Light on the Lake

TRAVEL TIPS: ERIE, PA

Light on the Lake, Bed & Breakfast
November 16, 2007

First, I must preface this review by stating that I have never stayed at a Bed and Breakfast. So I was totally unprepared for what my wife and I might encounter. So now I can report that it was on of the best travel experiences of my life.

While hotels can sometimes (most of the time actually) feel very impersonal, at no times did we feel as we were just another guest. The Marcia and Dan Groce were amazing hosts, always there to help with advice and they made you feel as though their home was yours. So on with the details.

The Home

Light on the Lake is directly located on Lake Erie, east of Erie, Pa. The home is adjoined by a marina and has a nice beach in front along the lake. But what makes this bed and breakfast unique is the small lighthouse beside the home. The architecture effect of the lighthouse is to make the home feel very large and gives the feel of truly being in a seafaring area.

The entranceway of the home is set up to continue to give off the feel of a seafaring home. A high ceiling lends to the effect, combined with an older style wooden desk for the guest registry. One feels as though you are signing on to a ship’s passage.

The main room has a series of large windows for viewing of the lake. The windows not only provide a gorgeous view of the lake, but the design lends itself to again feeling as though one is actually on board a ship. A fireplace, sitting area stocked with magazines and the added touch of personal photos lends to the feel of being in both someone welcoming home. The room also features a telescope for viewing of the lake.

From the main room, one can enter the kitchen area. The kitchen is fully equipped with older style wooden cabinets. Everything here was very neat and clean, a prerequisite when one is eating someone else’s cooking. The dining area is part of the kitchen area and features a large eight-person table.

The home offers three rooms, the Lakefront room, the Seashell room and the Beachcomber apartment. We stayed in the Lakefront room. The Lakefront room, which is $110 a night, had a queen size bed, cable television, plenty of closet space, an amazing bathroom including both a shower, two sinks and a bath. Combined with a private deck that allows for night viewing of the lake, this room must be stayed in to do it justice. The bed and pillows were the most comfortable that I have ever slept on. As someone that is not a sound sleeper, this added to the relaxed experience of the trip.

While we did not stay in the Seashell room, we did have the opportunity of seeing it. It was very small and would only be an enjoyable stay for someone that was either single or a young couple. It seems the older we get, the less likely we are to enjoy a small room and especially a room without a television set. We were not able to see the Beachcomber apartment as a family from Canada was using this.

The Breakfast

The food, made by the Groce family, was magnificent. The first morning we had an egg and ham casserole that was delicious. Even though I am someone that does not like cheese, this was so warm and tasty that I ate every bite of the food.

The second morning we had fruit salad, banana bread, muffins, and yogurt. This breakfast was not as good as the day before, but it was still better than the majority of hotel breakfasts that I have every eaten. The reason I was not as thrilled on Sunday morning was simply that I love hot breakfast versus fruit. My wife on the other hand loved the Sunday morning breakfast.

One of the best things about a bed and breakfast is getting to know the hosts and the other guests. Morning breakfast at Light on the Lake was both fulfilling for the mind and the body. After this experience I will find most breakfast boring in comparison. The hosts were so entertaining and well informed that we can easily see going back in the future to both visit the lake and these two fine people.