Whew! It has been a busy few weeks! Good news is, I have LOTS of photos to share with you over the next few weeks... we've been up to a lot of stuff, both for Rediscovering Ohio and in our personal lives, so it's been tricky keeping up with all of the photo edits and blogging, but slowly, we are getting there.
On August 11, Mark and I took his parents over to Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island. If you have never been there, you should go.... so much to do and see there! Our friends at the Miller Ferry were gracious enough to provided us with round trip tickets and transportation while on the Island. To my new friend K at Miller Ferry, a HUGE THANK YOU to you! We truly had a blast.
Before arriving at the Miller Dock, we made a pit stop at the Cheesehaven in Port Clinton. The Cheesehaven is legendary and has been around forever! It has every type of cheese and hard sausage imaginable, along with wines, jams, candies and a deli. You have to pass it to get to the Miller Dock, so you might as well make a stop and indulge yourself! (Incidentally, we purchased some chocolate cheese- it tastes just like fudge... no joke! We also picked up some summer sausage and some six year aged cheddar- delish!!)
In a summer of record temps, of course, the one day we had planned months in advance was a little chilly... get on a boat that is clipping across the lake, or on a tiny island where the wind blows and oh my! Let's just say that hot coffee was very welcome at dinner time :) We had fun despite the cooler temps.
South Bass Island is chock full of history. There are five OHS historical markers in all. On this day, we covered three of them (aww... what a shame! I guess we will just have to go back!) Our first stop, after obtaining our golf cart at Island Rental was Perry's Victory and International Peace Monument. Perry's Monument does not have an OHS marker, but it is on the National Register of Historic Places. Perry's Monument is also the third tallest of the National Monuments, behind the Washington Monument (tallest) and the St. Louis Arch (second tallest). When you go to the monument, make sure to go to the top. At the time of writing this post, the cost to go up to the top is $3/person cash only. It is worth it.... it's a FANTASTIC view!
Perry's Monument commemorates one of the most pivotal battles of the War of 1812 and one of the most important naval battles of modern times. It also commemorates the lasting peace established between the United States, Canada and Great Britain. The monument was advocated in part by John Eisenmann who was the architect of the Old Arcade in Cleveland (see our posts on Downtown Cleveland, Part 2 and Part 3 and John Eisenmann, as well as our video clip).
September 10, 2013 will be the bicentennial of Perry's Victory, and there's a lot of festivities going on to celebrate! Click here for the details on the festivities, and make sure you hop on the Miller Ferry to get over to PIB next summer!
After our time at the monument, we decided that we were cold and hungry, so we went for a bite to eat. K at Miller Ferry recommended this great place called T&J's Smokehouse. It was delicious! We had also had a great view of the mechanical bull :) It was tons of fun to watch!!
After our meal, we walked across the street to DeRivera Park to hit up Marker #13-62 in De Rivera Park. We also made friends with the seals in the park... just take a look at the photos, you'll see them :) After spending some time in the park, we then crossed the street towards the marina and documented Marker #5-62- the First Ship to Shore Radio Broadcast.
After spending time in the main part of the Island, we carted ourselves down to the South Bass Island State Park. It's a beautiful stone beach with a gorgeous view of the lake. It's a fun place to go on a hot day to cool off. It was not a hot day, so we just took pictures.
When we finished at the state park, we headed to the South Bass Island Light, Marker #9-62 (also on the National Register of Historic Places). This was the first time either of us had ever been to the light. It was fantastic! I had researched getting a tour of the place, but tours aren't available on the weekends... next time I guess! It is a pretty little property with a gorgeous view, and was totally worth going, even though we couldn't go inside.
When we finished at the light, we headed back to Island Rental and deposited our super-fun golf cart and headed towards the ferry for home! We were sad to leave the Island, but we will just have to be sure to come back soon!
Thanks PIB for the great time with my fabulous in-laws (they had fun too!!) and to Miller Ferry and Island Rental for providing our transportation to and from the Island and around the Island.
:) ABCS
PS: Silly me- I forgot to mention that we capped off a fabulous day with an amazing sunset that we watched from Port Clinton. It was fantastic, and we caught some beautiful shots. God is truly an artist.
-A