Blogs

This trip to Erie PA we spent the day at Presque Isle State Park (Pennsylvania's only surf beach) and then spent the evening at Presque Isle Downs and Casino.

Presque Isle State Park is an arching sandy peninsula that extends 7 miles into Lake Erie and consists of 13 miles of roads (loop around outer edges of the peninsula), 21 miles of trails, 13 beaches, 2 lighthouses and a marina. The varied habitat includes sandy beaches, dunes, thickets of shrub, grassy areas, willows, cottonwoods, ponds and marshes. This diverse habitat is home to nearly 400 species of terrestrial vertebrates, including over 320 different birds, 48 kinds of mammals, 13 types of amphibians, and 19 reptile species.

Before heading down the hill to the entrance of Presque Isle, 4 miles west of Erie PA, we stopped at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center to take in the view from atop the 75 ft observation tower. The Waldermeer amusement park was in plain site but not yet open, We also had a nice view of Lake Erie. It was especially nice to see all the green leaves on the trees after a long harsh winter here on the Lake Erie shore.



Although most of the park is not exactly ideal for parking a 34' RV, we managed to find a few places to stop as we slowly made our way around the 3000+ acre park. From the spot in the picture below, we had a great view of the city of Erie across Presque Isle Bay.



The charming little city of Erie Pennsylvania in the distance, across Presque Isle Bay.



Photo below taken from Lake Erie on a rock break wall (one of 55) at the beach on Presque Isle, Erie PA.



Although we had all the ingredients for a picnic right in the RV, we opted to go out for dinner (steak sounded better than cold lunch meat sandwiches). Had we wanted to picnic on the beach, we found the perfect spot, a picnic table right on the beach at Presque Isle in Erie PA.



After a exploring the park for a little while we went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse (great choice) and then to the Presque Isle Downs and Casino to gamble a little. The Casino shuttle provided door to door service, picking us up (and dropping us back off) right at the RV. We spent the night boondocking in the casino parking lot. In the morning we all rode the shuttle back to the casino for some orange juice (and a little more gambling) before heading out in the afternoon.

It was much too quick to enjoy all Erie had to offer (as all trips are), but it was a great trip none the less. Looking forward to returning to Erie, Presque Isle, the Park, the Casino, the Racetrack, and to explore new sites.

WhereRVnow.us>