Erie Pennsylvania is a town found on the shores of Lake Erie and is the 4th largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Allentown and Pittsburgh. Like the Pennsylvania city of Pittsburgh, Erie in the past was a major center for industry and manufacturing in the United States, and much like Pittsburgh, it has felt the decline of industry and production heavily more than most other cities in the United States. Pennsylvania Erie today is a major center for tourism centered almost exclusively on the presence of Lake Erie in the community.
The French as an outpost first settled Erie Pennsylvania in 1753 in an effort to guard French land in the new world against the British troops and the increasing number of British settlers. In 1763, however, the town and the fort were surrendered to the British and Erie Pennsylvania became an incorporated town as part of the new settlement of British colonies. Later, during the War of 1812 when Pennsylvania Erie and Lake Erie were controlled by British troops, President James Madison stationed the navy in Lake Erie and eventually was able to regain control of the area.
Today, Pennsylvania Erie is a great place to on vacation for boating, fishing and camping. Although Lake Erie was made famous due to the pollution found in the lake during the 1960s and the 1970s, the Lake Erie of today has been cleaned up and cleared for use as a recreational center. Planning an Erie vacation for camping and fishing can be handled in a number of ways, but in Pennsylvania, travelers should be aware that they will need a valid fishing license, as well as a special permit for fishing in Lake Erie, which can be obtained at the same time as the license.
Another part of Erie vacations, thanks to the new law in Pennsylvania legalizing certain types of gambling, is a trip to an Erie PA casino. For the most part, Pennsylvania casinos focus on slot machines, video poker and horse and dog racing on tracks. Erie casinos can be a fun part of Erie vacations for adults since many of the casinos are now found right inside hotels and even feature restaurants right on site. Note that minors are not allowed inside Erie PA casinos, so that Erie casinos are truly just for adults. Unlike Erie PA casinos, the racetracks themselves do not have an age limit, however, minors cannot bet on races.
In addition to Erie casinos, the downtown area of Erie actually features some great places to eat and a number of excellent places to shop. Most Erie hotels are found either downtown in Erie or surrounding Lake Erie. Campsites are available and hookups for RV camping near the lake, and fishing boat charters for day or afternoon fishing trips in Erie.
