Erie, Pennsylvania, on the shore of Lake Erie 126 mi/203 km north of Pittsburgh, is Pennsylvania's only Great Lakes port.
Extending out into the lake is Presque Isle State Park, which includes 11 mi/18 km of white-sand beach and 3,200 acres/1,300 hectares of parkland. The park is considered a premier bird-watching area.
Erie's historical attractions include the USS Niagara, a reconstruction of Commodore Perry's second flagship in the victory over the British on Lake Erie in 1813. The ship is housed at the Erie Maritime Museum. The Charles V. Gridley Gravesite and Monument at Lakeside Cemetery has four cannons that commemorate the naval commander who played an important role in the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War.
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