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