Wow. It's been a crazy couple of days with Sen. John McCain visiting here and campaigning with former Gov. Tom Ridge.

I was part of the press pool that covered McCain's arrival Sunday night, along with his tour of the GE Transportation plant and town hall meeting there Monday.

Photographer Jack Hanrahan and I reported to Erie International Airport late Sunday afternoon and we were driven to a press pool van that was part of McCain's motorcade.

The McCain camp didn't tell us where we would be taken. But I suspected the bayfront. And that, of course, is where Tom and Michele Ridge took McCain for dinner, at Smugglers' Wharf.

The pool media were allowed into the restaurant for about one minute, enough time to snap a few pictures and record limited video. Then we were ushered to the new restaurant across the street, Rum Runners Cove, where the national press ate. Jack and I dodged the raindrops and went to Dobbins Landing, where we interviewed a family that had been seated at the table when the politicians were seated.

By the way, the motorcade avoided much of West 12th Street, taking the scenic route from Greengarden Road to the Bayfront Parkway.

And on Monday, the motorcade went from McCain's hotel on upper Peach Street to Interstate 90 to the Bayfront Connector to East 12th Street, before reaching the GE plant.

McCain stayed overnight at the Courtyard by Marriott -- as owner Nick Scott Sr. proudly pointed out.

I'll post more as I dig through my notebook.

-- John Guerriero