Family Vacation Time!

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