

 

Day 422- CLO Who’s Holiday? It’s Grown-up Cindy Lou’s, Sharing it with You

The Grinch tried to steal the Who’s Christmas with a scowl and grimness. Remember, even after waking little Cindy Lou he shoved the tree up the chimney. All Grown up now, Cindy enjoys cocktails, a little cursing, jokes and some wacky smokes. We are her party guests as she tries her best to find a  little cheer after a difficult year.   

Day 421 MJ – The Musical like the Man brings Perfection

  

MJ is not like any other jukebox musical based on the life of a famous entertainer that I have seen. It’s not just a line up of one big Jackson number after another but weaves his music and story into an understanding of the man. It’s like a tapestry of his life and those threads that made him one of the best entertainers of all time. Jackson strives for perfection in entertainment. He might agree with me that the story, music, dancing, set, costumes and more achieved it in MJ.

Day 419- Pittsburgh Playhouse- Fall Fest- Boo’s Halloween, A Party for the Kid in Us All

 

Pittsburgh Playhouse, home of Point Park University, is a gem of entertainment for the entire family. Their programs include Community and Special Events, Conservatory Dance and variety of shows with Playhouse Presents. The Fall Fest kicked off the season with Boo’s Halloween Party, a musical mash up show written by alumnus Ahmad Simmons and Lazlo Graves. It’s a party that brings out the kid in us all.  

Day 418 Liberty Magic-A Brew of Tricks and the Treat of Seeing Magicians From all Over The World -Miguel Muñoz

 

Liberty Magic is Pittsburgh’s intimate venue dedicated solely to the sleight of hand. Now in its sixth season, it continues to bring a brew of tricks and the treat of  the world’s best magicians to the city.  Miguel Muñoz comes all the way from Madrid Spain to open this season with his new show that asks you to contemplate, “What is Magic for You?”

Day 417- Stomp, an Amazing Collage of Rhythms- A Universal Language

 

 

Stomp's 30 anniversary tour takes Rat- a- Tat -Tat to the next level. This show invents ways to make everything and anything an instrument. Since the beginning of time, man has used things to create a beat and music. This show without a spoken word, produces a universal language with an amazing collage of rhythms.   

Day 416-Pittsburgh Opera Opens the 24-25 Season with Tosca, A Passionate Musical Explosion of Love and Deceit.

 

Puccini’s Tosca is one of those classic operas that blast emotions of love and hate though masterful music and song.  This opera sung in Italian, was one of the first operas that I experienced. Afterwards I was hooked on this art form. It is perfect opera for newbies. It has all the elements that one might expect from an opera, emotions on steroids, an extravagant set, period costumes and arias that explode with passion. It gives you that “opera experience.”

Day 415- The Grandest Waterfall- Niagara Falls – Natural Power Viewed from New York

 

I am a waterfall enthusiast (see Day 414). Recently, I ended my quest for the flow with Niagara Falls, the grandest of them all.  The roaring water falling at 25 miles an hour can be viewed up close from Niagara State Park in New York. The hydro-power and beauty from the park connect you with the power of nature.