Earth Day hits differently when you live in a place shaped by water, wind, and whatever emotional roller coaster the weather decides to put us on. (Seventy‑five degrees on Saturday, thirty‑four on Sunday — classic Erie April behavior.) But that’s part of why this day feels so right here. Erie is a city where nature […]

July 21–27, 2025 • Presque Isle State Park Every summer, Erie’s most beloved park—Presque Isle—comes alive during Discover Presque Isle Week. As a lifelong Erie resident who has attended this event for decades, I can vouch that this celebration is the perfect blend of lakefront relaxation, learning, and lively local culture. From morning paddles amid […]

It’s National Ice Cream Day. How cool…and sweet! Whether it’s reminiscing about after-beach cones at Sara’s or biking to Whippy Dip for a real milkshake, everyone in Erie has a favorite scoop spot (or two or three, if they really like ice cream). There’s no shortage of places to pick up a cool cone or […]

We participated in the 5-mile Presque Isle Poker Paddle, hosted by the Presque Isle Partnership each June. If you’re in town, this is fun event for a good cause (improvements at the park). Kayak/canoe rentals are available!

Robins are often thought to be harbingers of spring, but here in Erie, they are not as we have robins who stay here year-round (and, yes, they are hardy buggers to live through our winters!). However, there are three TRUE harbingers of spring in Erie that we have observed over the years: 1.) Red-winged blackbirds. […]

Fall bird banding is now underway at Presque Isle State Park! You may remember that I wrote about bird banding in the spring, but by the time I wrote about it, spring migration was nearly over and so was spring banding. However, the birds are on the move again, migrating to warmer climates for the […]

Next week is one of the best to visit Erie – it’s Discover Presque Isle week! This is a week-long celebration at Presque Isle State Park that is chocked full of activities, events, and opportunities to try or learn something new. You can get the full schedule/run down of events at the Presque Isle Partnership’s […]

Our family is at Presque Isle State Park quite often. If we’re not running or biking around the park, we are walking the dog, kayaking in the lagoons or bay, or lounging on one of the beaches. We know the park very well and, yet, there is always something new to discover. I recently learned […]

It’s going to be a scorcher in Erie this week, with the forecast calling for temps in the 90s through the weekend. Here are five good ways to beat the heat in the Erie area: 1. Go jump in the lake. Presque Isle State Park is home to seven miles of sandy beaches. Swimming is […]

Lake Erie is the smallest, shallowest, and warmest of the Great Lakes. It also has the most shipwrecks and sinkings. In fact, it has recorded more sinkings than the Bermuda triangle. This is why Erie, an important shipping port in the early 1800s, is home to three lighthouses – the Presque Isle Lighthouse and the […]

Presque Isle State Park is a bird-lover’s paradise year-round, but never more so than during the spring and fall migration, which last about six and eight weeks, respectively. More than 350 species of bird have been confirmed at PISP in the last 50 years. Last Friday, my daughter and I finally got the chance to […]

My older daughter, Kelly, and I recently went to Key West, Florida, for a week to celebrate her college graduation. One of the biggest attractions in Key West is the nightly Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. Of course, we went, twice, in fact, and the street performers, shopping, and warm breezes did not disappoint, but […]

On any given day from April 1 through mid-September, you may encounter a long line of backed up traffic on the inside lane of Presque Isle Drive at the entrance to Presque Isle State Park. While the park enjoys more than 4,000,000 visitors each year, the hold-up is not traffic entering the park, it’s motorists […]