The Spillway

It's not summer without a trip to the Spillway, the place "Where Ducks Walk on Fish". This is NOT in Conneaut Lake (I don't think we'd ever go in the water if it was). The Spillway is in nearby Pymatuning Reservoir. Pymatuning is huge compared to Conneaut Lake, but since it's a man-made lake and it extends into Ohio, Conneaut Lake still qualifies as the largest natural lake wholey within the state of Pennsylvania. This was Francie's first time to see the giant carp. At least, she said it was her first time, and I have to believe her. Once you see this it becomes etched in your memory forever.

I love this sign. Really, who would want to wade in this water or catch one of these fish?!

The kids are tossing bread to the giant carp. This is what people come from all around to do. There's even a concession stand that sells cotton candy, fudge, postcards, bumperstickers and t-shirts. Believe it or nor, this is a very popular attraction.

These guys are HUGE. You really have to see it to believe it.. And yes, the ducks do walk on their backs as they fight the fish for the bread.

Read Between the Signs and Signs and Flowers in Meadville

For the past 7 summers we've watched the growing highway art along 322 as you drive from Conneaut Lake to Meadville. A partnership between Allegheny College and PennDot (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) has created two art projects using road signs - Signs & Flowers and Read Between the Signs. The flowers create a huge flower garden in one corner of the parking lot, with flowers high enough to dwarf a man. Read Between the Signs depicts rural and street scenes along a good stretch of the road. All of this out of road signs! It's constantly evolving and is guaranteed to have something new each year.

The detail is amazing. Look at this window...

To give you an idea of the size, this is my son standing by a street scene...

You can see how far this stretches...

A flower from Signs & Flowers...

The Spillway at Pymatuning - 'Where Ducks Walk on Fish'

The Spillway definitely falls in the 'have to see it to believe it' category. Since the 1930's, people have fed bread to the fish at the Spillway in Pymatuning Reservoir. The fish have grown to gargantuan sizes (we were guessing at least 25 inches and maybe 20 pounds). These carp pile on top of each other to fight for the loaves of stale white bread and hot dog buns that people toss in. The small concession stand at the Spillway even sells bags of bread to the hoards of tourists that stop to visit. According to the Roadside America website, this is the 2nd most visited attraction in the state of Pennsylvania (topped only by the Liberty Bell). The fish become so crowded that the Spillway has earned the title 'Where the Ducks Walk on Fish'. Below you can see a duck actually walking on the fish.

We're ready with our bags of bread...

If you didn't bring your own bread, don't worry - they sell it at the Spillway...

Beginning January, 2009, a no-bread policy will be enforced, and the Spillway will only sell fish food pellets. I'm betting that people continue to bring their own bread.

Somehow, among all of these dark grey/brown carp, there is this one gold carp. We call her Goldie.