Goodbye Seasonal Depression

Jessica Hunter Photography

A drive around the peninsula is not complete without a stop for an iconic orange vanilla twist cone at Sara's. Their annual opening signals the official end of winter in Erie. Though our winters can be rough, our glorious summers make up for those long, dark days.

Seasonal depression hits pretty heavy in the City of Erie with our area having such long and harsh winters. Blistering, subzero cold and snow up to the torso is enough to drive anyone into a melancholy state of mind. Let's also not forget about the early nightfall, plunging our bright days into gloom. Although there are some individuals who enjoy the streets of Erie turning into a live-action snowglobe, it's safe to say that most of us could do with less. But let's be thankful that this past winter was surprisingly mild, even though the seasonal depression was still in full effect for many.

With spring finally emerging, the mood is starting to change with folks latching on to every warm day that calls for a ride around town. Though the 814 is known for throwing events all year round, from the Erie Winter Carnival curated by Erie Downtown Partnership to the high-profile gatherings held at the Bayfront Convention Center, it is the availability of warmth that has everyone asking "What's the move today?" Lucky for us, we have a multitude of options to choose from.

The most exciting part about the weather warming up is more and more Erieites finding a salve to their seasonal depression. Families and friends will be able to enjoy a good old-fashioned baseball game with our Erie Seawolves starting up at UPMC Park. And those classic rides around Presque Isle wouldn't be the same without Sara's opening up to satisfy all of your tasty cravings. Or, if you stay a little outside of town going south, you can hit up Sunset Grill in Edinboro this May and possibly catch one of your favorite local acts while enjoying a delicious meal.

It is true that as soon as spring arrives, the City of Erie still can get hit with some wild weather that'll make you second guess the season. But on those days when we aren't experiencing all four seasons, it is important that we take advantage of the warmth that we do have in order to rise out of that sluggish mood and take on the day. And with knowing how fast our summers can go, why not tackle Erie for all of the things that open up when the sun is our friend? Don't allow your seasonal depression to linger on once the snow has officially stopped!

Erie is known to make good use of spring and summer — giving you plenty of opportunities to shake those negative vibes off and jump right into fun. Whether it's chilling out at Rum Runners gazing at the lake or going on a pirate quest upon The Scallywag shooting water at spectators, the sunshine in weeks to come will brighten your mood as if winter was just your imagination. In the meantime while the heat is gradually setting in, rock your Iron Empire hoodies and your Dotigan jackets proudly! Erie fun in the sun is not far away at all, and your sickness is on its way out. I'll meet you at Frontier Park with my Popluck for whoever wants to brave the slides!

Charles Brown can be found on Facebook and Twitter @CEEBrown814, and online at ceebrown.com