Summer Days on the Shores of Lake Erie

I've lived in Northwest Ohio my entire life (well, except for those 18 months when I lived in Florida and the six months I'd rather forget in Pennsylvania).

But it wasn't until I had kids that I really started to appreciate the Lake Erie Shores and Islands and all the family fun they have to offer.

Sure, I visited Cedar Point every year when I was a kid, but honestly since I'm not a big coaster fan, I don't feel the need to visit that amusement park every year. Or every 3 years.

However, I do love to take a day and head to Put-in-Bay or Marblehead.

I'm going to admit - I never went to Put-in-Bay when I was "younger" - which means I never visited the island to drink. (I went to Ohio University...I had enough to drink there. ha!). The first time I visited PIB was when we took the kids ... about seven years ago.

Now we like to make it an annual summer day trip. We hop on the Miller Ferry and rent a golf cart on the island and spend the day driving around, soaking up "island life." And we did just that a few weeks ago.

If you are making plans to visit PIB I strongly suggest (1) reserving a golf cart before you arrive OR (2) arrive before noon if you don't make a reservation. On busy summer weekends the golf carts go quickly and believe me, you don't want to walk from one end of the island to the other. (There are buses near the Miller Ferry dock that will take you "downtown"...if you can't get a golf cart).

This year's visit was fun - even if Liv was nursing what would end up being a chipped bone in her foot. We arrived early, drove around for a while, and decided to stop at the Perry Monument. Sadly, the monument had been struck by lightning the day before so we couldn't take the elevator to the top.

The rest of our day consisted of lunch (PERCH!) at The Keys, a new-to-us place with a cool Jimmy Buffet vibe; traveling down to Perry's Cave at the Family Fun Center; a stop at the Heineman Winery; and ice cream!

People always seems surprised when I say I take my kids to PIB. I don't understand why - it's not like we're bar hopping with the kids. ;-)

The island is full of fun, family-friendly things to do. I always recommend visiting PIB during the summer and/or early fall - our favorite time is actually AFTER Labor Day when most of the boats and weekenders have gone and the weather is cooler. One of the best visits we've had was a few years ago when we went in mid-September. It was perfection.

But really, just about any weekend during the summer and early fall is a good time to visit. And you can always check out the upcoming events to see what kind of fun stuff is going on!

Another favorite spot to visit is Marblehead, Ohio. We hadn't driven out there in about three years, so today we packed a picnic lunch and hopped in the car for a nice day trip.

On our way to Marblehead we stopped at Cheesehaven. I'm going to put this out there: if you love cheese (like I love cheese) you MUST stop at Cheesehaven. This fun store has 100's of kinds of cheese, cheese spreads, and some really fun retro candy (gum cigarettes, anyone?). They also have a nice selection of wines - many from the island wineries. [Also? You can sample many of the cheese spreads. Seriously. Sample them! Except for maybe the Ghost Chili cheese. Or the chocolate and walnut cheese spread.]

The lighthouse was open for tours to the top, but we opted out of that part (Liv is STILL in a walking boot). We walked the rocky shoreline, took some photos, and tried to have a picnic lunch. The bees had other ideas so we opted for eating in the car instead. Plus, A/C is always nice at a picnic. ;)

After a couple hours in Marblehead we decided to take the "scenic route" home, driving through Port Clinton and then home on Route 2. (Not my favorite route home, but I did it for the kids).

All-in-all we've had two great Sundays visiting the Lake Erie Shores and Islands this month. If you're ever looking for a fun day trip or even a short "staycation" you should check out the Shores and Islands - there is something for everyone. We even found a few things we want to do next year at PIB, but we're going to visit on a weekday this time!

Disclosure: Miller Ferry Line provided me and my family with round-trip tickets on the Miller Ferry, a golf cart rental, and a family fun pack for Perry's Cave. All opinions in this post are mine. Miller Ferry did not ask me to write about my experiences.

Island time - spending a day at Put-in-Bay

Last weekend we boarded the Miller Ferry and headed over to Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island. If you've never (1) taken the Miller Ferry, or (2) visited Put-in-Bay, or (3) all of the above, what in the world are you waiting for?

Each summer for the last few years we've tried to visit the island with the girls. It's a perfect day trip and a way to "escape the city." And, even though you're in the middle of Lake Erie - and not on some tropical shoreline - you do feel that vibe of "island life."

welcome to Put-in-Bay!

The ride on the Miller Ferry was a short, relaxing, and VERY breezy trip. Once we arrived on the island, we walked up a small hill and found the Island Transportation for our golf cart rental. This is a must when you're visiting Put-in-Bay - you need to rent a golf cart. (Yes, you CAN take your car to the island on the Miller Ferry...but golf carts are the best mode of transportation in my opinion). If you're going during the busy summer months, be sure to reserve a golf cart before your visit - or get there early.

the view from the top!

Our first stop was at the newly renovated (and recently reopened) Perry's Monument - also referred to as Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. It's a long way up to the top and thankfully there's an elevator to get you up there. Kids ages 15 and under are FREE and adults cost $3 per person (cash only!). Once you get to the top, the view is amazing! We could see downtown Cleveland on our visit. (A fun note: I'm a distant relative of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry).

Mining for gems

After our view from the top, we headed back down to Earth and decided to spend some time at Perry's Cave area. If you have kids you could spend an entire afternoon here. The girls decided to "mine" for gemstones first. Then we went 52 feet underground to Perry's Cave. This a really fun tour, but if you're claustrophobic you might want to sit this one out! And then, we hung out in the Butterfly House for a bit. And we ended our visit in Fort aMAZE'n - and got very lost for a time!

underground in Perrys' Cave

The Perry's Cave area is one of our favorite places to hang out when we're on the island. But after all the cave exploration and maze walking we were starving for lunch! Emma wanted perch (who can blame her?!?) and someone recommended The Goat Soup and Whiskey Tavern because they have the best perch tacos on the island. Well, we didn't try the perch tacos...but the perch bites (on the appetizer menu) were amazing! Oh and the "beer plate" from the appetizer menu was more than enough food for the grown ups (it was loaded with cheeses, olives, salami, crackers, and the most amazing mustard....I'm hungry just thinking about it!)

one of the butterflies

After lunch and some more "exploring" in the golf cart, the girls wanted to head back to "town" and ride the merry-go-round and play in the park. I have to say it was very relaxing to just sit and watch them play. I think my favorite part of this trip was the fact that the island wasn't crowded. There are times during the summer when you visit and it the crowds are huge and you have to battle it out for a parking space for the golf cart - but on our visit it was just perfect. The weather was lovely for late summer and the island almost had a sleepy feel to it - as if summer was winding down and fall was on its way.

Eventually the girls got tired and so we piled into the golf cart for one more ride around the island. Then we headed back to the docks and boarded the ferry for our ride back to the mainland. All in all it was the perfect day on Put-in-Bay.

Disclaimer: Miller Boat Lines provided me with tickets for the ferry, the fun folks at Perry's Cave provided us with tickets for the attractions, and Island Transportation provided our golf cart. I was not required to blog about our trip. All opinions are mine.