Part 4: Life in Erie, Pennsylvania
The Outdoors: How active is the outdoor life in the city?
An Actual Benefit to Erie?
I’m sure as you’ve read in my previous three parts published last year, I don’t think very highly of the city I’ve been captured in over the last four years. It has some benefits but a lot of drawbacks. One of those benefits is something I’ll highlight today.
For a city that experiences all four seasons in a year, sometimes even in a day, the outdoor life is active year-round. The joke here in Erie is that if you don’t like the weather, you just wait five to ten minutes. This can both hold back and help outdoor activities at the same time.
Presque Isle, Erie County’s Jewel
The most notable place for outdoor activities is the famous peninsula that juts out over Lake Erie. It is also a state park and has numerous beaches. Presque Isle State Park boasts an annual visitor count of approximately 4 million people. It is by far the most well-known tourist attraction the area has to offer.
This destination is most popular in the summer as many of the beaches attract large groups of people. I hear that there are also yearly challenges on the peninsula for hiking and biking. The road that traverses the length of the peninsula is about 13 miles and poses a challenge for the more physically fit travelers.
Golfing For Everyone, Nearly
Another active outdoor activity that Erie County boasts is the 23 golf courses, of which a majority of them are public or municipal courses. This makes golfing in the area very accessible to the general public. It also would make it very affordable as an occasional hobby for a working person. I wouldn’t personally play just because I’m either too much in pain most days or because I don’t have an extra $36 laying around to pay for an average round.
The Great Lake as a Draw to the Area
Erie’s outdoor appeal also hinges on the fact that it is on one of the five Great Lakes in the United States. Although this fact contributes to its wild weather throughout the year, it also regulates the temperature and provides some additional outdoor activities.
In the wintertime, the lake is a great spot to go ice fishing. Fishing in the lake is good all year but the best time to do it is in July and August when anglers from all over come to the lake. In the summer, any variation of water sports and activities is plentiful.
The docks over near Downtown on the Bayfront are home to many ships throughout the year. Erie used to be a huge trading port before the turn of the 20th century. Now there are boats mainly for touring the water and large ships come in for tourists to explore.
Why Did the City Move the Bikers?
There was once a vibrant annual biker festival that came to Erie in the summer but the city has since shut down the operations and forced them to move. The bikers moved the event within the county despite bringing thousands of visitors and extra money to the local economy, especially near the event.
Hunting Is Huge Out Here
Hunting is also a big event in Erie. I’m not too familiar with all of the hunting seasons but I do watch the news closely when they announce when one starts or ends. You can click here if you want to know. Since most of the county outside of the city is sparsely populated, it is prime land to kill certain animals.
I’m not personally into it myself, the whole killing thing. I just know that hunting is a big deal for some people so it should be highlighted as an outdoor activity.
Camping Is Fun in Erie County
Camping is also pretty popular in the area. The county is home to forested areas and many scenic landscapes that also contain numerous campgrounds throughout the area. From what I’ve heard, the campgrounds are fairly affordable and I’m about to go check one out myself.
I won’t link the campground here yet. I’m about to go and see how the experience is and then let you know where and what it’s all about.
Giving the Zoo Its Due
One more major draw to the area is the local zoo. I’ve disparaged this local zoo in the past for being smaller than my hometown zoo but I’ve reconsidered. Erie is home to about 100K in the city and nearly 250K in the county so I feel that the zoo is a reflection of that population.
It’s small but it’s not so small that it can’t accommodate tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands annually. The cost is reasonable too. It’s $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for seniors, $6.00 for children 2–12, and free for infants and toddlers under 2. Even if all they have is a few tigers and some gorillas, it’s still worth the price of admission.
Giving Erie the Praise Where It Deserves It
As you can see, Erie has much to offer in the outdoors. It’s not that bad of a place when you take that into consideration. Given all of the other criticism I’ve offered to this small city in Pennsylvania, I figured I had to be generous with some praise this time where I could find it.
I hope you never find yourself having to move here but at least if you’re going to visit here, you’ll know what to expect. Until next time, Digital Global Travelers.
Erie Series
For the first three parts of the Erie series, you can click on the tab, Stories about Erie on the main page, or view them here.
Also if you’d like to help a fellow writer buy a coffee, I’m also on Ko-Fi. I currently only have my profile there with no content yet but I am trying my best to link my Medium profile to there. https://ko-fi.com/geraldsturgill
