Who is ready for the next Bench? If you answered “YES!” You’re in for a treat. This one comes from my partner in crime, David. I hope you enjoy this bench and maybe even visit. - Really you should because I can’t wait to go back
Erie, PA
We traveled to Erie for this bench. We spent four days up north and loved every minute of it. David is from Erie so he had a ball showing me his hometown. For those of you that don't know where Erie is let me give you an idea. It is located in the very far left corner of the state of Pennsylvania. It is the only part of Pennsylvania that juts out into Lake Erie.
Erie, itself has a very rich history. It was first settled by the Eriez Indians ( hence the name of the Lake and city). The French built Fort Presque Isle in 1753 that would later be occupied by the British and burned by Seneca Indians a few years later. Erie played a vital role in the War of 1812. Commodore Oliver H. Perry’s fleet was by and large built in Erie. Misery Bay, which is within the harbor, is where his flagship “The Niagara” was sunk.
You can visit the maritime museum and see The Niagara and learn more about the maritime history of Erie.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2119.html - a brief history on Erie
Erie has two lighthouses you can visit. One of which is the oldest land lighthouse on the Great Lakes. It was built in 1818 and is called the Erie Land Lighthouse. The second lighthouse is located on Presque Isle and was built in 1872. We visited both the Presque Isle Lighthouse, and the North Pier Lighthouse. Presque Isle Lighthouse is absolutely beautiful. It was recently reopened to the public last year for tours, it costs $6 to go climb the tower. The grounds are absolutely breathtaking. The beach doesn’t look like what you’d expect for a northern beach on a lake. Rather it looks like a beach from the Carolinas with the tall grasses and smooth sand. I was in complete awe.
http://presqueislelighthouse.org - Link for the light house tours and hours (seasonal)
Presque Isle Lighthouse - courtesy of David
We stayed on Presque Isle most of the day. Why they call it an Isle I’ll never know. ( I was recently informed, by David, that Presque is French for almost, so “almost island” is a peninsula. Learn something new every day) Really its just a peninsula that juts out into the lake. However you will not run out of things to do here! You can rent kayaks, bird watch, bike, hike, go to gorgeous beaches, swim, fishing, you name it you can probably do it there. We drove all over and ended up on sunset beach, which is where our bench is (our bench, isn’t that a cool thing!?). David has told me over and over how beautiful the sunsets are in Erie and I couldn’t wait to see them. Boy was he right!! The sunsets are absolutely breathtaking! To this day I don’t know if I’ve seen one that remotely compares. Go there. Please go and see for yourself. The pictures I’ll share are just a glimpse of the true beauty. According to David’s dad you can sometimes see the northern lights there as well.
http://www.goerie.com/presque-isle - Link for all the activities and things to do in Erie
My favorite subject for this trip David haha
A view from the bench courtesy of David
I don't have a pic of the Bench -Sorry!- but the bench was used to get this fabulous shot!
You know me and food, if there’s good food nearby a bench I’ll tell you about it. Well on Presque Isle there’s a diner called Sara’s and there you can get one of the best milkshakes I’ve ever had. They also have your standard diner fare, burgers, fries, etc. The ice cream is what we went for and it was fantastic! (any Doctor Who fans out there? If so, you get it) I highly recommend that you go here for dessert and take it to the beach and watch the sun set. Yum!
All in all Erie is a fantastic city. The people there are incredibly nice and there is a ton to do and see. It’s a tourists dream, great food, beaches, and more activities than I can name. I have fallen in love with it and I think you will too when you visit. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves but man oh man is it pretty out that way. Just imagine how it would look when the leaves are changing colors in the fall, or when the first snow falls in the winter. Did I mention the skiing in the area? Like I said you’ll never run out of things to do and see.
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