Presque Isle, Northeast Wineries, Niagara Falls and Canada

Beautiful Lake Erie Sunset 

We just got back this week from our latest adventure to Lake Erie and Niagara Falls.  Wow!  What beauty and majestic views we were blessed with this past weekend.

We spent 4 days at Sara's Campground on Presque Isle in Erie, a small peninsula on the east shore of the lake.  This was our base for a whirlwind weekend filled with rain, beach glass hunting, wine tasting, a trip to a casino to meet Otto's co-worker, then Canada and the Falls and a finally a breakfast with our friends, Tony and Anne Scalise.

Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes and borders Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Canada.  It is a very large body of water (can't imagine 3 others larger!) and when sitting at the campsite Sunday night you could hear the waves splashing on the shore just like if you were at the beach.  The only thing missing was the salty smell in the air.  There is a pretty steady wind most days and during the winter the towns bordering the lake feel the bone-chilling result of the 'lake effect'  Weather was chilly and rainy, but Sunday we got a reprieve and experienced a marvelous day in the great North at Niagara Falls, Canada.

We scoured the shores on Saturday morning and Monday afternoon looking for 'beach glass' to increase my inventory for my sea glass creations.  Otto proved to be a worthy 'seeker' and found several lovely pieces to add to my collection.

Seems strange mulling through the sand with the fall leaves on the shore

Almost looks tropical!

On Saturday afternoon we headed to the town of North East PA for some wine tasting.  We plugged a few of the wineries into the GPS and away we went.  We tasted at South Shore (Mazza), Penn Shore, Lakeview and Presque Isle.  South Shore does not make wine any longer, they sell a variety of wines from other produces in this region, including Mazza which is the wine we liked.  South Shore is the site of a winery from the 1800's and has been restored and is pretty amazing.

Historic winery

South Shore Wine Company

The main floor and cellar have been restored using most of the original materials and was quite charming.  We purchased a dry, deep berry and peppery Cabernet here.  Next stop was Penn Shore, located right on the shore of the lake.  Fun tasting here, but nothing tickled our palates and the staff, not so friendly.  Then on to Lake View atop a hill with a view of the lake and gorgeous vineyards and trees of orange, brown and yellow.

South Shore Historic Cellar

Fun winery, but not so good on taste

Awesome location, friendly and fun staff

At Lakeview, we sampled a Cabernet that we both enjoyed and loved the friendly staff and fellow tasters who gave us info on the final winery of the day, Presque Isle.  We were told the winery served sandwiches and such and was situated along a beautiful creek on the highway back to Erie.  Just the place for us to end our journey along the wine trail!  We arrived and to our dismay, the winery had been moved to the top of the hill, losing the charm of the trees and creek.  Progress.  They needed more space I guess.

We began sampling and ran in to the same couple we had seen at the two previous wineries.  And, they were very apologetic about the winery's move.  (like they had something to do with it!)  Very nice couple though......

View from Lakeview winery, you can see the blue of Lake Erie
through the trees. 

View of the vineyard from the parking lot at Lakeview

After we left Lakeview, we stopped along the side of the
road to soak in this view of the vineyards and the lake below

At Presque Isle, we tried the crab chowder and salami and cheese plate.  Good stuff, Maynard!  Tastings were okay, nothing really hit us and we didn't buy, but enjoyed visiting with our new friends and sampling the different wines.  Plus, it had started raining pretty hard and we wanted to wait out the storm.  What better place then a winery to pass the time?

Once back at camp we had time for a quick bowl of chili and then on to Presque Isle Downs and Casino to meet one of Otto's co-worker and his wife.  They were in town for their son's soccer game in Hamburg, NY and were staying near the casino.  It was still raining, and we got lost but finally made it.  Had a nice visit, dropped $50 and headed back to camp to get some rest - headed to Niagara Falls in the morning.

Headed out early for Niagara and enjoyed the scenic drive up through New York and finally to the Canadian border.  Didn't take long to cross and we were there!  But, there was a half marathon that day and the roads were packed.  Took us an hour just to find a parking spot, but who cares we are at Niagara Falls.  Here's some of our first views of the falls.

Before crossing into Canada

What?

There's always a rainbow!

Horseshoe Falls

American Falls

Horseshoe Falls through the mist

US side of Horseshoe Falls through the mist

We walked along the path and stopped every few minutes just to take in the majesty of the falls.  It was breath taking for sure.  At this point, the spray from the falls was so strong we were getting soaked!  The breeze just captures the water and flings it up, we were pretty far from the falls and it is very misty.

On the Maid of the Mist, after our adventure to the bottom of
Horseshoe Falls

We headed over the the Maid of the Mist for our ride down to the falls.  We rode on a boat similar to this one in the picture below.  At one point, the boat was full motor as we faced Horseshoe Falls, but we weren't moving.  We were held at bay by the powerful, thundering falls.  It was difficult to even get pictures at this point unless you had a waterproof camera.  But, I did manage a few.

Maid of the Mist

Getting up close and personal!

At the bottom of Horseshoe Falls - very powerful and wet!
Trying to stay dry.

Thundering falls!

After our visit up close and personal to the falls, we headed into town for a brew and to our surprise saw a Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.  Now, some of you may say 'why go to somewhere like that, when you can experience some local flair?'  First of all, there wasn't much 'local fair' besides a casino and a few other chain restaurants and heck, who doesn't love a little beach music!  We've been to several others, Jamaica, Cayman Islands the original in Key West, Vegas and Arizona, just to name a few.  So thought we'd add Canada to the list as well!

Looking down the quaint street up to the city

One of the many overlooks

On our way out of town, one last look

 Okay, funny quick story.... at the border headed back into US, of course they ask you all kinds of questions about why you were in Canada, how long did you stay, etc.  But, the one question we weren't expecting was 'why do you have an AZ plate and a PA plate on your car?'  What??  Otto still has the personalized plate, DSPROTO on the front of the truck.  UGH!  Really?  'What does that mean, he asks?'  So, Otto says 'it's a long story'.... duh, he doesn't want the background dear hubby, just what it means.... just tell him Desparado, please and let's get home!  LOL  good times....

Good Bye Canada!  We enjoyed our day with you.

At the border of US and Canada

So, we headed back to Presque Isle for our final evening at Sara's.  But, on the way home as the sun began to set, we decided to get off the Thruway and head over to the lake to see one of the most amazing sunsets that looked to be in the making.

The colors painting the sky were calling out my name and although I knew we were running close to missing the sunset, Otto sped up to get off just in time to spend a few minutes as the sun sunk down into the water.

Erie at dusk

Erie Sunset

What an amazing day!  Once back at the campground, we built a fire and had dinner outside.  We decided to take a walk over to the beach area after dinner.  The waves were crashing loudly and just beckoning me to come dance on the shore!  Otto brought the flashlight and we found ourselves searching for beach glass once more.  We did find a few small pieces despite the locals telling us this wasn't a good spot for it.

Monday morning arrived with a beautiful peaceful sunny day ahead.  We packed up the trailer and headed over to Tony and Anne's for breakfast.  Our friend, Susanne (from AZ) was born and raised in Erie.  We met her parents, Tony and Anne a few years back.  Anne attends our bible study when she is in town so she knew we were in Erie and invited us over.  We visited for a few hours, enjoying the view of the bay from their backyard, then headed back to the trailer to pack up for home.  We decided one last drive around the peninsula was in order and a walk along the beach was needed before driving back to Greensburg.

What a wonderful weekend we had exploring the shores of Erie, the wineries of the Northeast and experiencing the majesty of Niagara Falls!  As I look to the future who knows what is in store for us, but I can truly say that we are very blessed and grateful for our time here in Pennsylvania.  Who knows if we will experience another winter here in the east or if we are headed off to warmer weather in the west.  But I do know one thing, we will certainly enjoy the journey!

Cool Morning Hike - Hot Sunset and Music

Today was a great day, and we rejoiced in it for sure!

Started off with a hike at Linn Run State Park, just SE of us about 20 minutes.  It's amazing how there are beautiful woodlands and scenery so close by.

We hiked Grove Run first, a long steady and gradual uphill leaf layered loop trail.  We only went about a mile in, a light rain started to fall, it was eerie and then we came across a log across the trail.  Not sure if it intended to keep us from going but we turned back.  The thought of bears crossed my mind as we hiked and  that may have influenced our early departure from this trail as well as the downed tree!  The next was Adam Falls, a pretty flat, sometimes rocky loop trail which led by a waterfall, along the creek for a ways and through the woodlands.  Here we encountered a few hikers and the trail was more open and not as wooded as Grove Run.   As you will see by the picture below, not currently much of a waterfall, but during spring I am sure it flows abundantly.  This area is open for hunting during the established season and common game species are deer, turkey, bear and squirrel.  When is bear season anyway??

Getting ready to hike Grove Run trail

What, no bikes?

Really enjoyed the morning hike and although the trails are nothing like we encounter in the desert, they hold a beauty that can't be compared.  This is Pennsylvania.

After church we headed to the Walnut Hill Winery where we had read there was entertainment, a bonfire and food! 

The setting was laid back, an eclectic venue with mismatched chairs and tables set up on the front lawn.  The band played beneath a white tent, and the view overlooking trees and house tops was amazing!  We stepped inside to the tasting room to decide on the wine for the evening.  We settled on their Cab, got some grub and found a seat.  The music was a bluegrass, sorta rock band and they didn't disappoint. 

The band, Sugar Mountain under the tent, the star sunset beyond

But, the sunset stole the show for sure.  One of the most colorful and beautiful that we've seen since we've been here.  You'll have to take my word for it as my picture didn't turn out so good.  You can see a little of it behind the band, but you will have to use your imagination!

You can see the winery in the background here beyond the bonfire

After the sun went down, we moved over by the bonfire and finished our wine.  We chatted about what we would do differently next time; definitely bring our own food and smuggle in better wine!  It was definitely a great night though.  We headed to the car and I said I wanted a coffee, and so did O.  It seems we both had a craving for a Starbucks.  We searched on the GPS and we were on our way....in the opposite direction 13 miles!  Otto said, "what else are we gonna do, go home and watch TV?", so off we went to Indiana (the city of course) for a cup of joe!  A java lovers gotta do what a java lovers gotta do.  If nothing else, Otto and I have lots of laughs about living in Pennsylvania! 

Will's Visit

We were so lucky to have William here for about 10 days after the Hanson's headed back to Minnesota.  It was his summer to spend a week with Nani and Popi and his choice was camping and fishing and an amusement park.  Luckily, all that was available here in Western Pennsylvania.

Now, this boy can tell stories, and lots of stories he has.  You could learn a lot from this boy, and we did.  He doesn't miss a beat and there were times we asked him to remind of us things because we don't have the memory he does.

The first day started out with a trip to the local ball field where Will and I played catch and practiced his fielding and even hit in the cage.  When Popi arrived home from work, he and Will headed to Twin Lakes for some sunset fishing.  How wonderful that we live in such a rural area that allows us fishing lakes so close by.

Miniature golf was on the list, along with a trip to the local pool and we also took in a "Wimpy Kid" movie. Popi even fixed my hybrid bike so Will could accompany me on some morning runs.   We played Battleship and watched Olympics, and somehow we managed to prepare for our camping trip even with all the whirlwind of activity that comes with a 10 year old active young man!  So, Friday we packed up the trailer and headed for the hills of West Virginia.  Our destination - Cooper's Rock State Forest. http://www.coopersrockstateforest.com/

At Cooper's Rock State Forest
on the Rattlesnake Trail

We arrived and set up camp pretty quickly so we could head over to the pond for some fishing before dinner!  Will and Popi quickly set up the poles just the way each wanted, one with a lure, the other a bobber and weights.  Will knew just what to do and forged ahead to try and be the first to catch a fish, and he was! Since it was so small, it went back into the pond to grow a bit for the next fisherman.

Will and his catch 

We were going to roast hot dogs over a campfire, but it started to rain, so we retreated to the trailer and had dinner inside and played Yahtzee all night.

Will trying for a Yahtzee under the watchful eye of Popi!

The next morning, we headed over to Cheat Lake, just a short jaunt on a back road.  We were chased by some dogs and Popi maneuvered the rocks and washed out road with skilled driving and we were at our destination in no time!

Will at Cheat Lake

The lake was beautiful and had a walking/bike trail along it with several wooden bridges each with a covered pavilion for sharing a picnic!  Will caught a rock bass and had several hits, while Popi and I were fish-less on this day.

We ended up having lunch at IHOP since we didn't pack a lunch and were really hungry.  We also knew that it would be a longer drive back since we weren't going the 'scenic' route through the back roads we took on the way over!

We headed back to camp but stopped at the State Forest so we could check out the lookout from Cooper's Rock and see what my great Uncle Red and the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) built back in the 30's. http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1195

We hiked a little bit on a trail and Will climbed
some of the rocks.  It is a pretty cool place, we want
to come back and hike some of the trails down to the Cheat River which you can see in the picture of
the lookout.

Will and Popi on the trail

Will, Popi and Nani along Rattlesnake Trail

Once back, we played a serious game of wiffle ball, over-the-line style, it must have looked fun since another young camper joined in for a bit.  Then we went fishing again, and guess who caught a trout? Nani, of course!  Will and Popi had a few nibbles, but Nani caught the fish!  Catch and release, so back it went.

The little fisherman

We were having hamburgers tonight and the boys (Will and Popi) were in charge of getting the fire going so we could roast marshmallows for s'mores tonight.  Well, the fire didn't work out so great, the wood must have been wet and after several attempts by Popi and Will, the fire died out.  We did get a chance to have some s'mores before the flames went out.  Yeah, our camping trip was now complete.  We headed back in for some more Yahtzee, then Will and I started a Scrabble game but were both falling asleep so we jumped in bed to get some rest so we could go fishing again in the morning before we left for home.

Trying to get the campfire started

Popi and Will got up the next morning and went fishing while I cleaned up the trailer and got breakfast together.  I walked over to the pond and brought coffee and orange juice to the anglers only to find them packing up already.  It seems the fish weren't biting.

It was our last day of camping and we got a text from Uncle Scot letting us know that the Long Beach Pony team he coached had a game at 3:00 pm, so we packed up, dumped the trailer and headed to Washington PA.

Popi showing Will how to dump the tanks

Will learning how to pull the lever for the grey and black tanks

We decided to stop in Morgantown and show Will where his great great grandpa had his shoe shop.   It was only about 30 minutes to Washington and you could tell Will was excited about the game, so we got there early to check out the field and see Uncle Scot.

The field was groomed and the grass freshly mowed, it was so cool!  We watched as the boys walked on the field, said the Pony Prayer and the National Anthem was played, you could feel the excitement in the air.  It was very touching to see Popi and Will discussing the strategy of the game, why certain signs were given and how the different pitches were thrown.  Although this was interesting to Will, he was itching to catch a foul ball and watched the rest of the game from below the stands so he could chase the balls that were hit out of the park.  he ended up with 3, but gave one away to a boy who hadn't caught one yet.  Such a big heart!  Scot took the ball and had the team sign it and we promised to return on Tuesday to watch them play the team from Germany if they beat Laredo TX, and they did just that.  It was a nail biter with the score ending 2-1.

Nani and Will in front of Grandpa Sam's Shoe Hospital

Monday we headed to Idlywild, an amusement park with water slides and rollar coasters.  Unfortunately, two of the three coasters were broken, but we rode the one they had and Will found his new favorite ride.  Remember the Round Up?

Will rode that twice!  We also rode the Bumper Cars, the Whip and the Log Ride and Will tried his hand at the Hand Pedal Cars.  We also had the Soak Zone to tackle, so we headed over for the rest of the afternoon.  I even braved riding a few water slides, Will remembers the names I'm sure, I was too busy screaming my way through.  After riding the rapids in a raft and almost spinning completely around, Nani had enough, and I found a lounge chair and waited out the rest of the afternoon while Popi and Will body surfed in the Wave Pool and Will got his fill of short lines on some smaller slides.

It was a wonderful day, but we were all tired and headed to Chick-fil-A for one last chicken sandwich for Will.  (they don't have them in Minneapolis).

Tuesday morning Will and I just chilled while Popi was at work.  We had quite the weekend and day at Idlewild, so we hung out at home but decided to go mini golf again.  I am going to write a book called "You know you're in a Small Town When...." and today gave me more fodder to fill the pages.  We arrived at the Kistler course to find a sign that said "we only have one person working the executive and mini course, so please take your club and ball and when finished go over to the red brick building across the street to pay"

We decided we liked the course at Kistler better than the Statler's that we played the week before.  I'm sure it had something to do with the hospitality!  It started to rain and we played the last two holes getting fairly wet, but still ended up laughing it up!

Will at the Kistler course

Tuesday evening we headed back to Washington PA, but on the way found out that the game against Germany was postponed due to rain.  We stayed on course though because Will needed to get his signed ball from the team!  After saying our good-byes to Scot and the team, we decided on one last trip to the Meadows for a frozen custard before calling it a night.

Popi and Will stayed up until 11:30 playing mini basketball and lessons on how to throw different pitches.  I am certain that Will just might want to sign up for baseball next spring!

Our time with the little guy was coming to an end and we were secretly plotting ways to keep him in Pennsylvania, but realized mom, dad and sisters would probably not allow it.  So, I tucked Will in, said prayers and scratched his back one last time before I retired for the night.

Popi set out for work the next morning and Will and I plugged the airport into the GPS and we were off, after a stop at Dunkin Donuts, of course!  We enjoyed every minute of our time with Will and are so proud of the young man he is.  He is smart, caring and so independent.  We shared stories, laughs, teased each other and just loved on each other!  And, being the world traveler that he is, I probably could have dropped him off on the curb at the airport and I am sure he would have made his way to the gate without me.  But, I am glad that I didn't, I needed that last squeeze at the gate before he left and another opportunity to hear about the tales that only a 10 year old boy could tell.