The small town of Erie, PA

Went to Erie on a business trip and was glad I didn't go there for a vacation... While the lake, beaches, and sunsets are gorgeous:the rest of the town is not so tourist friendly. Restaurants close around 8-9pm. Many stores are not open on Mondays (of all days, why Monday?) And we wanted to visit the maritime museum, but that closes at 5pm on weekdays. Also, getting around is difficult: To hail a cab ride is a 45 min wait after you find a phone number for one. And besides the immediate downtown area, Erie does not have pedestrian sidewalks! Kinda scary having to walk in the bike lane >.<

I guess the majority of income there is from making trains for GE, and there are alot of railroad tracks around. It's pretty fun to watch the trains blaze by, except when you're having to sit and wait for them over and over until you can cross the street... Longest one I counted was 86 cars.

Went to the beach at Presque Isle for the sunset, and saw a guy out on a paddleboard blowing gigantic bubbles. It was beautiful the way they would catch the sunset in their irridescent outlines! I thought to myself, how magical that I happened to be on the beach at the same time this guy was and got to witness this beauty. I found out the next day that he's a regular, and works his magic at the various festivals in and near Erie. Nevertheless, I was glad I saw it while I was there!

Went to an free outdoor concert sponsored by Erie's 8 Great Tuesdays, that was really fun. An oldie's band, some snacks for purchase, beer (for those that drink), and a beautiful sunset over the lake.

Ate at various restaurants, some delicious with a fun historical story: Under the Clock shares the building with a clock that everyone used to meet under saying "meet me under the clock". Others were not so great: Brewerie was subpar.

So in the end, I was grateful to have seen the gorgeous sunsets, but would have rather spent maybe a day or two in this town, rather than a week.