Because I live in Phoenix year round, I think my perspective on the length of summer has changed. As far as I’m concerned, summer started part-way through May and as such, I’ve still got another month or so before it will be over.

I don’t mind the Arizona summers as long as I treat them like I did winter in Pennsylvania: stay inside a lot, and be well prepared if you do have to spend time outdoors. That said, why hide inside when the other parts of the country are enjoying lush green foliage and pleasant weather?

Luckily, there’s a lot for me to do when traveling back east, this summer included a couple of trips to Pennsylvania as well as a visit to New York to participate in WordCamp New York City, check out Time Inc’s new 225 Liberty offices, and hang with friends (that trip and corresponding photos will be in an upcoming blog post).

June Was a Fun Month

A fantastic opportunity presented itself when the Pittsburgh Penguins made the Stanley Cup playoffs, and I was visiting my home town when they played the winning game in San Jose. My parents are fans, my friends are fans, my brother is a fan, and yes, I totally sat in the nursing home and cheered at the tv with my grandmother during more than one game. Time well spent!

Cars & Coffee in Wexford

I’d heard about the bi-weekly Cars & Coffee gathering that happens at Generoasta Coffee in nearby Wexford years ago, and had been wanting to go ever since. While visiting, my dad and I finally ventured out with the ’87 300zx he hauled from Scottsdale, AZ to Pennsylvania earlier this year to enjoy a couple of fun Saturday mornings.

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Each visit to Cars & Coffee includes at least a few vehicles you might not normally see — a couple of favorites from the set below include a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and a Fisker Karma, which according to Wikipedia is a “range extended electric sports sedan”. Electric or otherwise, they were both pretty badass looking.

Teal Kid Bonding Time

It’s unsurprising, I imagine, that my brother enjoys driving and car-related activities like I do, so for his birthday this year I got him a Porsche driving experience. We ventured out to the Pittsburgh International Race Complex and spent a fun afternoon checking out the cars on the track and even taking the outdoor go-karts for a spin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD1VVEtUqZA

The Featured Photo on This Post

The image at the top of this post taken in downtown Pittsburgh, with the Convention Center on the left and PNC Park on the right.

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