The Spillway — Attraction in Pine Township

The spillway! How do I describe it? Seems that everyone was taken to the Pymatuning spillway while growing up a child in the NW corner of PA. It was a simple pleasure in life that our grandparents made sure that we knew about because it "simply" was...a simple gift...a simple treasure in life.

Hated to go there without bread...bread. Recently went there on September 15th to say hello to the carp, geese, ducks, and the acrobats of the act "the gulls". Attempted to go to one of the local bread wholesale places in Erie, PA on Hampton Ave and 26th street. But, of course it was closed and won't open until 9-22, go figure. I reckoned it was because of once again Covid propaganda. Yes...there be bread in politics. You know better? Set me straight. Spent nearly $17.00 for three hard loaves, two packs of hoagie rolls, and a pack of dinner rolls made by Westlake bakery also of Erie. Bought them inside Bellos deli on the corner of Pittsburgh Ave, and 32nd street because frankly I was on a mission. The creatures of PA thank you Westlake bakery!

After my truck drove me there with my help, I donated part of my bread to a kid who had none, and decided to parcel my remaining bread out to the carp, Canadian geese and mallard ducks. Oh...there was another party involved. Little did I know that if one vertically Frisbee flips crusts and balls of bread into the air about nine to 12 feet using either arm, the white gulls are too eager to use their aerial acrobatic skills to snatch them any way thy can before the "dough" hits the water. They ruled the day.

So in synopsis, the spillway is one of the simple pleasures in life that if you come somewhat prepared with a a supply of simple food, the creatures who are used to receiving it will gladly take it off your hands in return for smiles and welcomed memories during days where in return life as a kid was also a lot simpler and also...simple...

I absolutely love to take my children here. It has become a yearly summer tradition with my boys. Don't forget to bring some stale bread with you so the kids (or you if you're a big kid(I am)) can throw bread and feed the fish. It's a lot of fun to watch the Carp fight for the bread crumbs. If you forget to bring bread (or run out which is quite easily and quickly done since the fish are pigs) to feed the fish, ducks, and the seagull's there are two places nearby that you can get bread to feed the fish. One is there at the spillway but if you are looking for a cheap thrill your best bet would be to go down the road just a bit. (Make a left when pulling out of the main parking lot, it's a minute down the road maybe slightly more or less.) I can't remember exactly how much bang you get for your buck but it really is decent... I think it was like 5 bags of 🍞 for 2 or 3 bucks. Don't quote me on that though. When you are done at the spillway, there are several other things to do nearby including picnicking, ⛵ rentals, and swimming. We like to indulge in the freer things in life as we have a large family. If you do your research you can find plenty of things to keep you busy for the day and wear the...

I stopped by in late March with my 13 yr old nephew while going through the area as I remembered going there as a kid. Even though it was a chilly afternoon, maybe 50°f and sunny, there were still plenty of carp, geese, and seagulls to be fed. At the time, we were the only two people there. It's a very unique experience to see that many large carp in one area. A few of them actually stuck their heads out of the water when they saw us and waited for food. That may be a less common thing to see in the summer as this fish are thicker, and there are more people feeding them so they're prone to the surface. We enjoyed our visit even though it wasn't the prime time of the year to be there. It was pretty much the way I remembered it. There are restrooms and a concession stand (closed when I visited) and plenty of parking. It's easily accessible so if you have a physical disability or are elderly you really won't miss out on the experience. There are also a lot of other things to do in the area in the summer months. I definitely recommend stopping if you'll be in the area, especially if you have kids. I know that I really got a kick out of...