An Extended Stay on Lake Erie

Hey! Anything to eat in there?

Slidin' at the safari park

Quenching thirsts at the tavern

Hmmmmm! Wine and the good stuff

Brian takes the dink out

After the pig party we decided that we would stay an additional  7-10 days to visit and do things with family members who had taken vacation or time off to spend with us. There's a lot to see and do in the western Lake Erie basin, and Jane wanted to do most of it. We ruled out going back to Cleveland for a couple of days, because Capt. Larry had his heart set on seeing an Indians game, and the team was going to be away for the entire week. We did some short day trips with everyone, and every night we were either invited to a fantastic dinner at the Vogels, or we had everyone over for dinner on Bavarian Cream. Each night turned out to be really special. We went with Brian and Janelle and took Edie to a drive through animal safari. The animals came right up to the car for food handouts and Edie didn't seem too sure about their intentions. She was able to feed them the long carrots without getting her little fingers in the way. The next day Brian and Janelle took us on a road trip to some of their favorite watering holes. We stopped at a tavern they used to frequent then on to a winery where we had wine and cheese and olive plates. We could have stopped there, but were whisked to a bar/restaurant that Janelle used to work at. After all of this we returned to the Vogels for happy hour and dinner! The next day Brian came over and took the dinghy out for a spin and we hosted every for dinner that night on the boat.

Perry's Monument

Diggin' in at the Boardwalk

 

South Bass Island vineyards

Capt. Larry had promised Jane a break from the boat and a night or two in a motel so she could while away in a bathtub. This meant a road trip. So we headed over to Catawba Island and caught a ferry to Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island, commonly known as "Buckeye Party Central."

The only way to go!

We had tried desperately to find a room for the evening, but it was late in the week and everyplace we called was booked. So this would be a day trip to the island and return to find a motel on the mainland. We rented a golf cart to get around and were glad we did.

Having fun at Joe's

The cart enabled us to wander all over the place and Capt. Larry didn't have to worry about his knees.We first stopped at the Perry Victory and Peace Monument and toured the exhibits. Capt. Larry was also able to get another U.S. Parks stamp for his Passport Book! From their we toured the northern part of the island and then returned to Put-In-Bay for a seafood lunch on the Boardwalk.

Joe's Bar is famous

Shops were calling Jane's name so Capt. Larry dropped her off and he went looking for a boater we met in Charleston who worked as a bartender at the Crew's Nest. He didn't have any luck finding him and only had an e-mail address on his boat card, so the effort was for naught.

Our favorite bartender

After meeting back up with Jane we wandered south and stopped at the Hineman Winery for a bottle of Catawba Red. It was delicious. Further south we stumbled upon a really interesting place that made the day trip worth the effort. Joe's Bar was a really low-keyed place with a really lively clientele.

Leaving South Bass Island

After a couple of drinks and wild storytelling with the locals, we found the cart and headed back to the ferry. That evening we had dinner at a mexican restaurant and found a motel room with a jacuzzi in it. Jane was in heaven!

Romance in a dink

The next day a cookout was scheduled at the yacht club, and since the Vogels are members, we were in attendance. The food was great and we got a chance to tell a lot of boaters about the loop. We especially recommended going east on Lake Erie and into the western part of the Erie Barge Canal. This was something that appealed to several and easily doable from their home base. After the cookout, Brian and Janelle stayed and visited, and took the dinghy out for a sunset cruise. We then entertained them on the boat until late into the evening.

Checkin' out the woodies

River rats in Ohio????

Pam and Slow Ride at Kellly's Island

For Brian and Janelle the vacation was over, and they returned to Columbus the next day. With the kids out of the way, the Vogels and the Pfeifers began partying. We went to the Lakeside wooden boat festival and then returned to the house for a bratwurst cookout. The brats are the good stuff from Bucyrus, OH, known as the bratwurst capital of the world. If you are ever in Ohio for the Bratwurst Festival in Bucyrus, you won't be disappointed.

Glacial grooves on Kelly's

Cutting up at the Village Pump

On the shore of Kelly's Island

The next day we boarded the Vogel's boat, Slow Ride, and took a leisurely ride over to Kelly's Island. Again we rented a golf cart to get around. We had some drinks at a tiki bar establishment then went to The Village Pump restaurant for lunch. From the fried green beans, artichoke dip, Brandy Alexanders. and the perch and walleye dinners, everything was wonderful. But the company was the best! We toured the island and finally stopped at an island winery for a bottle of wine, then returned to the boat for the ride home just after some storms had passed through. This was our last day in Lakeside Marblehead, and for us it was a grand finale. We cannot thank our hosts, Kevin and Pam Vogel, enough for their wonderful hospitality and generosity. We also thank Brian and Janelle for helping with the pig party and shuffling us around for a great visit. We can only hope that we get a chance to reciprocate on visits down south.

Kevin and Pam Vogel, our Erie ambassadors