About 80 years ago, my grandparents bought a cottage on Lake Erie in a secluded little wood. Nowadays we have plenty of neighbors and the town has grown up around our summer home away from home. We used to spend six weeks every summer up in Dunkirk until I went away to college; now I’m lucky if I get to spend a few days up there. This year I spent an entire week at Summerthur (the nickname for our cottage), while intermittently traveling to D.C. and New York City. While the weather was a bit unpredictable, we had more sunny days than rainy ones which allowed us to enjoy all of our favorite summer activities.
As you may have guessed from the title, this entire post is dedicated to my favorite things about Lake Erie as well as my favorite things to do during the summer!
Our humble abode, Summerthur.
The house is lakefront property which makes for beautiful sunsets and easy access to Lake Erie.
One of my favorite activities during the summer is jet skiing, which I can assure you I am fully licensed to do! Here are some shots that I took from out on the lake while cruising along on one of our last days.
I’m slightly obsessed with our dogs, as anyone can tell you. Sage loves the lake even more than all of us combined! Bailee, on the other hand, is not the biggest fan of getting her paws wet.
Farmer’s markets are a must any time of year but I get especially excited for berry season during the summer. I’m also a huge fan of drives through the open country and exploring the grassy back-country of western New York.
Look what I found! I wonder if someone was drinking a beer one day and thought “Hey. I should make this into a candle scent!!” I mean the candles actually smelled good and I debated whether or not to buy them as gifts for my friends.
Luensman Overview Park is a staple during our summers. What with hiking and views of not only the lake but Canada as well (if you squint really, really hard), what more could you ask for?
I found Canada!
Daily bike rides through the Point and the Bay; highlights include the house Mark Twain used to vacation in and a bench that looks like it was taken right out of “Forrest Gump.”
Blueberry picking with help from all of my new friends.
And last, but not least, burgers, family outings and ice cream from the Big Dipper.
It’s hard to describe my summer home in a single post but I’ve given it my best! I always feel nostalgic for all of the summers I spent romping around in the waters of Lake Erie and hopefully I’ll be able to spend future summers up in my favorite part of western New York as well.
