Erie Land Lighthouse, Pennsylvania

Directly across the bay from Presque Isle State Park, in Dunn Park, stands one of the oldest Great Lakes lighthouses, the Erie Land Lighthouse. It was established in 1819, and the current structure was built with large blocks of sandstone in 1867, on the sandy lakeshore at Erie, Pennsylvania.

Although the lighthouse has not been in operation since 1890, it is in a remarkably well preserved condition.

Directions:From Presque Isle State Park follow Lake Road East (Alt. 5) through downtown Erie, and turn left (north) on Lighthouse Street, which comes to a dead-end at Lake Erie and the lighthouse.

Historical Society Museum, Warren, Pennsylvania

The Warren County Historical Society Museum is in the historic distric of Warren, Pennsylvania, next door to the Warren County Courthouse. The Historical Society & Museum is located in the Struthers-Wetmore-Schimmelfeng House, which was constructed between 1870 & 1873 as a wedding gift. Some say the house is haunted.

The museum interprets the history of Warren County through research, exhibits, and special events. There is also a gift shop, which specializes in books of local interest. Self guided tours are $1.00 and guided tours are $2.00.

Allegheny River, Pennsylvania - New York

The Allegheny River has its beginnings in northwestern Pennsylvania, loops briefly northward into New York State, then flows southward to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In Pittsburgh the Allegheny merges with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River, which flows into the Mississippi and hence to the Gulf of Mexico. The Allegheny River Valley provides the northeastern most drainage of the Mississippi.

The 325-mile-long Allegheny takes its name from the Delaware Indian language. The word is usually translated as "fine river", although the meaning is not definitively known. Some Indian tribes considered the Allegheny and the Ohio to be the same river.

The Allegheny River is particularly pretty here in Warren, Pennsylvania, surrounded by the hills of the upper Allegheny plateau. This photo was taken near downtown Warren in early July, when wild daylilies were in full bloom along the riverbank.

Warren, Pennsylvania

Warren, the county seat of Warren County, Pennsylvania, is a town of less than 10,000 population in the northeastern corner of the state. It is a historic town in a scenically beautiful area. The Allegheny River runs through the town and the county, and much of the land in Warren County is covered by the Allegheny National Forest. The Allegheny Plateau is a land rich in natural resources: timber, coal, oil and natural gas. Outdoor recreational opportunities are a big draw to tourists.

Warren County was created on March 12, 1800, from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties. It is named for General Joseph Warren (1741-1775), an American doctor and soldier, remembered for playing a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston. He was killed at the battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolution, while serving as chief executive of the revolutionary Massachusetts government.

The Warren County Courthouse (pictured) was built in 1875 and added to the National Register of Historic Places just over a century later, in 1977, because of it's architectural and engineering significance. It is still an operating courthouse and the seat of government for Warren County.

Presque Isle Lighthouse, Lake Erie, Pennsylvania

The Presque Isle Lighthouse was built in 1872, and first lit on July 12, 1873. The lighthouse stands on the shores of Lake Erie, in Presque Isle State Park, near Erie, Pennsylvania. It is an imposing 57-foot tower with a red brick dwelling at the base. Visits to the lighthouse are limited to observation from outside it's encircling fence, because the dwelling is currently used to house the superintendent of the state park.

This is still an active light station, but these days the original fourth-order Fresnel lens has been replaced with an automated electric light, maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. An educational exhibit is located adjacent to the property.

Bradford, Pennsylvania

The fine old architecture in this small northwestern Pennsylvania town is a reminder that many years ago there were more people, and much more money in Bradford that there is today. Bradford is one of many towns in this part of the state that profited by being in America's first producing oil field. Long before oil was discovered in Texas or Alaska, it was found in Pennsylvania. Brands such as Quaker State and Pennzoil remind us of that fact.

Bradford is in McKean County, near the Pennsylvania/New York state line. It is a great staging area for outdoor activities in "The Wilds" of Pennsylvania. Among the points of interest in the town itself is the Penn-Brad Oil Museum.

There is still some oil here, including a working well in the parking lot of the Bradford McDonalds Restaurant.

Bradford isn't dead, but it is sleepy. I would call it a sleeping beauty.