Crawford County, Pennsylvania

When referring to the weather in Pennsylvania a common statement is "Just wait five minutes and it will change". That is probably why Northwest Pennsylvania offers a wide variety of places to go, and things to do for travelers.

Crawford County is located in Northwest Pennsylvania, covering 1013 square miles, with a population of approximately 86,000. There are wonderful places here to see all within driving distance of any location that you may choose to stay.

Pymatuning State Park- you can fish, hunt, swim, camp or rent cabins along the shores of the lake located in this park. Boating is permitted with up to a 10 horse power motor.

There is Conneaut Lake which is the largest natural lake in the state. Here there is an old-fashioned amusement park with a classic wooden roller coaster named the Blue Streak, there is also a Muller Carousel. Some of the newer additions here are a Water World and there is also a very nice beach.

If you want to explore the water a little further the is a wonderful sternwheeler boat on which you can take tours called the Barbara J. On this lake you can water ski, fish and swim.

Located also in the small town of Conneaut Lake is a winery named the Conneaut Lake Cellars. They have a wonderful variety of wines available, and there is a spot to taste the wines before purchasing.

There is Canadota Lake which is located between Union City and Meadville, Pennsylvania. Here again you can fish and swim to your heart's content. There are several wonderful places to eat near this lake including the Frog Pond restaurant, which is a delicious place to eat. The bar is actually an old boat which is inside of the building. They also have a water park and small beach located just outside. In the summer you can have drinks on the deck.

If you happen to visit during the summer months be sure to check out Happy Jax which is a drive-in, again located near Canadota Lake. They have a wonderful variety of ice cream available, and their subs are out of this world.

The Linesville Spillway is also an interesting place to visit, it is also called “The Place Where the Ducks Walk on the Fishes’ Backs”. This spillway is located at the end of the Pymatuning Reservoir, just south of Linesville. If you visit here, be sure to take some bread along with you to feed the carp that will be waiting for you, and watch the fish, ducks and geese fight over the food.

The Erie National Wildlife Refuge has wonderful hiking trails with photographic blinds to view the wildlife.

There are many bicycle trails including one near the Drake Well Museum, this trail runs along Oil Creek. This trail is 20 miles long with many places to stop and picnic.

There are approximately 25 golf courses here, with a variety of different types of play.

The fall here in Northwest Pennsylvania must be the best time to visit, the leaves are spectacular!

There are also some wonderful museums, including Drake Well Museum which is located on the site where Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859. The museum is located in a 219 acre park just outside of Titusville, with outdoor oilfield exhibits.

There is also the Baldwin Reynolds House in Meadville Pennsylvania, which is a home turned Museum, showing life in the 1800's. Allegheny College is one of our local colleges with many historic buildings on its grounds, this again is located in Meadville.

There are many wonderful places to stay here in Northwest Pennsylvania. There are over 1000 motels, hotels or Bed and Breakfasts. While there are the normal Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn type places, if you are looking for something a little fancier you may wish to try the Riverside Inn in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. The Riverside Inn was one of the first health spas upon the discovery of crystal spring water in the ground. The grounds are beautiful and so is the hotel itself. They also have a golf course, swimming pool and wonderful dining. They have numerous diner shows through out the year.

Another type of place I would recommend staying is one of our local bed and breakfasts. There is a wonderful one that is owned by the Knapp family just outside of Titusville, called the Knapping Knapp. They are members of the Pennsylvania Farm Vacation Association. This is an actual working farm of 1000 plus acres. You can stay here and go on guided hunts for turkey, deer or game birds. There is a wonderful fly-fishing stream nearby, and they offer tours on horseback. Here you can get the feel of what living on a working farm would be like.

Are you into trains? There is a train called the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad that will take you on a 2 1/2 hour trip along the banks of Oil Creek. Just seeing the train is amazing in itself. The cars are all antique and have been restored to their former beauty. They have special occasion train rides also. Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be riding along on a train through dangerous territory and have the train held up by robbers? This could happen to you. You can board this train at the Perry Street Station in Titusville.

There are special events held here throughout the year. The Crawford County Fair which not only attracts some big name performers, but many animals that are 4-H projects of the local children. It is a rather large fair with many exhibits and a full size carnival. This fair is generally held the 3rd week in August, and also will include events such as a demolition derby, harness racing, truck and tractor pulls and farm animal judging. The Crawford County fair is located just outside of Meadville, Pennsylvania which is the Crawford county seat.

Also if you enjoy hot air balloons there is the Thurston Classic which is a hot air balloon race held during the later part of July. It is amazing to see these hot air balloons all over the skyies around the Meadville area.

Shopping? Yes, we have the Wal-mart, K-mart but if you want to SHOP try the little out of the way shops in the area. There are numerous craft shops, antique stores and gift shops. Some personal favorites here include Tarr's Country Store, in Titusville. This is a small grocery store with wonderfully fresh produce and also a wonderful selection of crafts, Yankee Candles and rubber stamping supplies.

Schrocks Bulk Food Store, which is owned by an Amish family, located near Spartansburg, and Buells Corners is a store that is amazing to see. So much stuff piled into one store! Bulk foods, fabric, cookbooks, clothing and so much more.

Angie's Amish Furniture in Spartansburg, which has some of the most beautiful Amish made oak furniture I have ever seen. They have numerous other gift items available such as Beanie Babies, candles, dolls and other handcrafted items.

Also any trip to Spartansburg would not be complete without visiting, the Sparty Mill which is an old mill that has been turned into a wonderful antique shop. There are four stories to the mill, with small consignment rooms full of antiques, Amish items, gifts and many other things.

Be on the lookout for little roadside stands, where you can by fresh produce, quilts and delicious homemade bread. For some reason it is hard to not purchase some homemade goodie from a little Amish child sitting along side the road, selling their mother’s wares.

The food here is wonderful too. Although we do not have a lot of fancy restaurants the food here is excellent homemade comfort food. There are some excellent pie bakers in this part of the country. Favorites here include Molly's Mill, which is in an old feed mill full of antiques and excellent food, and is located in Titusville. If you enjoy good wings be sure to try Otter's Pub in Meadville. They also have a huge selection of domestic and imported beers.

There is also Hunter's Inn, where you can cook your own steaks and garlic breads on their indoor grill. Hunter's is located on Rt. #27 between Titusville and Meadville.

This is just a small sampling of what Crawford County in Northwestern Pennsylvania has to offer. I hope you will come visit us soon and enjoy your stay!