Want something to do for a couple hours on a weekend or weeknight? Now that the weather is comfortable, you should think about visiting the Wintergreen Gorge in Erie, PA. The Gorge is located on the Penn State Behrend Campus. You park behind their housing complexes off of the Bayfront Connector and hike away.
While on the hike you can venture down to the waterfall (pictured). Take a camel pack and make a lunch trip out of it! Make sure you wear some sort of water shoe/sandal so you can cross and play in the water flowing through the gorge.
Wintergreen gorge is a beautiful place to go that will take you no longer than 15-20 minutes from wherever you are in Erie. It’s nice to get out of the city life for a few minutes and enjoy some scenery.
The hike around the area is not very difficult but remember when you walk down, you will have to walk back up. This is a great hike for families, singles, couples and friends!
Stag & Drag
This has to be an Erie thing, right? I am originally from the Pittsburgh area, and most “outsiders” have never heard of a Stag n Drag. I’m not sure I understand the purpose of them, but they sure are fun! Feel free to comment if I miss something!
Stag n Drag’s is an event held by the future bride and groom. You will usually find these events at pavilions or fire halls. The bridal party, family and friends help sell tickets to the event which typically includes free booze and food all night. At the Stag you’ll find picnic type food to eat and kegs of beer. Not bad for the usual $5 ticket fee. That won’t be the only money you spend for the event, so come prepared with small bills!
Stag’s include a variety of chance and card games. You’ll find poker, black jack, 50/50, basket raffle, tip boards, prize wheels and much more. Each game requires you spending some money which ultimately benefits the bride and groom. Throughout the night family or the bridal party will help by walking around and selling chances to win bottles of liquor and run the games. The bride and groom are simply to enjoy themselves and thank everyone for coming out and supporting their event.
Stags can be a lot of fun when you bring groups of friends to hang out with during the event. You don’t have to know the Bride and Groom to go and have some fun.
Hopefully you learned a little about these events and won’t feel out of place and wondering “what is that” when you get invited to your next Stag n Drag!
Like almost all Americans we need to workout to enjoy all the wonderful pleasure’s food brings to us! So, I am here to list a couple different places you can join to help shed some pounds and get ready for the holiday feasting!
Currently, I am a member at the YMCA of Erie. The YMCA offers various locations around Erie and even down in the Edinboro area. You can check out their website at www.ymcaerie.org for more information. Each location offers classes from yoga to boxing. Classes run first thing in the morning until evening. Most locations offer typical gym equipment, courts, a pool and even daycare! Memberships can run around the $30 range for an individual to about $60 for a family per month.
If you are looking for something a little more classy; Nautilus Fitness Center maybe a good choice for you. This club offers most of the same services as the YMCA, and classes come in abundance. More info on this fitness center can be found at www.nautilusfitness.com. The monthly fee for an individual is roughly in the $40 range, they do offer discounts to students.
If you are interested in limited classes to focus on treadmills, free weights and machines… one of these many other options maybe best for you. The monthly fees are reasonable, depending on what you are looking for. Curves is great for women looking for a more private workout. This workout includes 30 minutes of rotating exercises on various machines or running in place. It Figures and Express Yourself offer similar qualities as Curves. Snap Fitness is popping up in the Erie area and offers members 24-hour access into the building. This gym offers you all the general equipment you would see in a gym. I am not a member, so I cannot speak if they have classes or not. Another new gym opening soon will be best fitness on W 12th in the Oscar’s pub plaza. Memberships begin at $19.99 a month and offer several different workout equipment AND classes for their members.
So, depending on what you need, Erie health clubs have something for you.
