A Tale of Two Islands: Exploring Ohio’s Coast
So, Ohio has Islands. Yep. Islands. Along its coast. Yeah, the coast of Lake Erie north of Sandusky. We visited two. Just watch out, there are snakes.
Kelleys Island
Kelleys Island feels like a sleepy old colonial island off Connecticut. Or maybe off Door County, Wisconsin. It’s quiet. Most of the inner island is old quarry. There are glacial grooves to see and not much else, and that makes it very relaxing and pleasant. You access Kelleys Island from Marblehead, OH, a very cute town, via a ferry. Grab a drink at Wee Willy’s like we did if you’re early for the ferry. Consider staying for another round if you’re not in a rush and catch the next ferry.
Ferry Service: Kelleys Island Ferry.
South Bass Island / Put-In-Bay
South Bass Island wants to be a spring break-type spot like South Padre Island in Texas. It’s filled with bars that are huge and ready for summer crowds. April is early, which meant that we beat the crowd, but nearly nothing was open. We had a beer at Tipper’s, which is supposedly open year-round, a feat for a place that shuts down its ferry service in the winter. Then we had one of the first rounds of the season at Mr. Ed’s, a bar that opened for the season that night, at 8PM. We arrived at 8:02PM.
South Bass Island is also home to Perry’s Monument, also know as Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. It “honor[s] those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812, and celebrate[s] the long-lasting peace between Britain, Canada and the US.” It’s a sight, but, alas, it wasn’t open. Arrive in late April if you want to visit the museum or tour the monument.
Ferry Service: Miller Boat Line.
