Day 2: June 1, 2023 East of Erie Comment via blog

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The conference's first full day kicked off when the tour bus pulled out at 8:00 AM. Narration was provided by guide extraordinaire Dr. Kevin Patrick.

Our first stop was at the Lawrence Park Dinor for pie and coffee. We were served outside but could individually step inside, where things were operating normally, for a quick look. While inside, I chatted with a fellow who praised the coffee and said he ate there every day except Monday -- "because they're closed". Outside, Dawn, the current owner of the 1948 Silk City, told us some of the diner's history. She mentioned the "mayor" who lived nearby and was there every day and I verified that it was indeed whom I'd spoken with. Dawn told us that she makes some flavor of pie on a whim each week. By luck, I had picked this week's "whim pie" which was a raspberry based concoction. It was delicious!

Behind the diner is My Daddy's Barber Shop which is decorated with the friendly -- and obviously talented -- owner's paintings.

Most of the group walked a block and a half away to see this classic Dairy Queen and the bus followed.

Before leaving Erie, we stopped at the Rapp and Rapp designed Warner Theater. Mistakenly thinking we would return here to board the bus, these are the only picture I snapped of the main entrance before going inside.

The elegant movie theater opened in 1931. It has been wonderfully restored with details like wall carvings and ornate fountains. Many period movie posters are on display and there is even a retired projector in one of the hallways. On our way to the balcony, we passed the original lighting control panel which was advertised as "compact and easy to operate".

We now headed out of Erie and made a stop in Warren, PA. I spent a night in Warren back in 2004 when that bridge was being built. Warren is home to the Blair Corporation which used the newly developed process of vulcanizing to produce a line of water proof clothing.

Although it was on a different trip, I also stopped here in 2004 less than a year after the bridge collapsed. Today the Kinzua Bridge State Park has a nice visitors center with a museum and a view of the bridge. Of course there are better views outside. Ranger Holly gave us some information inside and even more at the end of the walkway. The plastic panels provide a look at the structure holding things 225 feet off the ground. Of course I did. There are closer views of the wreckage here and here and a trail to a smaller bridge is available if you really want to see them close up.

The final stop of the bus tour was at the Zippo/Case Museum. Advertising vehicles provided photo opportunities outside the museum and there were plenty more inside. The Zippo Clinic, where damaged lighters are repaired was closed but some lighters that were replaced rather than repaired could be viewed in front of its windows.

We ate dinner outside at the Cove Restaurant next to the hotel where the rabbit we encountered yesterday -- or maybe a look alike -- reinforced that non-skittish behavior reputation.

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