Our Five Ring Circus Takes On The Water Steps

On Friday, we headed back into Pittsburgh for another afternoon of fun! We originally planned to visit the Carnegie Museum or Carnegie Science Center, but it was such a beautiful day, that we wanted to spend it outdoors. Grant has never been able to join us at The Water Steps at the North Shore Riverfront Park, so we decided that would be a great family outing for the day!

The Water Steps look like a beautiful piece of natural art, but it's actually a popular spot in the Summer. It's like a huge, interactive fountain! This multi-tier wading spot is a combination of waterfalls cascading over the rocks, and shallow wading pools on each level. Kids can cool down by wading through the water, and even adults and dogs, who are walking or biking along the Riverfront trail, take advantage of this fun, free spot!

I always tell people that the Water Steps are a hidden gem in Pittsburgh. My kids can easily spend hours playing on them, and they are always so excited when I tell them we will be spending the day there. This time, we were so excited to have Grant with us on our mini Pittsburgh staycation!

The stroll down to the North Shore Riverfront Park from the city streets is a beautiful one! The kids love to stop to check out the memorials, and the stunning views of downtown, The Point (a big fountain marks the spot where the three rivers meet up), and the river. Thankfully, there are lots of  access paths along the way, because we had our ginormous hulk of a stroller along with us!

We got a great parking spot this time, so we were right across the street from the Water Steps! Our walk was very short, which was great, because Liam spotted those steps, and ran. He climbed right in to the lower wading pool, and Coen woke up just in time to join us.

After a few minutes, the girls climbed up to explore together, and Dylan and Grant decided to go for a stroll along the Riverfront trail. I secured Coen in my mesh water sling, and climbed after Liam - all day long!

While I was chasing Liam up and down the steps, those boys of mine decided to rent a river kayak from Kayak Pittsburgh! (My girls were a wee bit mad, but we explained to them that there was an age requirement, and that they could do it when they are older!)

When they got back from their river adventure, Coen woke up from his afternoon nap on mama, so we took advantage of that time to get a sibling picture! Grant and Dylan even came in to cool off. We also decided to let him take another dip in the wading pool. He wasn't too sure of that idea!

Back on dry land, Coen was much happier! He turned 20 weeks old that day. His eyes are the most mesmerizing blue, and his smile lights up his entire face!

Everybody else got out, dried off, and got ready to go. That is, everybody but Liam. Liam loves to swim, and would stay in the water ALL DAY if we let him. I had to chase him through the fountain to catch him so we could leave. (I love the picture Grant snapped of me tackling him, but our legs look so distorted!)

We spent so much time at the Water Steps that day,  that we didn't have enough time to walk over to The Point like we planned. Even though we had a great afternoon, the older kids were a bit disappointed, so we made plans to go back in August to visit the Water Steps again, and see the fountain at The Point. We can't wait to go back! If you live in Pittsburgh, or ever visit in the Summer, I highly recommend picnicking and cooling off at this fun family-friendly spot! 

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