Tag Archives: Presque isle

Experience Erie: Summer family getaway!

Build a castle with the kids at Presque Isle, ride the Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park and make a splash at Splash Lagoon!

There’s so much to do in Erie, Pennsylvania, with your family!

The perfect family getaway is in Erie.

Going for the weekend, a few days or the week? Here are some of the must-do family getaway activities!

Go beaching, biking and build a sandcastle at Presque Isle

No family summer trip to Erie is complete without a trip to Preque (pres-k) Isle. It’s almost an island (literally, presque in French means almost and isle in French means island.)

Here are the top family-friendly things to do at Presque Isle!

Hang out at the beach!

Seriously, beaching is the biggest draw to Presque Isle. The state park offers miles and miles of Lake Erie beaches.

There are several guarded beaches where visitors can swim during guard hours. Visitors are not permitted to swim at unguarded beaches or outside of guard hours.

Pack food, stop at Wegmans or Sheetz for hoagies, pick up snacks at Beach Zero and spend several hours under an umbrella and on a towel. The kids can play in the sand, and you can walk the beach or read a book.

If you don’t want to waste the day being a beach bum, Presque Isle offers so many other activities.

You can rent bikes, water trikes, surreys and rollerblades from the Yellow Bike rental company inside Presque Isle.

Presque Isle offers an array of hiking trails — ranging from 0.2 miles to 13.5 miles. Take a hike to Gull Point for the wildlife and serenity!

Go fish! Literally. There are many great spots along Presque Isle to cast a reel. Have a boat? Even better.

Go kayaking! Drop the kayaks in the water from a number of locations throughout the park.

Go birding! Presque is home to many bird species. And many more use the peninsula as a rest stop during migration season.

Tour the Presque Isle Lighthouse!

Plan ahead and take part in programming offered by the state Department of Natural Resources. Find events on this page — nearly all events are free but many require registration.

You could spend two hours or all day at Presque Isle!

7 stops for a great Erie summer day trip!

The cost of everything is up, but you still have to have some fun! Why not experience a summer day trip to Erie, Pennsylvania!

Here are the seven spots you need to visit for a great Erie day trip!

Go beaching, biking, birding at Presque Isle

No summer trip to Erie is complete without a trip to Preque (pres-k) Isle. It’s almost an island (literally, presque in French means almost and isle in French means island.)

Presque Isle offers miles and miles of beaches. There are several guarded beaches where visitors can swim during guard hours. Visitors are not permitted to swim at unguarded beaches or outside of guard hours.

Pack food, stop at Wegmans or Sheetz for hoagies, pick up snacks at Beach Zero and spend several hours under an umbrella and on a towel. The kids can play in the sand, and you can walk the beach or read a book.

If you don’t want to waste the day being a beach bum, Presque Isle offers so many other activities.

You can rent bikes, water trikes, surreys and rollerblades from the Yellow Bike rental company inside Presque Isle.

Presque Isle offers an array of hiking trails — ranging from 0.2 miles to 13.5 miles. Take a hike to Gull Point for the wildlife and serenity!

Go fish! Literally. There are many great spots along Presque Isle to cast a reel. Have a boat? Even better.

Go kayaking! Drop the kayaks in the water from a number of locations throughout the park.

Go birding! Presque is home to many bird species. And many more use the peninsula as a rest stop during migration season.

Tour the Presque Isle Lighthouse!

Plan ahead and take part in programming offered by the state Department of Natural Resources. Find events on this page — nearly all events are free but many require registration.

You could spend two hours or all day at Presque Isle!

Ride the Ravine Flyer at Waldameer

This lakeside amusement park is free to walk in.

Yes, you read that right.

You can walk through the gate at Waldameer for free.

There are paid options for the rides and slides/pool area.

While here, be sure to ride the Ravine Flyer coaster, which consistently is named among the top wooden coasters in the world. It’s got amazing views of Lake Erie!

Plus, check out the iconic Whacky Shake dark ride, Pirate’s Cove, Thunder River and more!

Waldameer has five roller coasters!

Plus, the park’s Water World area is filled with slides, multiple pools and other attractions like the Battle of Lake Erie water zone.

Plus, there’s a variety of food available, including three Dippin’ Dots kiosks!

Waldameer is a cashless park, so all transactions must be completed using a credit/debit card or a Wally Card.

Visit Waldameer for a quick bite and a Ravine Flyer ride or spend half or all day having fun!

Soar above Erie at Dobbins Landing & the Bicentennial Tower

Sittin’ on the dock of the bay…

Enjoy a visit to the capstone of Erie’s Bayfront — Dobbins Landing.

This unique area offers prime views of Presque Isle Bay and Erie’s skyline.

Soar 138 feet above Presque Isle Bay with a quick ride to the top of the Bicentennial Tower. Cost is $6 for adults and $2 for kids 7-12. Free admission for everybody is on the second Tuesday of the month.

Once back at lake level, cast a rod into the bay, take a trip on the Victorian Princess, set sail with pirates on a Scallywags Pirate Adventures cruise, grab dinner at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel’s Bayfront Grille and take a walk around the pier with all of the sights to see.

Get a Romolo milkshake and try sponge candy

If you’ve never heard of sponge candy, you have now.

Take a visit to West Eighth Street for a milkshake at Romolo Chocolates. While there, gander the aisles of chocolate goodies and trinkets in the store.

While there, watch the workers make candy!

But the milkshakes. Get a milkshake. And stay on the patio for a bit.

Calories don’t exist at Romolo. (Besides, after biking Presque Isle and chasing kids at Waldameer, it’s worth it!)

Race go-karts at Erie Sports Center

Check out the new Fun Park at Erie Sports Center, where you can race go-karts and play mini-golf and more.

The go-karts can get up to 30 mph!

Plus, the sports park offers two 18-hole mini-golf courses.

Stroll State Street and Perry Square

There’s so much to do on State Street — from the Erie Art Museum and Erie Children’s Museum to Erie Apparel and an array of restaurants, including the Erie’s new Flagship City Food Hall.

Check out the water fountain at Perry Square.

Plus, on a nice summer day, it’s just a quick walk from Dobbins Landing!

Take a family selfie at the Erie sign

On a nice summer day, walk the Bayfront Promenade from Dobbins Landing to Bayview Park where you’ll find a spectacular view of Presque Isle Bay and Presque Isle.

Be sure to get that family photo with the great Erie sign!

Watch the sun set over Lake Erie

Erie sure has some beautiful sunsets.

There are a number of great places, but the best spot is Sunset Point at Presque Isle. Before heading into the park, stop at Sara’s for orange twist cones (or take your Romolo milkshakes).

Then head over to Sunset Point, which is just to the west of Beach 10. (Another great spot is along the beach behind Presque Isle Lighthouse.)

Be sure to find out what time sunset is and don’t leave until at least 20 minutes after the sun has set. The sky is beautiful!

Pack a blanket, some water, the phone for great photos and enjoy the evening.

(By the way, some people call Sunset Point “Kite Beach,” so if you see that in a Google search, it’s the same thing!)

Discover Presque Isle promotes Erie’s ‘almost’ island gem

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Discover Presque Isle is Erie’s biggest celebration for the breathtaking, expansive natural wonder.

The new format includes seven days of events that will highlight Presque Isle State Park’s many offerings.

An events schedule is not yet available, as of early June, but it promises to include many areas of the park and provide “family-friendly recreational and educational opportunities” — guided hikes, archery, pancake breakfasts, live music, sand sculpture competition, a giant bonfire and Presque Isle Lighthouse tours.

Most events are free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.

New this year: There will be no artist and vendor market.

“This difficult decision is due to capacity limitations resulting from the ever-increasing visitor attendance at Presque Isle in late July each year,” Discover Presque Isle officials said.

Organizers said they are working on other plans to include artists and vendors in a separate event in 2023.

Find more details about Discover Presque Isle here.

Erie: A best city to visit in summer

Erie is (notoriously?) known for its active winter weather.

But the sometimes brutal winters make way for gorgeous summers!

The folks at Only In Your State think so, too! They recently considered Erie, Pa., one of the best cities in America to visit when the weather is warm.

While there are a lot of great fall, winter and spring things to do, we agree: Erie rocks in the summer!

Of course, the crown jewel is Presque Isle State Park with miles of Lake Erie beaches, biking, walking, hiking, kite flying, fishing, boating and so much more!

But we can’t do an Erie summer trip without the Ravine Flyer at Waldameer, Tall Ships Erie festival, 8 Great Tuesdays concerts, ice cream at Sara’s, hiking at Erie Bluffs State Park, Celebrate Erie festival, Dan Rice Days, the Erie Zoo, U.S. Brig Niagara, the Erie Maritime Museum and so much more!

Happy birthday, Presque Isle State Park!

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Happy birthday, Presque Isle State Park!

While Presque Isle’s history can be traced 11,000 years ago, this gem that juts into Lake Erie was officially dedicated as a state park of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania 100 years ago today — May 27, 1921.

It was the foresight of Erie area residents to preserve and protect the peninsula as a state park.

In French, “Presque Isle” means “almost an island.”

Over time, the peninsula has actually become an island when lake waters rose, later returning to its status as a peninsula.

Pennsylvania state park officials estimate that at least four times since 1819, Presque Isle has been an island.

It apparently cost local residents $75,000 for the peninsula to become a state park, according to historical Eugene Ware. He estimates that the price — as of 2019 — would equate to $950,000.

The peninsula was a crucial part of the War of 1812. While the Battle of Lake Erie was fought off the shores of present day Ohio, Oliver Hazard Perry used the Erie harbor to build six of the ships used in the battle.

Perry is honored with Perry Monument, built near what’s known as Misery Bay and Graveyard Pond — named after the hardships the crew endured.

Prior to the War of 1812, the Erielhonan tribe, which dates to before the 1650s, lived along the lakeshore, including Presque Isle.

But it was the years post-War of 1812 that appear to be most heavily documented.

Presque Isle is home to two lighthouses.

North Pier lighthouse was built in 1858 at the end of the channel leading into the bay. That wooden lighthouse was later replaced by once from France after the original one was destroyed.

Presque Isle Lighthouse was built in 1872 and lit a year later. It now is part of a partnership with a nonprofit group that welcomes tours into the former residence.

Just three years after state park status, the peninsula’s road system was built. Presque Isle boasts a 13-mile road loop. In the 1980s, a bike lane was added.

Presque Isle State Park welcomes thousands of visitors each year. And while it’s known for its sandy beaches in the summer sun, the peninsula allows for activities throughout the year thanks in part to the diverse climate. The park is also home to many species of birds and other animals — some of which are not seen anywhere else in the state.