Erie PA this Fall
Presque Isle State Park is celebrating it’s 100-year anniversary in 2021! Presque Isle is a National Natural Landmark and Pennsylvania’s most visited State Park. Sandy beaches and endless outdoor recreation! Presque Isle (French for “almost an island”) welcomes over 4 million visitors annually. Visitors flock to Presque Isle for its distinctive blend of natural beauty and year-round recreation including swimming, boating, biking, surfing, birding and fishing. Explore on foot, wheels, surreys, skis, pontoons and kayaks.
Hagen History Center/Erie County Historical Society recently unveiled 11 new exhibits in July. Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic San Francisco office is the Hagen History Center’s newest exhibit. The world-famous architect’s office is housed in a new, specially designed building at 356 W. Sixth Street in downtown Erie. Wright’s 1930 Cord L-29 Cabriolet will also be on display along with a 17-foot model of his The Buffalo Bridge, a structure designed to connect San Francisco and Oakland across the bay with a monumental reinforced concrete bridge, proposed in 1949. While the bridge was never built, the impressive model was featured in the Bruce Willis film “Die Hard.”
Flagship City Food Hall is showcasing Erie’s diverse culinary talent with a passion for food and cooking located in the heart of Downtown Erie. Vendors will include: Luckie Louie’s Beer & Wieners, Taste of Love, Shawarma Station, Red Letter Hospitality (brick oven pizza, delicatessen and taco stand), The Straw Hat Sundae Shop, Taste and See Fruit & Veggie Bar. The Hall will also have live music, public art displays, themed nights and events. For more information, see www.flagshipcityfoodhall.com. Coming fall 2021.
Hampton Inn Bayfront Hotel & Oliver’s Rooftop Bar & Restaurant is Erie’s newest hotel. A Hampton Inn & Suites along Erie’s Bayfront, it opened in the fall of 2020, featuring stunning views of Presque Isle Bay, including panoramic views from Oliver’s Rooftop restaurant on the hotel’s eighth floor. The hotel’s interior design pays tribute to the Erie region’s rich naval history and is inspired by Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval commander in the War of 1812. See www.visitscott.com for information.
Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries of Erie County – Cheers! The Erie area is blessed to have not one, not two, not even ten, but 23 wineries! That’s right, Erie is part of Lake Erie Wine Country (LEWC), formerly known as the Chautauqua Lake Erie Wine Trail, a region spanning 2 states, 53 miles and over 30,000 contiguous acres of lush fragrant grape vineyards. LEWC is the largest grape growing region east of the Rockies Located in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania along the southern shores of Lake Erie. Pennsylvania ranks 4th nationally in the total amount of grapes grown and 8th in wine production.
The warm waters of Lake Erie are ideal for grape growing because of Pennsylvania’s moderate climate and rolling terrain. It provides some of the best grape growing conditions on the East Coast. From bold Cabernets to light Rieslings, to our region’s signature sweet Niagaras, enjoy tasting a breadth of flavors hand crafted right here on our shores. Each of the wineries offers a different experience but regardless of the tour you take, you can expect to find knowledgeable winemakers to guide you through tastings to find a wine that suits your palate. Start planning your trip at https://www.lakeeriewinecountry.org/.
Let the Spirits Move You! One of the newer trends Erie is experiencing is the emergence of distilleries. A distillery traditionally makes hard alcohol such as whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, etc. The process of making distilled spirits starts off much of the same as making beer. You start by combining some basic ingredients such as grains, yeast and water. With the help of the yeast and enzymes, the sugar is converted into alcohol.
Erie’s three local distilleries have definitely mastered this technique. Crafting hand-made cocktails, high quality liquor and spirits along with some amazing tasting rooms, unique products and creative promotions to get you in door and then back for more. Most local distilleries offer outdoor seating as well as food pairings.
What’s Brew with You? The Erie area is “lager than life” with many microbreweries scattered throughout Erie County; each offering their own distinct take on beer, plus they give them really funky fun names! A craft brewery or microbrewery is a brewery that produces small amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and is often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis on enthusiasm, new flavors, and varied brewing techniques. Nestled near the shores of Lake Erie, the Lake Erie Ale Trail boasts 15 breweries, each with their own unique story.
The history of breweries in the greater Erie region is deep and rich. The first local brewery opened its doors over 200 years ago, 36 years before the city of Erie was even incorporated. Over 90 breweries would open from that time up until 1920 when Prohibition came into effect. Visit the Lake Erie Ale Trail’s website to read more about Erie’s history of beer. So “HOP” to it and check them out!
For more information, go to www.VisitErie.com or download the free “Hello Erie” trip planner app.
Article courtesy of VisitErie.
Erie PA this Fall
