“Lake Erie had 36 islands, sort of.” The best known might be Kelleys, the Bass Islands and Pelee (in Canada, so not an option for us).
Kelleys Island is “a nature-lover’s paradise” with hiking trails, sandy beaches, campgrounds and the “world’s largest [easily accessible] example of glacial scoring at Glacial Grooves State Memorial.” It was inhabited seasonally by native Indian tribes, then the British claimed it and called it Sandusky Island. When the British lost the War of 1812, the US called it Island No. 6 yet some locals called it Cunningham’s Island since he was the first European settler. It was purchased (piece by piece) by the Kelley brothers in the 1840’s for it’s timber, limestone and agricultural potential. Most of this history I learned through reading the links on the Chamber of Commerce website and the local historian and author, Leslie Korenko. Today this island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it is a really great place to recreate.
Kelleys would have been our obvious first choice as we motored out of Sandusky but we opted for South Bass Island. We decided we’d do research on the glacial grooves and spend our limited time at Put-In-Bay. PIB is known to many as “The Keys of the North” with it’s lively social scene which includes at least 25 bars and many venues offering live entertainment. This island caters to the young and the young-at-heart. One can still hike, camp and fish here, as well as enjoy the historical sites. Our sightseeing started with lunch at “Topsy Turvey’s Bar & Grill.” I had a “Reuben Roll” while Pete had a traditional Reuben Sandwich. We rented a golf cart and drove the island end to end, stopping briefly at the southern lighthouse, the airport, the Perry Monument, a winery, and a unique outdoor fire engine bar. When we were nearly worn out we summoned the water taxi for a ride back to our moored boat in the harbor. It was late afternoon and we were encouraged by the water taxi captain to find our “second wind” to enjoy the nightlife. Instead, we enjoyed our quiet dinner, a sunset, and the music from a distance.
“Serenity abounds at Middle Bass [Island] – home of the historic Lonz Winery…” This winery is no longer operational but a historic site and waterfront state park. There are abundant hiking trails, wildlife areas and nature preserves. There are also campgrounds, motels and Bed and Breakfast lodging for those needing a quiet getaway from city life. North Bass offered the same atmosphere. We were tempted to anchor out and spend a day hiking each island. We were also keeping an eye on weather and with a very calm Lake Erie we thought it best to get through the open water and to the outlet of the Detroit River.
Our journey across the western end of Lake Erie was as good as it gets! The next installment of the blog will take us to the great state of Michigan.