Nothing much to do here?

I hear many people complain about the city we live in. They say, “There is nothing to do in Erie”. I think they really need to open their eyes a little wider. I say “There is everything to do here, or everything to do is not very far away”. My stepdaughter moved to Pittsburgh, for that very same reason. I would like to take a minute to argue that point and tell others who are not from around here about our fair city.

Within about a 150-mile radius from here you have the major cities of Buffalo to the east, Pittsburgh to the south, and Cleveland to the west. We are directly connected to all these major metropolitan areas by interstate highways, which gives us easy access to just about all of your hearts desires within about an hour and a half drive. If you don’t like driving, and I actually hear people complain about the traffic here, just talk to someone from Pittsburgh that has spent 45 minutes in rush hour traffic trying to cross one bridge. We do have an international airport, with four major carriers at the moment, though I’m told it only qualifies as an “international” airport due to one airplane that flies over Lake Erie to Canada once a week.

Lets Talk shopping, one of the major complaints I hear is that Erie doesn’t have enough good places to shop or that you can’t get everything here. All you have to do is sit up at the Millcreek Mall for a while and watch all the buses role in and out from Canada and New York State to know this isn’t exactly the whole truth. They come to Pennsylvania because we have no state tax on clothing and we just happen to have the closest large mall to either of those locations. Yes they come “here” to shop.

Are you into the great outdoors? Erie may be one of the best-kept secrets on the planet. Hunting is without a doubt the single largest sport in Pennsylvania. Last I heard we put about 3 million hunters in the woods on the first day of buck season, and the place I work at gives the first day of buck off as a paid holiday, since they wouldn’t have enough people there, on that day, to run the place anyways. I owned a bar at one time and just before deer season every year we would add a particular favorite beer of the Pittsburgh natives just because we knew they would come and ask for it. Just watch the movie “The Deer Hunter” and you will understand exactly what I mean. If you like fishing, our streams, lakes, lagoons and Great Lake provide all you could hope for. If boating is your thing, this time of year you would swear that Interstate 79 coming up from Pittsburgh was a river and not a highway with all the boats “sailing” up here. Go to any of our marinas and see just how many boats there are not registered out of Erie, yes the sportsmen of Pittsburgh know about Erie, and I understand that water skiing on the rivers in Pittsburgh isn’t quite as pleasant as our bay and lake. Lake Erie being the shallowest of the Great Lakes means it is also the warmest, with the water temperature reaching near 80 degrees F. during most summers. How about our peninsula “Presque Isle”? Do any of those larger cities have anything remotely resembling it? I’ve never heard of those wonderful Buffalo beaches, but they have heard about ours. I know that many Erie natives take Presque Isle for granted, and even forget about it being there, I am guilty of this as well. If you are from Erie and reading this let me ask you “when was the last time you were there?”

Do you like roller coasters and amusement parks? Lets talk “Darien Lake/Six Flags”, “Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom”, “Kennywood” and of course “Cedar Point” (did I miss any?) According to the last “Discovery Channel” special that I saw on the top ten roller coasters in the world, I believe six of the top ten coasters were in these parks, including the highest and fastest, though those world records seem to change hands with every new coaster that is built. They don’t call “Cedar Point” the “Roller Coaster Capital” for nothing. All within an easy drive of here.

If you like Music, and your favorite artists don’t come to Erie’s Civic Center, they are sure to come to Pittsburgh, Buffalo or Cleveland. If you can’t get tickets or good seats at one, try the other. Don’t forget that Cleveland has the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and many bands either Kick off or end their world tours there.

Like professional sports? How about The world champion “Pittsburgh Steelers”, “Cleveland Browns”, “Buffalo Bills”, “Pittsburgh Pirates”, “Cleveland Indians”, “Cleveland Cavaliers”, “Pittsburgh Penguins”, “Buffalo Sabres” and don’t forget Erie’s minor league teams the “Seawolves” (baseball) and the “Otters” (hockey).

Like tall ships? We have the “Brig Niagara”, which is the Pennsylvania Flag Ship from the War of 1812, based right here out of Erie.

Gambling? The Seneca Casino and the Casino at Niagara Falls, not to mention Niagara Falls itself if you want to gamble with your life by going over it in a barrel (“Fearless Tai”, don’t even think about it!)

Like traveling? Canada is not far away. Most places here that fly an American Flag also fly a Canadian flag right beside it.

Don’t like our weather? Too much snow? The snowmobilers, skiers, and Ice fisherman would disagree with you.

Simply put, we have all the advantages of a major city, all the advantages of a small city, and few of the disadvantages of either. Nothing much to do here, Eh?!? I’m all worn out from writing about all the things we do have here, and I skipped over many of them. Time to go take a nap in the sunshine cuz it’s a simply gorgeous Erie day.