Great Lakes Seaway Trail

The microclimate along the shore of Lake Erie allows the region to produce the most Concord grapes in the world. The area is home to numerous vineyards and the Welch's corporation.

Two knights on armored chargers attempt to unseat one another in this jousting expostion at the Sterling Renaissance Festival.

A table is set for a typical 19th century farm family dinner at the Battles Museums of Rural Life. The mission of the Battles Museums of Rural Life is to preserve and interpret the agricultural methods and lifestyles of Northwestern Pennsylvania and the surrounding region from the 1840s to present day.

Racers come round a bend in North East during a race.

Yachts, speedboats, and other watercraft are moored at a Lake Erie harbor.

The US Brig _Niagara_, flagship of the State of Pennsylvania, docks at her homeport, the Erie Maritime Museum. The ship is a replica of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship in the War of 1812's Battle of Lake Erie. When she is in port, tours of the ship are included in admission to the Erie Maritime Museum.

Marge and Ralph sell their homemade jams and jellies at the Farmers Market in North East, one of several markets on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail in Pennsylvania. Farm stands and farmers markets offer local fruits and vegetables as well as some craft items and prepared foods.

The bounty of the season is displayed on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail in Pennsylvania. Fall is harvest season and grapes, apples, and pumpkins crowd farm markets and roadside stands. Fruits and vegetables are available all season long on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail in Pennsylvania, beginning in June with strawberries and continuing through the autumn.

A 27-acre multipurpose community park on the shores of Lake Erie, Shades Beach Park encompasses a large area along Eight Mile Creek featuring trails, woodlands, play areas, picnic grounds, and beach area.

One of several crafts featured at the Antique Boat Museum, The Special K faces away from the docks and towards the open blue water.

Two cyclists frame one of Lake Erie's historic lighthouses as they pause to chat.

The sails of The Brig Niagara billow in this maritime view, which matches the slope of the North Pier Light.

Located in Golden Hill State Park, sharply contrasting white walls and green trim adorn this historic carriage house.

In the spring, everything is green at Lakeside Beach State Park on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

Old Fort Niagara provides a look at history on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

Learn all about the lighthouse as you tour Golden Hills State Park.

The pink blossoms of this tree at the Braddock Point Lighthouse provide a welcome and bright contrast to a cloudy day.

The mottled gray sandstone pillar of the Erie Land Lighthouse rises above the trees.

The red brick of the Presque Isle Lighthouse stands out in this autumn beach photo.

From a tall bluff in Buffalo, NY, you can see over the river into Canada.

After the water flows out of the shaded covering, it glides over the polished rocks at Erie Bluffs State Park.

The Oswego Lighthouse is awash with waves during a November 2003 storm with 80 mph winds.

Visitors to the Great Lakes Seaway Trail can stop at this delightful lighthouse at Old Fort Niagara.

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center welcomes bus tours from across the nation.

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center was once the Union Hotel where a young Army Lieutenant named Ulysses S. Grant played checkers.

Camping is just one of the many recreational pursuits to be found along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail. Murals depicting the scenic beauty of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail provide a backdrop to all the exhibits in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center.

A St. Lawrence Skiff, a Dunkirk Lighthouse replica, and scenic wall murals dress up the orientation room in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center.

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center houses nine rooms of exhibits showcasing the unique qualities which make up one of America's great byways.

An animatronic Ulysses S. Grant welcomes visitors to the cultural exhibit at the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center. The lifelike Grant stands before an original tavern cabinet in the former Union Hotel building in Sackets Harbor, New York.

Children visiting the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center enjoy moving toy cars around a track with photos of sites found along the byway.

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center includes nature displays like this depiction of a raccoon.

A tin panel ceiling and historic light fixtures are some of the details that make the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center one of the finest examples of Federal-style architecture in the state of New York.

This hand-carved wooden mantelpiece is one of several set over fireplaces in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center.

A stately, three-story historic limestone building is home to the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Discovery Center and a gift shop.

The Erie County Courthouse, attributed to Thomas Ustick Walter, is just one example of the beautiful architecture in historic downtown Erie. The courthouse is the center of Erie County Government.

On the eastern end of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, North East Marina is located behind a breakwall on Lake Erie.

The $25 million, 68,000-square-foot center, scheduled to open in 2006, will provide an introduction to and extend the season of the park. The Center will be a stop for visitors, starting point to a first-class educational experience, and world-class research center, regional hub for the many other northwest Pennsylvania attractions.

Rows of vines against a cloudy sky showcase the burgeoning wine industry along Lake Erie on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

In winter, ice and snow freezes the water around the Oswego Maritime Museum & Tug LT-5.

A car drives along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail north of Cape Vincent.

The ferris wheel provides a hawk's eye view of the entire park. Established in 1896 as Hopkins Grove picnic area, Waldameer later became an amusement park; it is the fourth oldest amusement park in Pennsylvania and the 11th oldest amusement park in the nation.

Bicentennial Tower on Dobbins Landing on the Erie waterfront is framed by fireworks. The observation deck on Bicentennial Tower is 187 feet off the ground. The view is spectacular and interpretive panels help set the context for visitors' experiences.

The North Pier Lighthouse, one of three historic lighthouses on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail in Pennsylvania, stands as a safe haven on a cloudy day.

Two young children play on the labyrinth at the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park.

A band plays as picnickers listen in Gibson Park in historic downtown North East. The downtown commercial area National Register Historic District includes Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne styles of architecture.

Fishing is big in Pennsylvania, really big. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocks a million steelhead in the fishery every year; brown trout are also stocked. Here, anglers spend a quiet day on the water at the Elk Creek Access Area.

The lush greenery along the shoreline gives way to shale as it meets the water.

A red sunset at Sackets Harbor Battleground represents the many valiant lives that have been lost in pursuit of liberty.

This red-roofed lighthouse is located at the mouth of the Oswego River at Lake Ontario, New York.

At Niagara Falls State Park along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, the mists of Horseshoe Falls are visible behind the American Falls.

The square tower of Thirty-Mile Point Lighthouse juts skyward from the rocky shore.

The beautiful grounds of Braddock Point Lighthouse are a photo opportunity, but it is privately owned.

Goat Island is a great place to get a good look at the falls.

The cobblestone streets and flower-filled medians of Rochester provide a pleasant journey to the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse

The entrance sign to Golden Hill State Park.

This beautiful stone lighthouse is just one of the sights to see at Old Fort Niagara.

The stone tower of the Charlotte-Cenesee Lighthouse creates a sharp contrast with it's red-brick keeper's house.

Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse exemplifies the historic architecture of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

The white pillars of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society reflect in the pool below. The society's 100,000 artifacts explore the ethnic and cultural heritage of western New York.

Shaped by the last ice age and surrounded by Lake Ontario, the Chimney Bluffs rise from the lake shore in waves of red stone.

Home of George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company. The George Eastman House is one of the foremost photography museums in the world.

White Roman pillars support the Hall of Philosophy, which is part of the Chautaqua Institution. Chautaqua is one of the world's premier arts and cultural centers.

Tourists listen to stories of Erie's haunting past on a tour of the Erie Cemetery.

A group of adventurous visitors participates in a tour of Erie Cemetery amongst bright fall foliage.

Byway visitors peer through cannon smoke, as actors portray British troops during a re-enactment of Fort Niagara's military history.

Children can look and touch the interactive exhibits in the Strong Museum, which is rated among the top ten children's museums nationwide by _Child Magazine_.

This couple enjoys a moment together, silhouetted by the raging waters of Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the country.

A sailboat floats on tranquil waters under a brilliant sunset in Presque Isle State Park.

An interpretive sign on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail describes why grapes grow well in the area.

This is a late-summer view of the southeast corner of the Discovery Center in its historic stone building in Sackets Harbor, New York.

The Cobblestone Society Musem preserves the cobblestone architecture style of historic New York. The only cobblestone museum in the world, it exhibits the art of cobblestone construction.

This wild sculpture by Frederic Remington is part of a large collection in the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg.

The white tower of the Sodus Bay Lighthouse stands among the trees.

This aerial view of the verdant landscape around Boldt Castle demonstrates the large scale of nature, history, and culture along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

This young angler fights with a carp along the banks of the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence River is internationally renowned for its gigantic carp.

Red-roofed barges follow the line of the Rochester Canal, with the Rochester Skyline in the background.

This historical black and white photograph shows the unrestrained architecture of the Darwin Martin House.

This map shows the Seaway Trail Route through New York.

Solar panels reflect the cerulean sky in this view of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.

Beautiful and colorful flags, windsocks, and kites flow in the breeze on a sandy beach on Presque Isle State Park.

The Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse is located in Rochester, New York.

A brown sign welcomes visitors to the Hamlin Beach State Park on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

A brown sign welcomes visitors to Lakeside Beach State Park on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

Ontario Beach Park is near the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

An example of Art Deco architecture, the city hall weaves together Native American art forms and scenes from city life through decoration.

Due to the untimely death of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt ascended to the presidency at this Buffalo estate.

A tree-lined path lies under a serene, overcast sky at Hamlin Beach State Park.

Enjoy a picnic at Hamlin Beach State Park on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

Niagara Falls is made up of American Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

This black-and-white photo shows Harriet Tubman posed, standing with her hands perched on a chair. Tubman was the most famous conductor along the Underground Railroad, the secret slave escape network of the Civil War years.

This lighthouse is located at Golden Hill State Park on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail.

This aerial view of Presque Isle State Park demonstrates the pristine beauty of the park. The photo is taken from the northeast and shows Gull Point in the foreground.