Tuesday, September 16, 2014 Day 38 I told you yesterday that you have to make your own fun. It actually wasn’t too hard to do. It rained off and on during the night, but after the sun came up, the rain stopped, and it begin to warm up. We had two main sites we wanted to visit today, but before we did, we walked across the street, down the sandy path to the beach, and beheld Lake Erie. There was nothing there to distinguish it from any other Great Lake we have seen, but just knowing it was Lake Erie made the moment special. We had some other business to take care of before starting our sightseeing. We discovered a special place we want to visit south of Pittsburgh, but because it is not open on Wednesday, we are having to stay two nights at the KOA in Washington, Pennsylvania. It’ll be worth the extra night. That meant making reservations and then reserving and purchasing tickets. Check! Check! With the business taken care of, we drove to Presque Isle State Park, the scene of the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. As we traveled the paved route completely around the point of land, different displays told of the battle and its importance in the war. It was here that Oliver Hazard (“We have met the enemy and they are ours.”) Perry commanded the frigate Niagara, along with other vessels, to victory over the British fleet. On the tip of the isle is a tall obelisk erected in honor of OH Perry in 1925. And on the west side of the finger of land stands a still active lighthouse. We decided to have lunch before our afternoon activity, and, discovering a Panera Bread in the area, headed there for lunch. I was intrigued with their method of delivering the food. Unlike our local Panera, who gives us a pager, and then, when it vibrates, you have to pick up your food. At the Panera here, you take the pager to your table (and there are lots of them inside and outside) and place it on the table. When your food is ready, they look at a screen and locate your table by GPS in the pager and then bring the food to you. As our friend Miss Hazel would say, “Lord, I’ve lived too long!” It was while we were enjoying our lunch that Mary spied a Great Clips hair salon that was having a grand opening promotion of $3.99 per clip. It was a deal too good to pass up so, we hurried over to take advantage of the price. It had been seven weeks since her last cut, so she is in heaven. All you ladies can appreciate that. Our afternoon schedule included a trip to the Maritime Museum where, once again, we were told about the Battle of Lake Erie. The best part about this stop was the guided tour of the active seaworthy replica of the Niagara that calls the port of Erie its home. It is hard to imagine the small frigate with a crew of 150 sailors inhabiting the bowels of the ship. It was on our way back to the motor home for a supper of Healthy Choice meals and corn on the cob, that serendipity reared her beautiful head. There on our right, easy to drive into, stood a stately Perkins Restaurant. We knew it was meant for us, and I quickly wheeled into the parking lot before Mary could change her mind. By the time we left there, we had bought two slices of Wild Berry pie and six huge muffins. We’ve loaded up. Mary had bought 5 donuts from Smokey Bones last night, and a huge cinnamon roll for a dollar at Panera Bread today. It looks like we will have to make of meal of sweets one day soon. To cap an already super day, we once again walked down to the beach to watch a colorful display of a Lake Erie sunset. It’s been a good stay, but I think the next one might be better. Tag along.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 00:32:35 +0000