Erie County

Hello everyone and welcome back for the final blog post of the semester! Throughout the course of this site, we have seen many of the greatest natural wonders America has to offer. From Bryce Canyon, Utah, to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, there really is a lot to see in these United States we call home. However, as I prepare to go home for the Holiday Season, I find myself increasingly reflecting on the amazing sights found in and around my home town of Erie, Pennsylvania. Due to its isolation from the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas, as well as its comparably small population, the Erie area is often overlooked when most Pennsylvanians think of our state. Despite this, the area I grew up in has its fair share of attractions and unique views, which, in slight contrast with the rest of this blog, I will discuss today.

For those of you who don’t know, Erie is located in the Northwestern corner of the state along the shores of Lake Erie (imagine that). Geographically speaking, it is roughly equal distances from the cities of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo, and serves as Pennsylvania’s only “coastal” city. For the inhabitants there, the lake serves as both a curse and a blessing, with the insane snowfall rendering the area uninhabitable to anyone not familiar with the area for approximately four to six months out of the year. However, if you survive the seemingly apocalyptic winters (accompanied by as much as 198 inches of snow), the summer months are well worth it.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about summertime back home for me is Presque Isle, a four mile long peninsula that curves out into Lake Erie, creating Presque Isle Bay. This piece of land and the bay it encompasses are home to the area’s best beaches, and some of the more notable tourist attractions in Erie. Additionally, the beaches offer an unobstructed view west over Lake Erie, making for some beautiful sunsets. Presque Isle alone sees over 4 million visitors annually, making it a staple of the natural sights in the area.

Another attraction often visited in the summer is Wintergreen Gorge, a 250 foot deep ravine that runs along Fourmile Creek. While not quite as impressive as some of the canyons mentioned previously in this blog, Wintergreen Gorge is still a beautiful and popular attraction for hiking and swimming. Due to its location directly behind Penn State’s Erie branch campus (and also my house), it is a convenient and fun place to visit.

Overall, I could continue this post with many more local attractions, but it would just be too long. Erie has no shortage of local forms of beauty, and with them comes plenty of things to do and talk about. I hope these posts have provided you guys with some insight and much deserved appreciation for the natural wonders of this country, both local and national. Happy Holidays and I will see you all next year!