Well, it is now officially summer…and you know what that means: family vacations! Ah, yes, one of the perks of summer...getting to take off to various destinations with the parents and the siblings. I can sense the bonding experience already! Okay, so now that we’ve established that you’re taking a family vacation, the next step is going to be figuring out the age old question of “Where to?” Well, I have a feeling you know my answer to that question. PA Great Lakes, of course! Follow me as I guide you through a great family vacation experience!
Erie, Pennsylvania is generally known for its mild summers and lovely breezes. This is the perfect weather to enjoy Waldameer Park and Water World! The amusement park offers roller coasters, other rides, water slides, live shows and so much more! So, this was my first stop along the way, of course. Waldameer is also home to the Ravine Flyer 2, a rollercoaster that has been rated as one of the top 10 coasters in the world by Coaster Grotto, a roller coaster-enthusiast group that ranks coasters from around the globe. I spent time riding the rides and just strolling around taking it all in – this is a great family destination, as there is something to appeal to almost everyone.
Just across the street from Waldameer is the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle. TREC features interactive exhibits, a large-format theater, observation tower, a food court and a nature/gift shop. The inner geek in me absolutely adored this stop on the trip, as this is a great place for learning (disguised as fun, of course…the kids won’t even know the difference!) The Tom Ridge Environmental Center is of course, home to one of Erie’s greatest attractions, Presque Isle State Park.
Presque Isle State Park is made up of 3,200 acres of natural sand surf beaches (that’s seven miles!). Of course you can’t forget all of the other attractions of the wonderful Presque Isle State Park, as well. You can hike, bike, fish, boat, go birding, picnic, go on a narrated scenic boat cruise on the Lady Kate, rent boats and visit the historic Perry Monument. Wow – that’s a lot to do in one place! Presque Isle is an absolutely ideal place to be on a beautiful summer day with your family. Trust me, this was my favorite stop on the trip. There are few things better in life than lying on a beach with a great book.
After spending the day in the sunshine, you have tons of options for a delicious dinner in downtown Erie (State Street has a wide variety of great places to eat, I have a few favorites.) After you get a great meal, you are going to need to find a hotel in the area, because you are going to have an even busier day tomorrow!
Alright, so to start the next day off I decided on the perfect place: The Erie Zoo and Botanical Gardens. There is enough at the Erie Zoo to keep you occupied all day, with various exhibits, shows, and children’s activities as well. With a variety of animals, from Polar Bears to Giraffes and tons in between! Once you have gotten your fill of observing the animals, our next stop is Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort.
Splash Lagoon was Pennsylvania’s first indoor water park – where the water is always 84 degrees, and the fun is year-long! (There is also at the Holiday Inn Express, which is connected to Splash Lagoon, so stay here and enjoy the benefits of staying beside the water park!) Just a short distance away is Family First Sports Park, which includes an indoor golf driving range, arcade center, pro shop, miniature golf, go-karts, bumper boats, rock climbing and batting cages. Again, so much to offer in just one place! After playing around at Family First, it is definitely time to go back to the Holiday Inn Express for a good night’s sleep!
Bright and early the next morning, it is time to venture to Crawford County for a visit to the historic Conneaut Lake Park. I couldn’t resist taking a ride on The Blue Streak, which is one of the country’s best wooden roller coasters.
After spending time at Conneaut Lake Park, I decided to head over to the Spillway at Pymatuning State Park, which was well…interesting. They say that this is the place where “the ducks walk on the fishes backs,” and this is too true. You need to see this for yourself to believe it!
To end this last day of my little trip, I decided to stay at one of the park’s 657 campsites (they also have 25 cabins.) But, this of course wasn’t before I checked out the waterfowl museum and the aquarium.
All right guys! So, there it is…another great get-away to Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region. I keep telling you all that this is the best place to be – you need to visit to see for yourselves!
-Road Trip Gal
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
History, Golfing, Food...Who's In? A Guys' Weekend Adventure
Alright, guys. You’ve worked hard this week, I’m sure. And of course, you’re in desperate need of a get-away just as much as the ladies are. I’ve got you covered with a tour involving the three most important elements of a perfect gentlemen’s weekend: golf, great food, and beer (or insert other beverage of choice). Am I right? Well, obviously. I’m not cocky, but being raised as the daughter of my father, I learned the male necessities pretty quickly. (I’m not stereotyping, I’m sure there are many men that don’t enjoy any of those three things, but they’re also lying to themselves.)
First stop of this crazy journey: Titusville, Pennsylvania. I decided to unwind by taking the 2.5 hour round trip through “The Valley That Changed the World” on the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad. I know how you guys like your history, and this is a really great place for it. I learned a lot and had a really great time getting a glimpse of the history of this place. This is a peek into the rich history of Oil Country, and there’s a great opportunity for seeing a variety of wildlife. It’s a perfect way to unwind, right? While in the area, I had to check out the Drake Well Park and Museum and the Tyred Wheels Museum. At the Drake Well Park and Museum I had the opportunity to check out a full-sized replica of the world’s first oil well, which was drilled in 1859, and is actually very interesting. That’s just a little bit of proof of the rich history that resides in PA Great Lakes! Alright, so the Tyred Wheels Museum was the real kicker for me. I, myself, am personally not into antique cars…but keeping my dad in mind and remembering that I’m plotting out a great guys’ weekend, this place is honestly essential. I got the opportunity to check out antique cars, motorcycles, radios, miniature tractors and trains and toys. Okay, I know you’re totally ready to hop in your car and head out there right now, but you had better finish reading my blog so you get the full picture of your weekend!
Alright, now that you had a chance to take a few deep breaths and you’re prepared to keep reading, my next destination was riding into the lovely Mercer County. My first stop in Mercer County was at Wendell August Forge in Grove City. There are two locations, one being in downtown Grove City and the other being at the Grove City Prime Outlets. (You should take the time to roam around the Outlets if you have the time, there is a large variety of stores specializing in pretty much anything you can think of, trust me. I may not know cars, but I do know shopping.) This is a great opportunity to witness a tradition of craftsmanship and pick up a few souvenirs for the family. They use aluminum, bronze, pewter or sterling silver to create beautiful pieces that same way that did it when their doors were first opened in 1923.
With a mind filled with some great history, I decided that my next stop would be at Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant. Here comes the really fun part, this is North America’s leading British-Classics eatery so they have a long list of really delicious food. Trust me, you will love it. They also serve a great selection of beers, scotches and wines from all over the world, so you can really enjoy your time here. And luckily enough, there is a Holiday Inn Express right across the street, so you can end the first night of your trip comfortably. This is extremely handy if you get carried away sampling all of the fine food and drinks at Elephant & Castle.
Okay, so who’s ready for a great day out on the green? I’m not much of a golfer, but I sure do like to ride the cart – especially around courses like these. Golf Digest named Mercer County one of “The Top Golf Destinations in the USA.” No wonder why! With all of the options of courses with beautiful landscape and challenging terrain, this is pretty much a golfer’s dream. I, personally, chose to check out Oak Tree County Club, in West Middlesex Pennsylvania. It seemed like a great place to golf (it’s one of my dad’s favorites) and the course was very well taken care of. I’ve also heard that it’s a pretty challenging course, so bring your “A” game, boys! Aside from Oak Tree, you can choose from Buhland Golf Course, Tam O’Shanter Golf Course, Yankee Run Golf Course, Spring Valley Golf Course, Pine Grove Golf Course and even more. Seriously, Mercer County is the place to go to brush up on your swing.
To finish off this day, I traveled to Sharon, Pennsylvania to the original, yes I said original, Quaker Steak & Lube Restaurant. Enjoy the car-and-motorcycle-themed décor while feasting on 32 flavors of wings and other delicious options and wash it all down with a cold beer. Oh yes. Perfection in a day, guys.
Okay, this is yet another awesome, one of a kind weekend planned in PA Great Lakes. I dare you to ask, yet again, what better places exist? So I leave you with that thought…I’ve got to go work on my golf swing. See you on the greens gentlemen!
-Road Trip Gal
First stop of this crazy journey: Titusville, Pennsylvania. I decided to unwind by taking the 2.5 hour round trip through “The Valley That Changed the World” on the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad. I know how you guys like your history, and this is a really great place for it. I learned a lot and had a really great time getting a glimpse of the history of this place. This is a peek into the rich history of Oil Country, and there’s a great opportunity for seeing a variety of wildlife. It’s a perfect way to unwind, right? While in the area, I had to check out the Drake Well Park and Museum and the Tyred Wheels Museum. At the Drake Well Park and Museum I had the opportunity to check out a full-sized replica of the world’s first oil well, which was drilled in 1859, and is actually very interesting. That’s just a little bit of proof of the rich history that resides in PA Great Lakes! Alright, so the Tyred Wheels Museum was the real kicker for me. I, myself, am personally not into antique cars…but keeping my dad in mind and remembering that I’m plotting out a great guys’ weekend, this place is honestly essential. I got the opportunity to check out antique cars, motorcycles, radios, miniature tractors and trains and toys. Okay, I know you’re totally ready to hop in your car and head out there right now, but you had better finish reading my blog so you get the full picture of your weekend!
Alright, now that you had a chance to take a few deep breaths and you’re prepared to keep reading, my next destination was riding into the lovely Mercer County. My first stop in Mercer County was at Wendell August Forge in Grove City. There are two locations, one being in downtown Grove City and the other being at the Grove City Prime Outlets. (You should take the time to roam around the Outlets if you have the time, there is a large variety of stores specializing in pretty much anything you can think of, trust me. I may not know cars, but I do know shopping.) This is a great opportunity to witness a tradition of craftsmanship and pick up a few souvenirs for the family. They use aluminum, bronze, pewter or sterling silver to create beautiful pieces that same way that did it when their doors were first opened in 1923.
With a mind filled with some great history, I decided that my next stop would be at Elephant & Castle Pub and Restaurant. Here comes the really fun part, this is North America’s leading British-Classics eatery so they have a long list of really delicious food. Trust me, you will love it. They also serve a great selection of beers, scotches and wines from all over the world, so you can really enjoy your time here. And luckily enough, there is a Holiday Inn Express right across the street, so you can end the first night of your trip comfortably. This is extremely handy if you get carried away sampling all of the fine food and drinks at Elephant & Castle.
Okay, so who’s ready for a great day out on the green? I’m not much of a golfer, but I sure do like to ride the cart – especially around courses like these. Golf Digest named Mercer County one of “The Top Golf Destinations in the USA.” No wonder why! With all of the options of courses with beautiful landscape and challenging terrain, this is pretty much a golfer’s dream. I, personally, chose to check out Oak Tree County Club, in West Middlesex Pennsylvania. It seemed like a great place to golf (it’s one of my dad’s favorites) and the course was very well taken care of. I’ve also heard that it’s a pretty challenging course, so bring your “A” game, boys! Aside from Oak Tree, you can choose from Buhland Golf Course, Tam O’Shanter Golf Course, Yankee Run Golf Course, Spring Valley Golf Course, Pine Grove Golf Course and even more. Seriously, Mercer County is the place to go to brush up on your swing.
To finish off this day, I traveled to Sharon, Pennsylvania to the original, yes I said original, Quaker Steak & Lube Restaurant. Enjoy the car-and-motorcycle-themed décor while feasting on 32 flavors of wings and other delicious options and wash it all down with a cold beer. Oh yes. Perfection in a day, guys.
Okay, this is yet another awesome, one of a kind weekend planned in PA Great Lakes. I dare you to ask, yet again, what better places exist? So I leave you with that thought…I’ve got to go work on my golf swing. See you on the greens gentlemen!
-Road Trip Gal
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Girls only road trip in PA Great Lakes? Yes, please!
Who doesn’t love a weekend get away with the girls? Okay, as a woman…I fully understand the importance and sanctity of girls’ nights. With that in mind, what better idea is there than a girls’ weekend out…in Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region, of course! You might be formulating a list of things in your head right now that you think could possibly top it, but after my experience I’m just going to have to prove you wrong. Shopping, relaxing, excellent restaurants, sunshine…what else could you even want?
I started out my weekend in Crawford County at Lilac Springs, a luxurious spa that includes a teahouse, guesthouse, and recourse. With a full list of relaxing services, Lilac Springs is the perfect place to get you in the right mindset for a weekend full of adventure, trust me. This gem is a renovated 19th century farmhouse nestled on 70 acres of pristine land. With the available guesthouse, if you’re too tired to keep driving after your day of relaxation, there’s always the option to spend the night, which I took advantage of, obviously. (Night and weekend packages are available.) For dinner, a stop at Julian’s Bar and Grille was the perfect capstone to my day in Crawford County. A day of blissful relaxation deserves to be topped off with a delicious meal.
I continued to travel through Cambridge Springs, PA, where I encountered the Riverside Inn. If you stop here around dinner time, you might be lucky enough to catch a dinner theater show, which is always a lot of fun. This inn is listed on the National Historic Registry, and is known for its 74 antique decorated rooms. I didn’t get the chance to stop at the Riverside Health Spa, but that is another prime place to stop if you feel you need a double dose of pampering.
Moving right along, the next stop on my tour was good old Edinboro, Pennsylvania. Here I was able to create my own stunning jewelry at the Bead Shoppe and browse through the work of some local artists, working in stained glass, jewelry and print at Lake Effects. I mean, you can’t get enough one-of-a kind jewelry to match the outfits you can find at the Millcreek Mall, right?
From Edinboro, I traveled north towards the Millcreek Mall complex. With more than 175 retail stores, shops and restaurants, the Millcreek Mall can really keep you occupied all day. Although the option of food does exist inside the mall complex, you really won’t want to spoil your dinner with restaurants like Aoyama, Red Lobster, Smoky Bones, Max and Erma’s, Oh! Charley’s, Olive Garden, Outback and even more right outside its doors! My personal favorite: Aoyama. Aoyama is a Japanese Steak House that serves some really delicious food – chicken, steak, seafood, veggies, rice, sushi…the whole deal; all cooked up right in front of your eyes! Of course, the other restaurants in the area have their perks too, so there’s really no way to make a bad choice.
After a hard day of shopping, I had the pleasure of picking out some great outfits for a fun girls’ night out in downtown Erie. With a hotel reservation at the Avalon, you’ll be close enough to the downtown action to walk yourself home whenever you choose, which is a wise idea, trust me. With fun places to go like The Boardwalk, Coconut Joes, The Cellblock, Sullivan’s, Molly Brannigans, Parkplace, Sherlock’s, Under the Clock, Sluggers, Plymouth and many more, you can keep yourself entertained until…well until 2 am, really.
It is really only appropriate that when in Erie, you go to the beach. So I spent my last morning enjoying some sun on the sand of Presque Isle State Park. If choose a more adventurous route, you can always take to the bike trails and bike, walk or rollerblade until your heart is content. I’m happier laying stationary on the beach with a book, but that’s just me.
So, my vacation seeking friends…I look forward to hearing your visit, and I leave you with one question. Does life get better outside of Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region? I just really can’t imagine how it could…now you just need to come see for yourself!
-Road Trip Gal
I started out my weekend in Crawford County at Lilac Springs, a luxurious spa that includes a teahouse, guesthouse, and recourse. With a full list of relaxing services, Lilac Springs is the perfect place to get you in the right mindset for a weekend full of adventure, trust me. This gem is a renovated 19th century farmhouse nestled on 70 acres of pristine land. With the available guesthouse, if you’re too tired to keep driving after your day of relaxation, there’s always the option to spend the night, which I took advantage of, obviously. (Night and weekend packages are available.) For dinner, a stop at Julian’s Bar and Grille was the perfect capstone to my day in Crawford County. A day of blissful relaxation deserves to be topped off with a delicious meal.
I continued to travel through Cambridge Springs, PA, where I encountered the Riverside Inn. If you stop here around dinner time, you might be lucky enough to catch a dinner theater show, which is always a lot of fun. This inn is listed on the National Historic Registry, and is known for its 74 antique decorated rooms. I didn’t get the chance to stop at the Riverside Health Spa, but that is another prime place to stop if you feel you need a double dose of pampering.
Moving right along, the next stop on my tour was good old Edinboro, Pennsylvania. Here I was able to create my own stunning jewelry at the Bead Shoppe and browse through the work of some local artists, working in stained glass, jewelry and print at Lake Effects. I mean, you can’t get enough one-of-a kind jewelry to match the outfits you can find at the Millcreek Mall, right?
From Edinboro, I traveled north towards the Millcreek Mall complex. With more than 175 retail stores, shops and restaurants, the Millcreek Mall can really keep you occupied all day. Although the option of food does exist inside the mall complex, you really won’t want to spoil your dinner with restaurants like Aoyama, Red Lobster, Smoky Bones, Max and Erma’s, Oh! Charley’s, Olive Garden, Outback and even more right outside its doors! My personal favorite: Aoyama. Aoyama is a Japanese Steak House that serves some really delicious food – chicken, steak, seafood, veggies, rice, sushi…the whole deal; all cooked up right in front of your eyes! Of course, the other restaurants in the area have their perks too, so there’s really no way to make a bad choice.
After a hard day of shopping, I had the pleasure of picking out some great outfits for a fun girls’ night out in downtown Erie. With a hotel reservation at the Avalon, you’ll be close enough to the downtown action to walk yourself home whenever you choose, which is a wise idea, trust me. With fun places to go like The Boardwalk, Coconut Joes, The Cellblock, Sullivan’s, Molly Brannigans, Parkplace, Sherlock’s, Under the Clock, Sluggers, Plymouth and many more, you can keep yourself entertained until…well until 2 am, really.
It is really only appropriate that when in Erie, you go to the beach. So I spent my last morning enjoying some sun on the sand of Presque Isle State Park. If choose a more adventurous route, you can always take to the bike trails and bike, walk or rollerblade until your heart is content. I’m happier laying stationary on the beach with a book, but that’s just me.
So, my vacation seeking friends…I look forward to hearing your visit, and I leave you with one question. Does life get better outside of Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region? I just really can’t imagine how it could…now you just need to come see for yourself!
-Road Trip Gal
Friday, June 12, 2009
Welcome!
It’s summer. And with summer often comes vacations. Vacations are a great time to relax, spend time with friends or family or even both. They’re also a great opportunity to get outside of yourself – to try new things, take risks, have an adventure! We take vacations to get a little escape from reality too.
Okay, so here’s the big question, right? Why am I talking about vacations? We all know what they are and generally why people take them, so what’s the point? Am I going to share some secret insight with you about where to go and what to do while you’re there? Well yes, very good guess actually.
You’re going to be following me through the summer as I take exciting road trips through Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region! What does PA Great Lakes have to offer? You will come to see that it offers so much; from outdoor adventures like fishing, birding, biking or hiking; fine dining and wine tours; great shopping; and really just a great time! So get ready for an exciting summer with me and hopefully I’ll run into you along the way!
To learn more about Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region check our their website.
- Road Trip Gal
Okay, so here’s the big question, right? Why am I talking about vacations? We all know what they are and generally why people take them, so what’s the point? Am I going to share some secret insight with you about where to go and what to do while you’re there? Well yes, very good guess actually.
You’re going to be following me through the summer as I take exciting road trips through Pennsylvania’s Great Lakes Region! What does PA Great Lakes have to offer? You will come to see that it offers so much; from outdoor adventures like fishing, birding, biking or hiking; fine dining and wine tours; great shopping; and really just a great time! So get ready for an exciting summer with me and hopefully I’ll run into you along the way!
To learn more about Pennsylvania's Great Lakes Region check our their website.
- Road Trip Gal
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