City Guide 2024: Nearby Getaways, Restaurants, and Oddities

Jessica Hunter

Looking to journey out of Erie for a day trip? Here are a few choice destinations that pair perfectly with a summer drive, like the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum in Jamestown, New York.

Ashtabula, OH

Be sure to visit Bridge Street, nestled along the Historic Ashtabula Harbor. It's a gorgeous and surprisingly hip strip of small businesses. With top-shelf eateries like Harbor Halcyon, Bascule Bridge Grill, and Fitzgerald's Wine Bar and Restaurant, your options are staggering and just a short walk away from each other. There are also 19 different covered bridges to discover throughout the entire county.

Jamestown, N.Y.

If you're on your way to the National Comedy Center, you'll see dozens of other locations to check out. There's the historic Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum, and the Jamestown Riverwalk, with nearby dining options such as Landmark Restaurant, Lisciandro's Restaurant, and Labyrinth Press Company — and that's just the Ls!

Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH

If you have a soft spot for the boardwalk, or love retro midway aesthetics, Geneva-on-the-Lake has to be seen to be believed. From the Adventure Zone to the East End Bar & Grill, there are dozens of bars, hotels, arcades, and fun spots like Murphy's Pub & Ale House, Old Firehouse Winery, Eddie's Grill, The Cove Niteclub, The Lakehouse Inn Winery, Sportsterz Bar & Grill, Whips Magic Shop, Frank's Toybox, and Ruff Life on the Lake.

Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. Photo: Jessica Hunter

Westfield, N.Y.

In addition to standout wineries and breweries like Five & 20 Spirits & Brewing and the Johnson Estate Winery, there are some fantastic restaurants like Brazill's on Main and Grace & Abe's, as well as the coastal beauty of their sister city Barcelona, N.Y.

Titusville, PA

Known as the birthplace of the U.S. oil industry, Titusville is bursting with historical sights. There's the Drake Well Museum & Park, the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad, the Ida Tarbell House, and the nearby Pithole City Historical Site. Cap it off with modern fare from Orr's Brewing Company or the Titusville Iron Works Tap House.

Warren, PA

Likely the most picturesque destination on this list, the city of Warren has gems like the Struthers Library Theatre, along with natural attractions like the Rimrock Overlook, Bent Run Waterfall (namesake of the Bent Rock Brewing Company), and Jakes Rocks Overlook and Mountain Bike Trail.

Lily Dale, Pomfret, New York. Photo: Jessica Hunter

Five Obscure Oddities to Track Down Near Erie

Washington Statue Park // Waterford, PA

To commemorate our first president's 1753 visit to Fort Le Boeuf, the City of Waterford, PA erected the only American statue of George Washington wearing a British uniform, that of the Virginia Militia.

Schaefer's Auto Art // Erie, PA

If you're driving along Hershey Road, you'll want to pull over at Schaefer's Auto Art, a series of sculptures using old car parts. There are things like an eight-legged Volkswagen Beetle, a two-story rocket ship, a giant bumblebee, and a two-headed dinosaur!

Linesville Spillway // Linesville, PA

Advertised as "where the ducks walk on the fish," the overcrowded carp of the Linesville Spillway are just one excuse to visit Crawford County's gorgeous Pymatuning Reservoir. Located near the eastern point of the massive man-made lake, you can drive on the two-mile causeway all the way into Ohio.

Lucille Ball Memorial Park // Celeron, N.Y.

There are two statues at the Lucille Ball Memorial Park. One is known as the "Lovely Lucy," while the other is colloquially known as "Scary Lucy." The unsettling original was unveiled in 2009, requiring more than a few spoonfuls of Vitameatavegamin to bear a likeness. The improved statue debuted in 2016, but the internet celebrity of "Scary Lucy" has kept her around.

Lily Dale Spiritual Assembly // Pomfret, N.Y.

A town literally full of (registered) mediums, Lily Dale is one of the few surviving remnants of the Spiritualist Movement of the mid-1850s, begun by the Fox Sisters of Rochester, N.Y. The largest settlement of its kind, Lily Dale hosts an extensive summer season. It's also been the subject of an HBO documentary, a series of young adult novels by Wendy Corsi Staub, and an episode of Supernatural.