Tag Archives: Erie Pennsylvania

Werner Books And Coffee

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If you’re ever in Erie, PA looking for a bookstore, Werner Books and Coffee is the place to be. This mostly used bookstore has friendly staff and comfy places to sit whether you’re lingering over a coffee or sorting through the stack of books you just found.

This is very much a community bookstore where you’ll find book dragons of all ages happily searching for their next favorite read. The kids section is well organized and there were some youngsters agonizing over what they would buy when we were there.

They host book clubs and poetry nights and have a robust collection of local books. I thought it was interesting that they have several book clubs and that they aren’t focused just on today’s popular reads. One that caught my eye is reading Carson McCullers’ classic “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” which I hadn’t thought about since my English major days back in college. Other clubs were reading titles like “Remarkably Bright Creatures” which is an excellent modern fiction book if you ask me.

Even the coffee shop features sweet treats from local bakeries to go with your favorite warm drink while you study or read. Community partnerships clearly matter here and it made me wish for such a store closer to home.

They seem to have a book exchange program with relatively high standards and a terrific, if not small, collection of new books as well.

The staff is friendly and seems to know everyone’s names. We chatted with the gentleman who rung us up and he was telling us about a bus trip they were organizing to take their patrons on a bookstore crawl in Pittsburgh. My friend recommended some stores for a future trip and he and he was a little familiar with southern Ohio – he had also attended Ohio University and has a fondness for Athens County.

My friend left with a decent stack of books. I think I found one used and one from the new book section that I couldn’t leave without. The experience was so relaxing and nice I look forward to returning someday.

Werner Books and Coffee is located in a strip mall so there’s plenty of free parking.

Learn all about them at their website!

First Presbyterian Church Of The Covenant

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It’s called The First Presbyterian Church Of The Covenant and it’s located on a peaceful tree-lined street in Erie, Pennsylvania. This impressive Gothic Revival church with a soaring bell tower is impressive both inside and out.

It was dedicated in 1930 which surprised me a little because it seems much older. The doors are impressive as is all the stained glass. Theres an enormous pipe organ and columns that give the sanctuary weight and substance. The tile floors are incredible and the ceiling is gorgeous.

I read somewhere that the stained glass came from three different studios including Tiffany in New York City.

We slipped into the back before Sunday services and eavesdropped on a sound check as an incredibly talented tenor prepared for his part. We spoke with someone who said they have begun planning their centennial celebration and it was gratifying to know they have an active congregation that is looking toward the future while honoring their past.

Want to learn more? Visit their website!

Roadside Fun At Sara’s Restaurant

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If you have ever been to Erie, Pa odds are good you’ve been past Sara’s Restaurant. Only, it’s not just a restaurant. It’s a nostalgic, roadside attraction and tradition for visitors to Presque Isle State Park since 1980.

It started out as an ice cream stand but now has a menu of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, onion rings and the like and it is always busy. Luckily, there’s a big parking lot, lots of outdoor seating, plenty of fun things to look at and staff that hustles to keep things moving. 

Their motto is “Food tastes better with a smile” and we saw lots of smiles as families pose for pictures with things like Simpsons characters and a giant Humpty Dumpty perched atop a lifeguard chair. We wandered around outside so I could drool over advertising pieces before giggling at signs inside. 

We did just get shakes because there’s not much food on the menu that’s vegetarian friendly other than fries and onion rings and maybe not them depending on how they’re fried. But I am not their target market and there was still ice cream. 

There are sundaes, floats and cones to choose from but I opted for a shake. That’s the one thing I  forgot to take a picture of but it was just the right consistency, a mild chocolate, and the perfect size. 

I can see why folks have made a trek to Sara’s an annual tradition! Want to learn more? Visit their website so you can plan your visit. Hop over the Make the Journey Fun Facebook page today to see more pictures from my visit over Labor Day weekend!