Monthly Archives: August 2020

Browns Farm

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It was a great opportunity to go out and see the waves while collecting glass at Avonia Beach. As you know, we have continued to find opportunities to get outdoors and social distance, but also to try and find some shade from the sun. It has been warm over the last few weeks with temperatures easily reaching into the 80’s and 90’s consistently. That’s why we decided to wander around Brown’s Farm in Millcreek, Erie, PA.

Location

Brown’s Farm itself is an interesting place with respect to the location. While the main entrance of Brown’s Farm has the actual barn and a parking lot, the farm itself goes from a field with trails, then connects into woods along Walnut Creek, crosses a bridge, and eventually links up with Asbury Woods. This is a large property and easily one you can wander for hours. The specific location is on Sterrettania Road, across the street from Asbury Elementary School and Walnut Creek Middle School, and just North of Frank’s Farm Market and Bakery.

Property Description:

The property does have a Barn which is used for special events, educational programs, and more. The property also has a strong focus on understanding agriculture, watersheds, and land maintenance. The trails are long as well, as local schools continue to use Brown’s farm as their course for cross country running events. Brown’s Farm also uses the land in conjunction with Asbury woods, where they have multiple trail races and can easily fit a 5-mile-run onto the property.

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Things to do:

The trails themselves are a great item to explore. There is access to Walnut Creek, room to walk, jog, or run, bike, fish, watch birds and look for other wildlife. This is an excellent spot for photography as there are many locations such as hills, bridges, and foliage throughout the property.

The woods also have more hills, while the front of the property is more of a field. This means you can venture as deep as you would like while being able to complete one of many loops or trails, depending on your preferred level of exercise in the day.

Even in the cooler weather Brown’s Farm remains popular, as the fall brings changing of the leaves and bright colors, while the winter allows for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Pets are also welcome here, as numerous dogs are found along the trails. As always, be sure to be responsible for your pet, and remember that dogs must remain on leashes. There is also a dog waste station at Brown’s Farm Barn. A note of warning, Pets are not permitted at festivals or events, and this is just for the safety of all guests as well as pets.

Who Can Go:

The trails are for anyone who wants to go, including pets, as already mentioned. The trails are open year-round during daylight hours, so whether you want to take a morning jog at sunrise, or go for a stroll in the evening, this is a great spot. Be aware that some of the terrain may be more difficult for those who don’t get around as easily. We had to leave the stroller in the car. And, while carrying a little one isn’t too difficult for most of this property, be aware the trails and paths do contain some hills, some roots, and some slightly uneven terrain.

Final Thoughts:

Remember that Erie, PA is in a cool climate. Depending on when you are watching or reading this, we are down to only a couple of weeks left of official summer. The days will get cooler soon, and if you are trying to enjoy the warm weather and sunshine before fall arrives, you really only have another month or two left. With that being said, Brown’s Farm is not just a great place to wander in the late summer, but even as we transition to fall.

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Avonia Beach

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We had a ton of fun being spectators at the Erie Ultimate Disc Dogs event (which are still going on, so be sure to check them out!), it was time to let our toddler run around and explore. For that reason, we headed to Avonia Beach in Fairview, PA. We were also strategic in choosing a day after a storm for a handful of reasons.

Location

Avonia Beach Park can be found somewhat easily. Find Avonia road which cuts through Fairview, PA, and then head north. There isn’t technically an address that we could find, but there are many signs. You will also know you are there when you’ve reached the parking lot as well as where trout run empties into the lake.  

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Property Description:

The property itself has a decent sized beach. This is yet another way to get into the water without having to fight some of the larger crowds of Presque Isle. And if you are out in the west county area, this is a quick place to get to without needing to head down into the heart of Erie.

There is a long beachhead which stretches nearly 1,000 feet. And, though this isn’t the miles and miles of Presque Isle, it is certainly a great place to enjoy the waves and breeze if you are trying to have some privacy and maintain social distancing.

Things to do:

This access to the lake is not only a great place to enjoy sights, but it is a place to fish or swim. However, because fishing is allowed along trout run and at the beach, please be cautious when swimming as there could be lures. This is probably not a beach to travel on with bare feet, but wading in the water with shoes or crocs is completely doable.

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We specifically chose to come out to this beach the night after a rainstorm (and it was still raining at the time) to look for beach glass! The rains and storms cause enough disruption in the lake that stones and glass are pushed around and have a better chance of floating into the shore during higher tides.

It also just so happens that if a toddler is going to splash in the water anyways, it doesn’t matter if it’s lightly raining outside! Just remember to bring a towel!

Another item to note is that there is a house available for renting. The Brugger house is a popular place to host parties for graduation, wedding receptions, showers, and more. Just contact Fairview Parks and Recreation at 814-474-5077.

Who Can Go:

This is a great spot for anyone in the family. The access to this beach can be a little harder to get to the water because there is a lot more rocks mixed in with the sand than in some places. However, you can park literally just feet away from the beach itself, so as far as accessing the beach – it’s not going to be hard to get to it. There are also benches and places to sit just off of the beach which make this have availability for all to enjoy the water.

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In addition, there are plans in the works to install a viewing platform over trout run, and to have a handicap accessible fishing platform, so anyone can find something to do here when it comes to the water, and more accessibility and additions are on the way.

Final Thoughts:

Besides just the water itself which could be for splashing, swimming, or fishing, this is a quiet park with ample wildlife. In addition to the Brugger house for possible rental, this is a place where some can come and just walk and talk, take photos, skip rocks, or hunt for beach glass. If you are looking for a place to go when it comes to the outdoors, this is another place to check out. It’s worth the drive if you aren’t on the west side of Erie, Pa, and if you’re already out there it’s a quick spot to get away and enjoy the view while passing the time for anyone in the family.

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Erie Ultimate Disc Dogs

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Once our hard work of picking and then pickling the cucumbers was over, we wanted to try something new. After all, our goal has been to get out and see what Erie, PA has to offer. And while the era of social distancing has certainly limited our ability to try new places indoors, we still want to wander to new locations. That’s why we decided to check out Erie Ultimate Disc Dogs, and believe it’s something everyone should as well!  

Location

Erie Ultimate Disc Dogs competes at Lucky Dog Stay and Play. The location is at 9170 Lake Pleasant Road, Erie, PA 16509. Once you enter the facility and head down the driveway, you will want to maintain your current direction and head straight back into the field. You will drive past the gate on what looks like a road only big enough for one car, but then there is ample room for parking.

These competitions occur multiple days throughout the year, and we highly encourage you to check out their Facebook page first, as the specific events they are running might be more interesting to you. For example, the month of August has the K9 toss and fetch league running on Sundays at 9AM. However, another competition is already slated for the fall league starting in September and going into October.

Property Description:

Because these competitions are literally competitions, in some ways this is no different from any other sporting event. There are a handful of spectators, but there is ample room for social distancing. In addition, watching the various abilities of these dogs is true entertainment.

As pet owners, even having the slightest amount of discipline in a dog is impressive. In addition, all of the dogs had their own personality. Some of them were more focused on the sport itself, and one or two may have been looking more to socialize or were just out there to have fun. However, all of the dogs were amazing at their craft. This activity was certainly something new, and something to take in. And, being a spectator of this event was enjoyable.  

Things to do:

This is a spectator event! Bring a small lawn chair or a blanket to sit down on. The way it seems to work is that every dog gets a chance to chase down frisbees, and the spectator areas are perfect as they give you the opportunity to watch the competition right in front of where the dogs are catching the frisbees. In addition, more competitions are set to go, and at some of the events it appears as if you can even bring your own dog. However, remember that these are competitions and so you are responsible for your pup!

Final Thoughts:

Our goal has been to try new things and get out of the house. This certainly crossed off both items from our list. In addition, our toddler was absolutely mesmerized with the different dogs, and didn’t want to leave when we actually headed out. The venue was open and provided space, and there was even an ice cream truck that made an appearance, so there is fun for the whole family if you are looking for something to do. There may still be more to explore with this as well, because they continue to have events almost every weekend it seems and we only were there for one of them. However, we will probably be wandering back to this one at some point in the future.

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Mason Farms Pickle Picking

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After traveling down the path known as the Corry Junction Greenway Trail, we looked for an opportunity to get outdoors but also knew there would be a few days of rain coming. For that reason, we knew this was the perfect season to go gather some Pickles at Mason Farms.

This is certainly not a *new* destination, as we previously have been to Mason Farms for both strawberry picking, as well as raspberry picking. However, as the seasons change, so does the type of fruits or vegetables that are available.

Location

If you haven’t been here yet, now is another great opportunity! Mason Farms Country Market is located on 8603 W Lake Rd, Lake City, PA 16423. It is located on Route 5, and while the stand is open at the front of the property with a small parking lot, if you are trying to go pick pickles (cucumber pickles that is), you need to drive the dirt road back into the field. It’s a simple road that is a straight shot back, and in addition to pickles there are other items still in season.

Property Description:

In addition to cucumber pickles, at this point Mason Farms still has raspberries, as well as Blueberries to be picked. There are other items getting ready to come into season, however, so by the time you read this there could be other fresh fruits or veggies to be had.

Things to do:

This was a very simple day compared to the other times we have been picking items at Mason Farms. Compare the size of a strawberry or a raspberry to a cucumber, and you can imagine why. We filled up a basket which gave us probably around 4 or 5 dozen pickles. They vary in size, but the average one was about 4 inches long, and 2 inches in diameter. Filling up a basket of pickles literally only took about 10 minutes.

One point of note: While we only picked a single basket of pickles, there were other patrons there who picked multiple baskets and of multiple fruits and veggies.

Who Can Go:

This activity was actually one of the easiest we had done. Compared to the size and fragility of raspberries (not to mention the prickers on the vines), picking cucumber pickles is a very easy thing to do. The cucumbers are much more stable for young hands than a raspberry (so less “destroyed” produce at the hands of our toddler). In addition, the size of the cucumbers means it’s a lot easier to spot one compared to trying to find berries behind leaves.

Final Thoughts:

Because this was such a short activity, we actually used many of the cucumber pickles themselves to jar pickles. This is another activity that can be done off of the cucumbers, and with a few more items that can be grabbed from the farm stand at the front of the property (for example. We grabbed peas, cauliflower, and peppers). You will of course need the other supplies such as vinegar and the mason jars, but this was an additional activity we were able to do in order to preserve the vegetables over the coming weeks and months. After all, while fresh food is a healthy part of any diet, it may be hard to eat 60 cucumbers in a week or two before they start to rot. For that reason, both the experience of picking the cucumber pickles, as well as the process of preserving them in jars, is a set of fun activities that the whole family can participate in.  

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Corry Junction Greenway Trail

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We took a fun trip recently to Presque Isle State Park, and while we have been active zigging and zagging around town for the Park Bingo event, one of the stops we decided to hit was the Corry Junction Greenway Trail. It was a great destination, a fun event, and one we would recommend. It was cut short, however, and that’s just part of the fun of wandering to new locations. 

Location

Corry Junction Greenway Trail is a trail that starts in Corry, Pennsylvania, however, it travels up near Clymer, New York in Chautauqua county. This trail is accessible from both ends. In Pennsylvania, the entrance is near the intersection of Sciota Road and Sciota Street in Corry, Pa. In New York, it is at Knowlton Road.

Property Description:

This roughly 13.1-mile trail is something we were looking forward to doing, as there are many sights to see along the way. There are various forms of terrain on the trail itself, as it is not exactly paved. However, it is smooth enough with some rough spots, and some hilly portions of the trail. However, for the most part this is a very simple, clear, flat trail that attracts many individuals looking to get some exercise out and about in nature.

This trail is a straight line, in and out. It is mostly crushed stone, but not quite dirt for the ground itself. And, while you could always coordinate the trail to have a car waiting on the other end of the trail, most people head in and then either turn around at some point, or make the full distance before heading back.

It’s important to note that the entire trail from one length to another is only about six and a half miles, but that means heading all of the way down and then coming back would be the full loop of basically a half of a marathon.

Things to do:

At first glance, this trail literally seems like a simple activity. You walk down a well-maintained trail, through mostly nature and serene sights. However, it’s a lot more exciting than that. In addition to the countless opportunities for photography, there are runners and joggers, bike riders, hikers and walkers down and through the trail. Dogs are allowed so long as they are leashed, and while the terrain isn’t paved, it is easy enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. This is a warmer weather type of activity, however, as you probably don’t want to be trying to trek this trail with snow on the ground. However, at that point individuals have suggested this is an excellent trail for cross country skiing. And, though unconfirmed, snowmobiles may also be able to access this trail.

While unconfirmed, the historic site has also been classified and listed as a place for things such as ATVs and Horseback riding. We can’t confirm that at this time, but it would make sense as the trail is wide enough to support many people walking shoulder to shoulder.

And, while the number of animals to be seen is vast, you do want to keep your eyes open. This is the wild after all. For example, we were able to see birds, butterflies, and then a black bear crossed our path, right in front of us. With this in mind, we left! It is important to be safe in this process, and we wanted to go deeper, but it’s probably important to respect the bear’s wishes!

Who Can Go:

As long as you remember you are in the middle of nature, then this is a trail for anyone. If you are looking for a place to exercise, to photograph, to find animals, or just take a long walk, then this is an ideal location for you. In addition to the sites, the sounds of nature are something you should be able to enjoy. And, because the improvements and maintenance of the trail itself, whether keeping things properly mowed or having the correct drainage, this is a tremendous trail to explore.

Final Thoughts:

Be aware of what your goal is. Some of our wanderings have been places you can slip in and slip out. This is a great trail but it could take a bit of time to complete the whole thing. If you head deep into the trail and realize it’s been a while (or if you run face to face into a bear), then simply turn back! Don’t forget that however far you walk into the trail, you are going to need to walk that far back out!

This is a wonderful trail, regardless of your purposes, and the best thing is that every time you go you get a different experience. Sights, sounds, flora and fauna, the chances of experiencing something new are great. In a time of social distancing, this is one wander you should try. 

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