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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, May 31, 2008 Web hopping: Lake Erie Islands fun, affordable vacation spot By Leanne Italie Associated Press In the mood for an island getaway? Look no further than Ohio and the historic Lake Erie Islands for affordable, easy-access fun. www.putinbay.com Close to Port Clinton, Marblehead and Sandusky, the island chain's most popular spot is South Bass Island. It draws more than 2 million visitors every summer and features the village of Put-in-Bay, with access throughout the islands by ferry and some small airports. Dubbed the "Key West of the North," boaters have been stopping by South Bass since American Indians "put in at the bay" there while traveling across Lake Erie, the fourth largest of the Great Lakes. The islands, some offering golf cart rentals for tooling around town, are rich in wineries, limestone cliffs and caverns, with South Bass used for raising sheep when settlers first arrived in the early 1800s. b.tinyurl.com/5374ar Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay features spectacular views from near the top of a 352-foot-tall Greek Doric column built to celebrate lasting peace between Canada and the United States and to mark the strategic Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. That's when Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry defeated a British flotilla in the harbor and later famously wrote in a dispatch about the battle: "We have met the enemy and they are ours." www.pibinfo.com/lodging.html Singles nightlife and kid-friendly activities are plentiful on South Bass, along with a wealth of accommodations ranging from home rentals and resorts to bed and breakfasts and campsites. b.tinyurl.com/3fels7 b.tinyurl.com/42bkmt South Bass Island is just one ambience of several to choose from when picking an island on Lake Erie. Middle Bass Island, the "Island of Flowers," is small and relaxed with the 20-acre Kuehnle Wildlife Area at its center, a favorite spot for songbirds, wading birds and fishing. The Lonz Winery there opened during the Civil War. The marina and campground at Middle Bass Island State Park are closed for extensive renovation, though the island has other lodging for all budgets, including waterfront condos, one-room log cabins and RV parks. www.kelleysisland.com ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/nw08 Kelleys Island has 18 miles of shoreline with beaches and the Glacial Grooves State Memorial, a pristine example of such marks left over from the last ice age, carved into limestone bedrock about 18,000 years ago. The grooves include marine fossils believed to be 350 million to 400 million years old. Kelleys is the largest of the islands on the U.S. side. www.pelee.com Pelee Island, nearly smack in the center of Lake Erie, is the largest of all the islands by surface area. It's part Ontario, Canada, and known for pheasant hunting and fertile farmland, with winery tours, cottage rentals, beaches and birdwatching. www.buckeyenorth.com On the U.S. mainland, there are welcome centers in Sandusky and other nearby towns, with details on ferry service, resorts and things to do before you head out.

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