Erie is an adult playground. If you have a little bit of money, you can do a lot. That was something a friend of mine once said and I couldn’t think it to be more true. Let’s go through all the reasons to love Erie. Starting with the fact that alcohol and beer is just about the cheapest you can get in the state of PA. Plymouth Tavern has weekly specials including quarter beers. That’s right, one small coin gets you a nice mason jar of Straub Lite. Yum. You can enjoy the day with drinks either at a small baseball game with some classic hot dogs or head over to the Casino.
Staying on the theme of hot-dogs, you can try a gourmet wiener across the street from the casino. Any variation with multiple toppings and the softest, toasted buns. Bet on some horses, play some slots, I’m not much of a gambler so do whatever you do best. If that’s not your thing no problem.
Erie offers a variety of outdoor activities. The Lake itself is not too bad for swimming in the summer months. Its quite refreshing. Rent a motor boat or pontoon and doc it by boater’s beach. You can jump in or wade around. You can also take the boat out so far the water meets the sky. Beyond that is Canada, pretty cool eh? Presque isle offers many hiking trails, kayaking, biking. The entire loop is about 13 miles. At the way peak you can find wind surfers or regular surfers. People are too creative. Maybe you like skipping rocks, you can do that too. The beaches are sandy and soft. Believe it or not but Erie is actually one of the top places for sunsets. Something about the way the earth curves and the right angles makes the light illuminate and dance like a giant lava lamp in the sky.
Enjoy the colorful skies on Presque isle or head to the Bayfront hotels and dining. If you stay at the hotels there is one with an infinity pool. You can swim around in the safety of the giant chlorinated tub but pretend you are in the fresh lake water. Live music on the Bayfront at multiple restaurants is common on the weekends.
Dance, sing, laugh, drink, repeat. Then sleep.
Wake up. If you’re up to it drive out to Northeast Wineries. Just the drive alone is breath taking. Water on your left with vineyards running on your right. Quite close to home for such a magical experience. The wine is pretty good too, particularly the ice wine which requires frozen grapes. Frozen is a winter Erie specialty if you know what I mean. Everything is frozen.
Of course this whole time I am mainly talking about visiting Erie in the summer months. Who wants to expose themselves to what probably feels like the Arctic tundra unless you have to. Unless you like to ski, then you should definitely spend a day or night at Peak ‘n Peak. Ski-beer-ski-beer-brewski.
Anyways, the possibilities of Erie are vast. This is written mostly from the perspective of a 20-something, no kid, singleton (Yes I referenced Bridget Jone’s Diary get over it). However if you have kids I’ve heard the amusement park at Waldameer is quite fun. Honestly, been there as an adult. the Ferris Wheel is really cool if you’re not scared of heights. You get a cool view of the lake. The zoo is cool too, the children love the animals. Many definitely don’t belong in Erie. But they have the royal life. They never worry about predators and they’re always well fed. Actually there is usually something called Zoo Brew in Erie with local breweries. Maybe they’ll restore that post-covid times, we shall see.
Regardless of what you’re into you can find something fun in Erie for a day or two. Did I mention it is only a 2 hour drive from Pittsburgh? Straight shot. You can trust your Tesla the whole way. Or drive with your two hands, two eyes, and one foot like I do. My other foot is fine thanks for asking. But speaking of one legged pirates. There is definitely a Pirate booze cruise in Erie. Hop on, dance to the DJ, and drink the night away on Scally Wag’s on the lake. If you’re feeling classier there is a ferry. Or again, maybe you have a kid. Kids like ferries. Hopefully you can appreciate the blend between adult and child playground Erie provides. It’s simply all fun, close by, and won’t break the bank. Check it out you imupear (that is what they used to call Pittsburgher’s in Erie because what they really mean is “I’m up here from Pittsburgh”). It’s okay to love Erie.