The Beach Life in Erie

The beach life, and Pennsylvania, are two things that do not get thought of at the same time. Erie is the place that puts these two things together, with its miles of beautiful coastline along PA's maritime border with Canada. 

The entire coastline of Lake Erie is beautiful to explore, especially in the area of Presque Isle. Lighthouses and sandy beaches line the coastline, leading towards countless recreational opportunities. There are many excellent places to go out for a swim, sightsee, or simply sit down and take in the beauty. To us, the Erie region is a little slice of heaven and it is one of our favorite places to visit in the state. 

The Erie North Harbor Light, sitting at the juncture of Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie on Presque Isle Peninsula in Presque Isle State Park.

The city of Erie itself hosts dozens of city parks, including Chautauqua Park, a beautiful little park that sits on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie. This quiet location is quite beautiful and a perfect place to hold a picnic and just take in the views. 

Our next stop takes us to Shades Beach Park in Harborcreek Township, just up the coastline from the city of Erie. 

This quiet beach serves as an excellent place to relax. It is located at the mouth of Eight Mile Creek, one of the tributaries that the steelhead trout run up from the lake. In addition to the beach, the park has a boat launch, woodland trails, playgrounds, and picnic areas.

The entire coastline all the way into New York has tremendous views and public beaches, providing tremendous views of Lake Erie. Naturally, the boat life goes hand in hand with the beach life, and you will find many marinas up and down the coastline.

Heading westward from Presque Isle State Park is something that is not often done by visitors, and understandably so, considering how many awesome things that can be done there. Now we head out westward along the shores of Lake Erie from Presque Isle State Park to Erie Bluffs State Park. Along here there are multiple marinas that are popular for people into boating. The protected inlets offer a great place for boat launches and protection for those out on the lake. Additionally, they are often at the headwaters for the different creeks that pour into the lake. In steelhead trout season, these creek heads are the place to be for fishermen. The steelhead trout runs from Lake Erie into its watersheds are known as some of the best game fishing that the state has to offer.

A view of Presque Isle's peninsula from the western side. The first boat launch provides an excellent view.

The shoreline in this area can be categorized as rolling hills, small gorges, and little glacial kettles that create beautiful wetland and field areas.

The boat launch at Erie Bluffs State Park. This secluded area is beautifully wooded and a prime example of what the coastline looked like prior to human development. It is an excellent spot to have a picnic, launch a boat, fish, hike, sightsee, or to just simply relax. 

The soils along the coastline of the lake are perfect for growing all sorts of different berries. As soon as strawberry season hits, there will be berries in season all the way through to grape season in the fall. There is nothing like hitting up a roadside stand and picking up some fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and especially the best that the region has to offer with cherries and grapes. Late June through July marks cherry season in Erie, and their cherries are absolutely delicious. Come fall, be sure to drive through the area's vineyards and the grape smell will be so strong that it will get into your car vents. Pick up some fresh grapes and you will be in heaven. 

Now heading back to Presque Isle State Park....

When you get out to the furthest points of the Peninsula at Presque Isle, you usually find steady and straight winds that are perfect for flying kites. You often see dozens of people flying elaborate kites. This location is highly sought out for kite flying because of the quality of wind in this area. The ridges and mountains of the state don't lend themselves well towards kite flying. That makes this area out on Lake Erie a favorite for kite fliers. 

The sheer size of the peninsula creates a huge and unique habitat for many different species within lagoons, ponds, and wetlands. We will cover this more in an upcoming article.

Other popular activities along the shoreline include bicycling the adjacent trail, something we highly recommend, fishing, and more. These are in addition to the typical awesome things you can do at the beach, including sunbathing, swimming, grilling at the picnic tables, riding the surf, and taking in the sights and sounds of the shore. 

The beaches here are a slice of heaven.

Having grown up in the eastern part of the state, heading to the shore was always a highlight of our summer. What trip to the shore is not complete without some boardwalk style rides and delicious food? Two family institutions are famous for their greatness right at the entrance to Presque Isle State Park, Waldameer Amusement Park and Sara's Restaurant. 

Waldameer offers a number of great rides including Ravine Flyer II, one of the best wooden roller coasters on the planet, and a full and expanding waterpark. 

Sara's Diner makes fantastic burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, shakes, and more. 

The lighthouses and dunes are amazing to see.

There is nothing like taking in a sunset on the beaches in Erie. 

The shores of Lake Erie in the Erie region are absolutely incredible and we highly recommend spending as much time there as you can. 

Erie: PA's Lighthouse City

When I think about lighthouses, the first thing that generally comes to mind is the abrupt and rocky seashores of Maine, with a plethora of spectacular lighthouses up and down the Atlantic Coast. Pennsylvania is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about navigational lighthouses. Erie has three of them that were officially built for navigation. All three are in the Presque Isle Peninsula and Bay area, and they are beautiful. Lake Erie has been known for its intense storms, so navigational aids in the way of lighthouses are crucial, especially when it comes to the Presque Isle Peninsula, jutting out into the lake.

Erie Land Light

The Erie Land Lighthouse was the first lighthouse to shine on the great lakes. The original incarnation of this tower was built in 1818. It was expanded in 1856, though the soil was unstable and it was rebuilt in 1867. The 1867 tower is the one that remains today. It remained in service until 1880. It was recommissioned five years later after a large public outcry, and then was permanently shut in 1899. This structure has somehow stood the test of time, spending the last 117+ years out of official service, and standing in various states of limbo. For the bulk of the twentieth century, it stood without its lantern, having been shipped to the Marblehead Light in Ohio. A wooden replica was placed on top in 1990, though a storm in 2003 ripped that off of the top. Thanks to grants by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the light now stands in its original glory. The lighthouse's grounds are home to a nice little park, with playgrounds and picnic areas. It is a great place for a quiet afternoon picnic or to just get away for a little bit. The tower is nearly 49 feet tall.

Erie Harbor North Pier Light

The view from the Erie Land Light gives us a look at the next lighthouse we will be checking out, the Harbor North Light, which marks the juncture of Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay.

The first incarnation of the Harbor North Light came about in 1830, simply consisting of a 50 foot wooden tower on a concrete pad, with a foghorn and whistle. The 34 foot tall structure known and loved today was prefabricated in France in 1858 and replaced the original tower, which had been destroyed by a schooner during a heavy storm. For navigational purposes, this light served as a warning for navigators to notice the large Erie Land Lighthouse that is located on a bluff within a close proximity of this light. Unlike the Erie Land Lighthouse, this light has remained in constant operation by the US Coast Guard. In 1995, the last Fresnel lens was removed and sent for preservation to the Erie Maritime Museum, where it is still on display, and replaced with an automated blinking red light. 

While the other lighthouses see a great number of visitors, the Harbor North Light always seems to be extremely popular. It is located on a popular fishing pier. There are always at least a dozen or so fisherman in this spot, with usually at least one person at any given time catching a relatively large fish. 

Since it also marks where Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie meet, you always see boats sailing through the area. You may even catch a glimpse of the Brig. Niagara sailing by as Commodore Perry did more than two centuries ago.

Presque Isle Lighthouse

The Presque Isle Light is a beautiful building that marks the furthest coastline of the Presque Isle Peninsula. This light is frequently open for tours and it, along with the beach in front of it, are excellent places to take in the sunset.

The lighthouse was built in 1873. The tower itself is forty feet tall, but with the lightroom on top that was added in 1896, the height comes out to 57 feet.

Bonus stop! Waterworks Lighthouse

Our last stop leads us to the location of the old Erie waterworks on the bay side of Presque Isle Peninsula. While this is not a real lighthouse, it was built in 1906 to look like one. This housed the gears for the waterworks pump. The waterworks was a huge deal when it was first completed, since it was an engineering solution to a huge problem with water quality in the city's water system, for environmental controls were not in place to prevent disease outbreaks and more within city drinking systems. This specific structure has attracted the affection of visitors to the peninsula since it was built. While it is not an actual lighthouse, it is a neat thing to see.

The waterworks area is filled with a pristine forest area that always impresses me. I cannot help but stop for a minute in this spot and listen to the breeze blow through the leaves of the trees. 

Erie's lighthouses are beautiful and well worth checking out. 

Spencer House Bed & Breakfast, Erie, PA

Erie County is a great place for a getaway. From miles of sandy beaches along Lake Erie, to vineyards and fantastic wineries through Chautauqua County, NY, Erie has a myriad of awesome things to do. Spencer House Bed and Breakfast is centrally located to everything in the region. The mansion was built in 1876 as a wedding gift from local bank magnate, Judah Colt Spencer, to his son, William Spencer. The house was occupied by multiple generations of the Spencer family with it being rented out over the years, and passed along to different owners. The mansion was eventually opened as a bed and breakfast in 1992, and since 2012, it has since been meticulously restored. This 135 year old Victorian mansion is incredible. 

The stately Spencer House has stood in downtown Erie for more than 140 years. It is located right down the street from Presque Isle State Park, Waldameer & Water World, the city's museums, Gannon University, and more.

The rooms, common areas, and decor are inviting and relaxing.

The rooms are extremely cozy. Just looking at these photos is making me want to go back!

Elegant woodwork is around every corner in this mansion.

The dining area is inviting and an excellent space to feast upon the delectable breakfast meals they create.

The first course is a plate of fresh fruit.

And we were offered a little bit of everything on both days of our stay. Strawberry French Toast, homemade sausage, scrambled eggs, and southwest potatoes got us all fueled up on our first day of adventures in Erie. 

Local ham, caramel banana pancakes, scrambled eggs, and potatoes rounded out our meal on the second day of our stay.

If you are looking to hang out at the Spencer House outside of your room, there is a beautiful covered porch out front, and lots of cozy common areas throughout the place, perfect for lounging and sipping some local wine or kicking back with a great book.

The Spencer House Bed and Breakfast is excellent in every way and it feels like a home away from home. We highly recommend staying here and experiencing everything that the Erie region has to offer.

For more information on staying at the hotel, be sure to visit their website at http://www.spencerhousebandb.com

The Spencer House Bed and Breakfast  and Visit Erie hosted us and we have shared our candid thoughts and opinions about this place.