The fun has just begun at Put-in-Bay! My friend and I took a trip to Put-in-Bay a couple weekends ago with all of our kids for our annual Fall trip to Put-in-Bay Ohio Getaway. It is one of the best times of the year to visit the island with cooler temps, plenty to see and do for the whole family with some of the best fall foliage in Ohio.
Visit Put-in-Bay this Fall for Your Ohio Getaway
Put-in-Bay offers an escape from it all. This Ohio Getaway gives you the relaxation of island life, with plenty of attractions, food, and fun for the whole family. It is also the perfect romantic getaway for just the two of you. There is plenty to see and do, no matter when you visit.
If you like organized events and activities, now is the time to visit Put-in-Bay. Check out their Fall line up.
- The Texas Hold Em Tournament is all weekend long, September 28 – 29, 2012. There will be 2 tournaments that will benefit the fire department.
- The biggest event of the season is the Fall Ball Customer Appreciation Weekend on Oct 5-6, 2012. The Fall Ball is for guests staying the weekend at specific accommodations. Guests will receive 2 days of Free food and frosty cold adult beverages, live entertainment, and great family fun.
- Oct 6, 2012 is also the 10th Annual Island Wine Festival where you can sample more than 350 wines!
- The 33rd Annual Fall Bay Regatta where you’ll enjoy watching colorful sailing vessels race.
- The 18th annual Island Oktoberfest with German foods and live entertainment on October 12-13, 2012.
- The Wake at the Roundhouse Bar to celebrate the end of the season on October 19-20, 2012.
- Halloween Boo Bash at the Bay which is Ohio’s largest island Halloween Party with costume contests, prizes, haunted decor, and more on October 26-27, 2012
Our Put-in-Bay Fall Ohio Getaway
We leave the guys at home and have a girls and kids weekend each Fall. It’s our annual end-of-summer Ohio getaway. Each year, we try to pack all of the fun that we can into just one day. Next year, we plan to spend the weekend! We went during Labor Day weekend. One special weekends, they offer extra events and activities for everyone to enjoy. We really enjoyed the Labor Day parade with hundreds of boy scouts represented as well as guards in colonial uniforms. There were also free activities throughout the island. Going to Put-in-Bay during a scheduled weekend allows you to see Put-in-Bay in a new light each time.
[slickr-flickr tag=laborday]Best Way to Put-in-Bay
All of the fun starts with our trip on Miller Ferry. Miller Boat Line offers service to Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island in just about 20 minutes and leaves the dock about every 30 minutes, depending on the time of day. Check out their full schedule here. It is more than a ferry ride across Lake Erie, a trip on the Miller Ferry transport you from your normal everyday life to an exciting island getaway. Once you step on the ferry, you know you are in for a great escape from reality. It is the beginning of your Ohio getaway as you enjoy the scenery of the lake. It is especially fun for kids! Read our full Miller Ferry review here.
[slickr-flickr tag=millerfalltrip]Best Price on Golf Carts at Put-in-Bay
Once you get to the island, you have a zillion different choices for getting around the island, that is if if you didn’t bring your car with you on Miller Ferry. Our preferred method of travel is by golf carts. You have plenty of options on where to rent your golf carts too. We chose E’s Golf Carts where they guarantee the lowest rates on the island! You can walk there, right off the ferry. Just turn right at the top of the hill and you’ll be greeted by friendly faces of this family-owned business. We were very impressed that they offered Free car seats for toddlers and babies too! Read our full detailed review here.
[slickr-flickr tag=egolfcarts]It’s so fun shooting around the island in golf carts. Kids love it too. I think every single seat was tested out by every child, except for the driver’s seat!
Best Burgers at Put-in-Bay
The sign outside of Tony’s Garage says, “First stop at Put-in-Bay”. It just so happened that it was lunch time when we got to Put-in-Bay and it was happily our first stop. Whether you sit inside or out on the deck, the atmosphere if fun and family-friendly. The best part though – are the burgers! They server 100% certified Angus beef that are always fresh, never frozen. Top it with as many of the 15 Free toppings that you like for an amazing burger! My friend and I split the Garage Burger. It was a gigantic double Angus burger and loaded with toppings. It was so good that I almost wished we didn’t share it, although there is no way I could have finished it on my own. We also split a delicious house salad.
[slickr-flickr tag=tonygarage]Our kids had a variety of food from their kids menu. All in all, we were very pleased and recommend that you make this your first stop on your trip to Put-in-Bay as well.
One-Stop Family Fun Entertainment at Put-in-Bay
Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center is fun for everyone! You could spend the entire day enjoying all of their attractions easily. In fact, you could spend two! At Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center, you can tour Perry’s Cave, Butterfly House, War of 18 HOles Mini Golf, Fort Amaze-N Giant Maze Challenge, Rock Climbing Wall and go Gemstone Mining Sluice. They even offer packages where you can save money by pairing up attractions. Read our full review here.
The Butterfly House
The Butterfly House is a must-see for every age. The 4,000 sq ft aviary is home to thousands of butterflies. It is a beautiful place to walk or relax on one of their benches or gazebos inside. Butterflies of all types flutter and fly around, oftentimes landing right on you. We never allow ourselves enough time to spend at the Butterfly House because there is so much to do at Put-in-Bay, however you can always come back as many times as you want during the same day for free. It is the perfect place to rest and enjoy natural beauty of butterflies and flowers galore. The gift shop is 5,00 sq ft of great gift items as well! See full Butterfly House review here.
[slickr-flickr tag=putinbaybutterflyhouse]Perry’s Cave
We go to Perry’s Cave every time we visit Put-in-Bay. See full Perry’s Cave review here. There is something about traveling 52 feet below ground to experience a natural limestone cave that never loses the excitement! The tour is about 30 minutes through the 208 feet long and 165 feet wide cave. You’ll learn all about the history of the cave, how it was formed, and even the healing powers of the underground lake! The photos below don’t capture any of the excitement but believe me, the kids loved it! It is just hard to take photos underground!
[slickr-flickr tag=perryscavefall]Rock Climbing Wall
We have never been to the Rock Climbing Wall at Put-in-Bay before, in fact, we’ve never rock climbed before! They harnessed us all up for our shot at 1 of 4 walls. They were rated easy to difficult, so we stuck to the easiest walls! I was very impressed at how well our kids did. They climbed pretty high! I tried it and got far enough to scare myself at how high I was and then called it quits. It was thrilling and exciting! Something that I’m very glad I tried and I suggest you give it a try while you are there too!
[slickr-flickr tag=putinbayrock]Fort aMAZE’n
You’ve gotta try out the giant maze at Fort aMAZE’n! It is a lot of fun to walk through and totally get lost in! Don’t worry, Moms, you can stand up above on the platforms to watch your kids! That’s what we did this year because last year we got just as lost as our kids. For those that are up for a challenge, there are 4 stops where you can get your card stamped with the letters M-A-Z-E. It’s easier said than done, we’ve never been able to get to all 4! See our full Fort aMAZE’n review here.
[slickr-flickr tag=fortamazin]The Boardwalk
For dinner, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner with an spectacular view at The Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is the Lobster Bisque Capital of Ohio. Once you visit The Boardwalk, you’ll be hooked every time you visit Put-in-Bay. It is the place for seafood lovers where you can choose from Lake Erie perch and walleye, Live Maine lobster, Alaskan king crab, fresh shrimp, and their famous lobster bisque. There are actually several places to dine at The Boardwalk to enjoy the same great food. For a more relaxed dining experience, stay on the lower deck or enjoy live music at the Marvin Gardens Bar. For a more upscale dining experience with a breathtaking view of the harbor and Perry’s Monument, you’ll want to dine at the Upper Deck. Read our full review here.
[slickr-flickr tag=boardwalk]Return Trip Home
We were able to watch the sunset on our return trip back on Miller Ferry. It was beautiful, the perfect way to end another great Ohio getaway to Put-in-Bay. Be sure to wear layers as it does cool down on your return trip back on Lake Erie.
[slickr-flickr tag=sunsetmiller]Visit Put-in-Bay this Fall for Your Ohio Getaway
There is still time this season to visit Put-in-Bay this Fall for a quick island getaway. Be sure to stop by a few of the places we’ve visited and let them know that you found them on AkronOhioMoms.com!
This was not a paid post. My own opinions were used based on my perceptions and experience. Thank you to the participating venues who provided the products and services for review.
