We had a really awesome visit with my parents over the weekend. We left on Friday at around noon and drove 7 hours to Erie, PA. I called my parents a few times while we were driving and they encountered a few stumbling blocks along the way…more traffic and more construction than us. So they did not arrive until midnight. We quickly said hello and then went to our rooms for some much needed sleep.
We all stayed somewhere new for us and for the area. It was called the Towne Place Suites which had just opened the week before. It was a really nice place. It had an ultra modern interior design that is not my cup of tea though. The fabrics on the sofas, chairs and throw pillow were strange and in colors that are totally going to be dated quickly. But each hotel has to design their stuff to cater to different kinds of folks. The accommodations were really excellent.
On Saturday morning (my birthday), we went to a place called Eat n Park for breakfast and had an excellent buffet. My mom was funny because she kept using the word Erie as the word eerie. So to humor my mother, my dad and Dave navigated us past the Erie (eerie) Cemetery. After that, we found Presque Isle State Park (www.presqueisle.org) and drove through. We visited two lighthouses, the Perry Monument and then purchased tickets to take the Lady Kate for a boat tour around Presque Isle.
The boat tour was really nice. We floated slowly through the bay where there were lots of folks fishing from piers and from small boats. Then we went out into Lake Erie then back along the long side of Presque Isle and back into the bay. After that we went to the visitor center, where we were told by a wonderful lady that we just had to eat a hot dog at Sara’s (www.sarasandsallys.com) and then later get a dinner of fresh perch at Joe Root’s. So we did get the hot dog and some fabulous onion rings. Drove around some more of Erie. My father was driving and suddenly did a U-turn and stopped in front of a place called Stefanelli’s Candies. YUMMY! We all got a couple of chocolates to snack on.
After driving around a bit more and visiting another lighthouse, we went back to the hotel for a quick nap before dinner. As instructed, we went to Joe Root’s for dinner. If a local ever tells you to eat somewhere…go there, we’ve never been disappointed. I did not however follow instructions to order the freshly pan-fried perch and ordered prime rib instead. It was good, but it’s prominence on the menu made me think it must be really awesome. The shyly hidden perch entry should have been far more prominent on the menu. Dave and my mom ordered it and it was beyond fabulous. Dad had a steak that was also excellent. The bread with this garlic butter sauce over the top was melt-in-your-mouth wonderful.
After dinner, we went back to the hotel and sat in my parent’s room talking until midnight. We had such a great visit. It was so nice to see them!! And what a treat for my birthday!
I gave my mom her very belated, actual mother’s Day gift of the counted-cross stitch sampler I’d finished finally. And we gave them a photo of Dave and I that we’d had taken at Target a few weeks back.
For my birthday, Dave gave me a perfectly wonderful homemade card. I make cards for people, when I have the time…otherwise it’s Hallmark time! So Dave sat at my desk one evening diligently working for quite some time on that card…the result was fantastic. And as a gift he’s taking me to Vermont to a store called Basketville (www.basketville.com). Now, some of you know my affinity for baskets…I love ’em. So he’s rather daring to take me, wallet open and in hand, to a place where they just sell baskets. (I’ll be good…kinda!) I’ve got a wonderful husband!!
So yesterday, after breakfast, we all parted ways. Dave and I got home almost exactly 7 hours later, even though we took a southerly route which was far more scenic. My parents got home about 9 hours after they left, but they did have further to drive.
All in all it was an awesome visit and it was so nice to see them. I got to talk to my brother via phone on Saturday even if I didn’t get to see he, Elizabeth nor the girls. (I got to hear lots about them from my mom though…my parents adore being grandparents!)
