Things to Do in Fernway

Since 1952, North Park Batting Range has facilitated outdoor baseball training on its open-air range. In each of 10 open-air baseball cages, automated pitching machines fire balls into the strike zone at 30–80 miles per hour. Five open-air softball cages loft pitches at various speeds for batters training for slow-pitch or fast-pitch leagues. On the 18-hole, par 40 miniature golf course, family-owned and operated since 1961, flourishing shrubs, sharp corners, water hazards, hills, and windmills create obstructions for golfers.

Beneath tree-blanketed mountains rests the fruit of Dan and Christine McLaughlin's labor, a 138-acre farm dedicated to the training of horses and horseback riders. After spending more than two decades dispensing his equine knowledge across the States, Dan desired to put down roots—and so he did, dotting verdant pasture with facilities for a full-service equestrian center, including a 30-stall barn, an indoor arena, and two outdoor arenas. The arenas bustle with lessons, camps, and community activities where riders practice English and Western riding styles for sport, recreation, and My Little Pony reenactments.

Pittsburgh Magazine fills subscribers' mailboxes with 13 annual issues detailing the city's food, business, sports, and culture. In featured issues, writers highlight recent local human-interest stories, guides to weekend getaways, and spotlights on eclectic spots, famous cemeteries, or the place where Fred Rogers became Mr. Rogers after donning a radioactive sweater. Each year, the Best of the 'Burgh poll lets readers anoint their favorite city eateries, entertainment, and other local merchants.

While vacationing in Ocean City, Maryland, the future founders of The Board discovered standup paddleboarding. Inspired by this easy means of exploring watery avenues, they took the idea and ran with it, setting up shop in the inland town of Beaver Falls in 2010. It was there that they sculpted and sanded their own brand of wooden paddleboards and made them available for buyers and renters. They also stock epoxy and inflatable boards that customers can use to skim western Pennsylvania's flat-water rivers or paddle the Great Lakes. Customers can also procure wakeboards, kneeboards, and kayaks to propel themselves down waterways or Paul Bunyan-sized bathtubs. In addition, on-land travelers can ogle new and used skateboards, which dangle from the shop walls and a variety of wheels and hardware filling its display cases.

The folks who run Clayful Pottery’s studio don’t buy it when someone claims they aren’t creative. They believe that anyone regardless of their age or experience level can create works of art given the freedom and opportunity. Within a studio decked out in vibrant green hues and hand-painted wallflowers, guests unleash their hidden artistry on blank canvases in the form of plates, cups, vases, and decorative animal figurines, decorating them with their favorite colors, designs, or algebraic equations. The friendly staffers then fire and glaze ceramic masterpieces, readying them for pickup a week later. Staff members outfit guests with all the necessary supplies and advice during open studio sessions, as well as coordinate corporate events, bridal showers, and birthday parties, all of which can be held in one of two party rooms.