It is not too late to escape to the islands to enjoy an island getaway right here in Ohio. Plan your late Summer or Fall escape to Put-in-Bay now. Whether you travel with your family or friends, making memories and having a good time is what Put-in-Bay is all about.
Our End of Summer Escape to Put-in-Bay
I don’t hang out with my friends often enough. For this end of summer escape, I brought my kids and invited my good friend, Annlouise to join us with her boys. Being with friends made it even more exciting as we watched our kids have fun together. We had an incredible time!
Our adventure started on the Miller Boat Line Ferry to Put-in-Bay. By far, this is the best and least expensive way to get to the island, it isn’t merely a way to the island, it is part of the whole Put-in-Bay experience! The waves were crazy the day we went, so the kids thought it was a blast watching the waves whipped up against the ferry. Of course, they were no match for the Miller Ferry.
Once we arrived, we stopped by Island Transportation Lime Kiln Golf Carts where we were promptly given our 6-passenger golf cart to scoot around the island in. Since my friend has been many weekend getaways to Put-in-Bay with her husband, she knew every street and the best spots to see the sights of Lake Erie. We toured the island for a while then headed to get some lunch.
We enjoyed a simply delicious meal at Put-in-Bay Brewery Co. I enjoyed fresh Lake Erie perch while my friend enjoyed gourmet lettuce wraps and the kids devoured their famous Brewery pizza. We ate way too much because it was so delicious.
Since we had past the playground, located at the center of downtown Put-in-Bay on the way to lunch, it was on our kid’s priority list of places to go! They had fun running around in the large grassy area, playing on the playground, exploring the cannons, and just being kids.
From there, we headed to Crystal Cave were we toured the World’s Largest Geode. Being inside a cave with crystals surrounding you from all around and above is quite the experience for kids and grown ups alike!
We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at South Bass Island State Park. The kids enjoyed playing on the playground first. Then, we meant to only let them get their feet wet, that lasted for about 10 seconds until they were in the water with completely drenched clothes. They were having so much fun swimming in the crashing waves. I loved watching it!
Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and let kids have fun, whether you are prepared or not! I do recommend bringing a change of clothes and beach towels though. We ended up running around in our “hillbilly golf cart” trying to dry off the kids’ clothes for a while before shopping for some new duds.
Our day was slipping away as we headed to the Fort Amaze’n Giant Maze Challenge. This was a fun, active event that is really fun not just for kids but adults as well. We did get lost from our kids a couple times as they were so eager to run ahead but it all ended well and the kids got a prize for completing the maze.
Located right next door was Perry’s Cave. Despite falling down a few steps and scratching up his back, my 6 year old was adamant that he was going to see this natural limestone cave located 52 feet below the surface. Flip flops are the best footwear for this cave. It’s also a great place to cool off during a hot day at just 50 degrees year round.
We had a yummy dinner on the outside patio at Big Man’s Burrito Stand. It was the perfect place for kids, they could have fun and not use “inside voices”. The food was great, as was the entire outdoor dining experience.
We ended the day with a ride on Kimberly’s Carousel. The perfect ending to a perfect day with friends and our kids.
Once we returned our golf cart, we took our ferry ride back to the mainland. We were exhausted but full of fun memories that our kids will remember for a long time, as will I. On our return ferry back, I asked the kids what their favorite part of the day was.
