Third Stop- Presque Isle, PA

Our next stop along Lake Erie was Presque Isle, Pennsylvania.  I think that is the name of the state park just outside of Erie.  The town right outside the park's entrance reminded me of the Dells, with lots of crowded campgrounds, a theme park and roller coaster, and lots of cheap diners and chachkis shops.

We stayed, if memory serves me, at the Hickory Hills Family campground.  Staff accidentally threw away the campground brochures I had carefully saved to document our travels. Ah, well.  Anyway, the campground was easy to find and they had no issue with our late arrival.  Another pull-thru site!!  Always a bonus.

Presque Isle State Park is a little gem, about 13 miles if you bike around it with about the same number of beaches.  Some had concession stands if you needed snacks, and others were more rustic.  I prefer a concession stand not too far away when at the beach in case I feel peckish.  Walking each doggy along the beach one at a time is hard work, and locating snacks become a priority.

By this time in our journey we were both feeling that perhaps we could try leaving doggies for a good 2 hours in the trailer and go for a bike ride around the park.  So we did our usual walk with them around the campground until they seemed good and tired, then brought them back to the trailer. You always need to sit with them a bit and move about slowly and calmly, as if to say, "We have no intention whatsoever of leaving you. That's right, just relax now. Don't be alarmed by us packing up our biking gear." 

The next day we left Hickory Hills and headed back to the Presque Isle with trailer in tow. We found a nice little boat landing where Staff could kitesurf, doggies could be tied up under a tree, and I could walk about.  The breeze was warm and the sun sparkled on the water.  Another picture perfect day on Lake Erie. Cloud's favorite spot wherever we go is in the back of the minivan on his sheepskin.  He doesn't give a rat's you-know-what about the beautiful landscape or sparkling water. Finny and Yuki can't get enough of the waves and get very excited when it's their turn to go for a walk with mommy along the beach.  Cloud barks, I think, only because he doesn't like being left behind.

Off we went for a ride around this lush green highly under-utilized state park. There was hardly any traffic once you entered the island, and the beaches weren't at all crowded.  I thought it was just because it was mid-week, but a couple we met from there said, "No, it just isn't used that much."  The beaches were just like Michigan with soft sand and warm clear water.  We biked together until I insisted Staff ride ahead, as I felt I was denying him his need for speed. After we separated I promptly overshot my turnoff, even though I had a map.  Maps are hard.  Did I mention this earlier?  I have something akin to map dyslexia.  I just need everyone to back off and stop pressuring me so that I can breathe deeply and concentrate, and then I'm fine.  But the pressure of Staff saying to me on the phone, "Where are you?" was too much.  I couldn't really tell him.  I just knew that I was starting to see road signs for stuff that didn't match where I was supposed to be on the map.

Eventually we found each other and we didn't separate again until the road was just a straight shot out of the park.  When I finally met him at the car, we decided to go back and check on the sammies.  Two hours was the longest we had left them before...

They were so good!  No damage, just resting quietly waiting for us. It didn't hurt that this time we had a metal crate for Finny.  We're lucky that we don't have a Houdini dog.  I've heard of some that can escape from even the metal crates!

Later that night we took them to the beach to watch for meteor showers, but I think they came much later. So we just listened to the water on the beach and watched the stars for awhile.  Admittedly the inky black darkness and quiet stillness was a bit unsettling.  I'd like to say I was not thinking about serial killers at that moment, but that would be a lie.

Presque Isle gets high marks from the Cassidy-Kramer clan.  We both wondered aloud what the teachers were paid and what the cost of living was.  We always think about moving when we discover a beautiful city or area. But I think we will stay put for now.  Next stop, Unadilla, NY.