From Coffee Shops to Climbing Walls: A Young Adult’s Guide to a Weekend in Erie
Monday Apr 21st, 2025
Looking for a weekend trip that has the perfect mix of adventure, delicious food, local culture and relaxation? Erie is calling your name. Whether you are up for trying challenging new routes at ASCEND, Erie’s new indoor climbing gym, or are seeking a laid-back long weekend full of local flavors, unique experiences and unforgettable memories await.
(Photo credit: @Driz5)
Day 1
Mid-Morning: Grab some coffee and explore the world of literature at Pressed - Books + Coffee + Gifts. This progressive, independent bookstore and cafe offers a diverse, updated selection of books, unique gifts and an inviting atmosphere. The coffee shop crafts a new creative drink every week and sells fresh baked goods from local bakeries.
Lunch: For lunch, stop by Sara’s Restaurant, a beloved diner located at the entrance of Presque Isle State Park. The 1950s-themed restaurant is open from April through September and serves summer foods like burgers, hot dogs, curly fries, onion rings, milkshakes, and their famous orange sherbet/vanilla twist soft serve. Its retro aesthetic and proximity to the beach makes it a cute stop for photos.
Afternoon: Turn right out of Sara’s and you’ve arrived at PA’s most popular state park– Presque Isle State Park. Parking is free at Presque Isle and so is access to its seven miles of sandy beaches. At Presque Isle, you can rent a bike at the Presque Isle Yellow Bike Rental, rent a kayak from Presque Isle Boat Rental or soak up some sun on one of the beaches. Presque Isle offers a wide variety of activities making it easy to spend an entire day at the park.
Dinner: Just a short drive from Presque Isle, you’ll find SAMURAI Kitchen + Sushi, a sushi restaurant with creative takes on Japanese and Indonesian cuisine. Try their Yasai Vegan Roll which has Daikon, carrot, lettuce and cucumber, topped with avocado, shichimi togarashi, kimchi sauce, cilantro and lemon zest.
Day 2
Morning: Start your day with breakfast at The Lawrence Park Dinor, a unique dinor in a historic train car and the only dinor on Pennsylvania’s Historic Register. Walking into the train car, you are immediately greeted with a feeling of nostalgia with long counters, stainless steel barstools and cozy booths along the windows. The dinor is well known for its breakfast options including its famous grilled cinnamon rolls made fresh daily.
Mid-Morning: Head over to ASCEND in downtown Erie to try rock climbing in their new indoor climbing gym. This state-of-the-art gym features walls and activities for all skill levels including a 50-foot lead climbing wall, top-roping, auto-belay walls, slacklining and bouldering terrain. ASCEND makes it easy to spend an entire day there. Patrons can sign in, climb for a few hours, grab lunch and head back for more climbing without having to pay again.
Lunch: Explore downtown Erie and the numerous food options. Below are a couple of suggestions:
- If you and your friends can’t pick a place to eat, try Flagship City Food Hall. With six restaurants inside the building, it's easy to find something to satisfy a large group of taste preferences. Within the building, you’ll find the Cheeserie, Dina’s Authentic Dominican Kitchen, Jo’s Brooklyn Bagel Too, Noodlelove, Taste & See and ippa Pizza. Try the Bianca Pizza from ippa Pizza, topped with Panna (House Italian cream sauce), hand-stretched mozzarella, basil, ricotta fina, pecorino and fresh milled black pepper.
- If you’re looking for a sweet treat or a potential new furry friend, head over to Purrista Cat Cafe. At Purrista, you can play with adoptable cats and enjoy the calm, quiet atmosphere while sipping on a latte or snacking on a pastry. Purrista keeps their menu updated with updated specialty drinks every month.
- If you’re in the mood for authentic Asian flavors, you’ll find cheerful robots delivering meals at Noods Station 3 & Tsaocaa Bubble Tea. The robots along with human helpers serve Asian noodle dishes such as ramen or pho. Be sure to try the Tsaocaa bubble tea in a wide variety of flavors such as passionfruit lime or mango pomelo sago.
Afternoon: Stroll through Erie’s downtown area after your meal and explore local shops.
- The Glass Growers Gallery sells local artwork, pottery, jewelry and gifts. Many of the pieces feature landscapes or images of Erie making them the perfect souvenir to take home for an art lover.
- If you’re looking to come home with some Erie swag or souvenirs, check out City Supply by Erie Apparel. The store is filled with Erie shirts, mugs, magnets, pins, pennant flags and much more.
- The Dollhouse at Pointe Foure Boutique offers vintage clothing and accessories from the 1920s to the 1990s. These pieces can’t be found at big-box stores and can add a fun flair to your wardrobe.
Dinner: Voodoo Brewing Co. features a wide range of beers, cocktails and mocktails as well as several food options including salads, mussels, pizzas and sandwiches. You can sit inside at their community seating or venture outside on the patio and view their multi-wall spanning mural. Voodoo is one of the only restaurants in downtown Erie with an outdoor seating area. For the pickle lovers out there, try the Voodoo Pickle Pizza- a pizza with house-made roasted garlic pesto, shredded mozzarella, Pittsburgh Pickle Co. pickles and Voodoo secret Voo-dill seasoning on Voodoo signature crust.
Evening: For an evening activity, try Five Iron Golf Erie, an indoor golf and entertainment space. Their state-of-the-art simulators and world-class instruction allow anyone of any ability level to have fun. This facility also serves delicious food and cocktails on-site, making it a one-stop shop for a fun atmosphere.
Lodging
- Experience a different form of lodging at Lake Erie Treehouses. Here you will find a collection of 3 treehouses that serve as living spaces for guests. These aren’t your typical backyard treehouses– these are fully in the 21st century with a hot tub, indoor fireplace and indoor hammock.
