Great Escape: Shadyside's Walnut Street and Bakery Square

Want to get away, but can't really go too far?  Walnut Street and Bakery Square in Shadyside combine to make a great alternative to leaving the state -- or country.

If you have the energy for a good shopping extravaganza, it’s worth the drive to Shadyside. Walnut Street has great little boutiques, as well as larger chain stores such as  Gap, Coach and J. Crew. 

Kards Unlimited is a greeting card and gift shop that you could get lost in for hours. Prantl’s Bakery, home of the famous burnt-almond torte, bakes fresh pastries daily that you can bring home to your kids for being on good behavior while you were gone. Just a mile or so down Fifth Avenue is a new development called Bakery Square, which hosts a Coffee Tree Roasters and an Anthropologie, a shabby-chic clothing, accessories and home wares store that will have you drooling just at the window display.

Even if you don't want to spend much money, taking a stroll between the shops is enough to give you some peace of mind. Whether you have just a couple hours or the whole day, give yourself a little time to regroup.  Trust me, when you come back with cookies or just a bigger, brighter smile on your face, your kids will thank you for it.