As the title suggests, I visited Erie this past weekend, and also as the title suggests, Erie is in the heart of what is known as the "Rust Belt", a segment of the Mid-Atlantic centered around the three easternmost Great Lakes that experienced widespread economic hardship as a result of the collapse of manufacturing. Since then, cities like Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, and yes, Erie, have had to diversify or die (die in the case of Youngstown), many moving in the direction of medical technology (much like Pittsburgh ), precision robotics, nanotechnology, etc. In my opinion, Erie is a bit misunderstood by young people today. When you think of Erie what comes to mind? Um.. a lake? Fishing? Well when I think of Erie, I think of one of the urban population centers of Pennsylvania, the fourth largest city in fact (behind Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Allentown). In its heyday, Erie was home to 142,000 people, and at one point it was the largest commercial freshwater fishing port in the world, there being over one-hundred fishing boats in harbor and out to sea at any given time. Those days are long gone however, and as you approach Erie from the South as I did, you can certainly see the rust. Passing behemoth plants corroding with age, I was expecting more ahead.
What I found however, as I drove down State St., through Perry Square, and toward Bicentennial Tower, was an aesthetically pleasing downtown, and a clean and pleasant bay front, if a little windy. The city has really done a great job of cleaning up what used to be gritty docks in the middle of an industrial zone. The top of the tower affords grand views of the city and Presque Isle. Then, It began to rain, so I went to examine the Erie Maritime Museum.
If you are ever in Erie, you must visit this museum. It is extremely well maintained, and the information is precise and to the point. Of course, nearly all of it is regarding the War of 1812, and more specifically the Battle of Lake Erie, during which Oliver Hazard Perry (brother of Commodore Mathew Perry) famously sailed the Brig Niagara (parked outside as it were) in between the fleet of British ships and, firing upon both halves, forced a surrender and became the first ever to capture a fleet of the mighty British Navy. After perusing the museum, I took a tour of the ship itself (and if you have taken philosophy, the Brig Niagara in Erie is an example of a ship of Theseus). Well maintained and up to Coast Guard regulations, people still train to sail on summer excursions. Unfortunately, as with much of Erie, the museum is struggling financially, so I made sure to spend an extra buck in the gift shop, and I again encourage anyone who goes to Erie to visit this museum, as it is truly excellent.
One day 2, I really put the bulk of my plans into action, and visited a large variety of places, including the iconic Boston Store, St. Peter's Cathedral (a beautiful church, and the tallest building in the city), Perry Square, Millionaire's Row, and for all intents and purposes the only three lighthouses in Pennsylvania. The most interesting of the three was the Erie Land Lighthouse, which happens to be the oldest lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Needless to say I took many pictures. When visiting the second lighthouse, on the mouth of Presque Isle Harbor, I was fortunate enough to whiteness a large freighter making its way in. I should also add that although the maps I had printed carried me most of the way, I did become hopelessly lost on several occasions, as for some reason the City of Erie has found the need to simply omit street signs on many of its intersections.
Nevertheless, I found the trip thoroughly enjoyable. It warmed my heart to see a large monument to Perry out on Presque Isle, which I later visited, as I had become so accustomed to photographing monuments in Gettysburg. The fact is, however, that Erie has fallen on some hard times of late, as even though the economy is now diversified, it is suffering with everyone else in this down economy. The streets were near deserted when I was walking around (with the exeption of many denizens), and even though it was a Sunday you would expect more activity. I only hope that Erie can preserve its natural beauty and rich history amid the recession it is currently experiencing. A difficult task. 
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