Who in the heck purposely goes to Erie, Pennsylvania? Well, we do. And guess what. It has been a neat experience. The photo in the header above is Erie from Presque Isle Bay.
Our home for several days is a municipal RV park on the shore of Lake Erie. We pulled in Friday night and were treated Saturday morning to a parade of boats going through the cut between the mainland and the tip of Presque Isle peninsula.
Our home for several days is a municipal RV park on the shore of Lake Erie. We pulled in Friday night and were treated Saturday morning to a parade of boats going through the cut between the mainland and the tip of Presque Isle peninsula.
Sailboats Leaving Harbor - A View From The RV Park
Erie is still in some tough times as a city of the Rust Belt, but they sure are making an effort to re-create their waterfront. The bay shore has been remade into a bit of a destination with shops, restaurants, a Sheraton hotel, marinas, an amphitheater, a maritime museum, and a replica of Commodore Perry’s ship, the Niagara. Saturday night it was hopping.
Linda Enjoying Lunch At A Waterfront Restaurant
Don’t Give Up the Ship!
This famous phrase was on the battle flag of Commodore Perry who heroically won the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. While the actual battle took place at Put-In-Bay, Ohio, everything began and ended in Erie.
This famous phrase was on the battle flag of Commodore Perry who heroically won the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. While the actual battle took place at Put-In-Bay, Ohio, everything began and ended in Erie.
The Niagara
Perry was sent to Erie to build a fleet and use it to protect our interests in Lake Erie. There was little in Erie, a town of less than 400 when Perry arrived. The ships had to be built of green lumber and then floated across a sandbar to get them from the bay into the lake.
Niagara Rigging -- You Wonder How They Kept It All Straight.
His flagship, the Lawrence, was close to foundering, and he transferred his flag to the Niagara. In no more than an hour, he had split the British defenses and captured their fleet. We should all know his famous message after the battle. “We have met the enemy, and they are ours.” Of course some of us who are a bit older might remember a similar quotation from the comic strip, Pogo Possum who said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
Beautiful Presque Isle
The peninsula that forms the safe harbor of Erie is Presque Isle. Pennsylvania, with some unusual foresight for a state, has made the entire peninsula a state park with wonderful trails, wetlands, beaches, and marinas. It is a unique and beautiful treasure. The houseboats you see below are “grandfathered” and must remain in the family. There are 24 of them and originally they were scattered about, but the creation of the state park put them all in one little cove.
Beautiful Presque Isle
The peninsula that forms the safe harbor of Erie is Presque Isle. Pennsylvania, with some unusual foresight for a state, has made the entire peninsula a state park with wonderful trails, wetlands, beaches, and marinas. It is a unique and beautiful treasure. The houseboats you see below are “grandfathered” and must remain in the family. There are 24 of them and originally they were scattered about, but the creation of the state park put them all in one little cove.
Waiting To Be Used
The Presque lighthouse is a charming thing. It is on the lake side of the peninsula. I am sure that when it was built it was on the shoreline, but now it is nestled back in the trees a bit. It is one of three lighthouses close to Erie, and by far the most picturesque.
The Presque Lighthouse
The North Pier (really the bulkhead of the cut between Presque Isle and the mainland is busy with fisherman at all hours of the day. Its mainland counterpart is just as busy. It is fun to walk out and chat with the fisherfolk along the way. At the end of North Pier is another lighthouse, not nearly as picturesque as the one above.
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay.
Linda And The North Pier Lighthouse