Recently, I spent two days in the Sandusky area with a 7 year old and in spite of the fact we did not visit Cedar Point, we had great fun. Here, some of the other things to see and do in Ohio's self-proclaimed "Vacationland."
Sometimes, "vacation" is about going somewhere. Other times, it's about getting away. In the case of our recent trip to the Sandusky area, it was a little of both.
We were leaving Portage County, which had been visited by monsoons for about two weeks. Leaving town, I doubted my windshield washers would last the trip. Local weather-watchers were discussing the rainfall in "inches per hour" terms. I figured it was either leave now, or be evacuated later.
My worries dried up as we drove west on the Ohio Turnpike. Less than an hour after we departed, the sun was literally and figuratively shining on our trip. Our odyssey had begun.
Our first stop was Marblehead Lighthouse, the oldest continuously-operating lighthouse on Lake Erie. I thought climbing to the top would be the highlight of our getaway. As it turned out, it was only the beginning...
Just about a mile south of the lighthouse on Route 163, we found Mystery Hill. I expected it to be cheesy; it's listed in "Ohio Oddities," after all. But where else can you park your car under the shade of a two-story plastic dinosaur?
We paid our bucks (the term "rip off" came to mind, but I squelched the thought--we were here to have fun, not rate the place for AAA) and embarked on the tour.
The "tour" was conducted by a bored teenager who spoke so quickly I doubt any of the kids had a chance to question the physics and odd phenomenon behind the tricks. (The tour, in a nutshell: Here's a cabin that mysteriously slants at a 30-degree angle. A ball mysteriously rolls uphill. Chairs mysteriously balance on two legs. Here's the sandbox where you can dig for fossils. They're not real. The dinosaurs in the woods aren't real either. But some of them roar. Thanks for your $12. Visit the gift shop on your way out.) Well, after all that, no mystery as to where to go--it was dinner time.
We checked into our Sandusky hotel, about a 15 minute drive from Marblehead, smack in the center of shopping/restaurant row. Even though I'm not a steak-lover, I was tempted to eat at the Angry Bull just because I think it's a great name for a steak joint. Instead we chowed at a national chain, a string of which line Rt. 250 just south of Cedar Point.
Sometimes, "vacation" is about going somewhere. Other times, it's about getting away. In the case of our recent trip to the Sandusky area, it was a little of both.
We were leaving Portage County, which had been visited by monsoons for about two weeks. Leaving town, I doubted my windshield washers would last the trip. Local weather-watchers were discussing the rainfall in "inches per hour" terms. I figured it was either leave now, or be evacuated later.
My worries dried up as we drove west on the Ohio Turnpike. Less than an hour after we departed, the sun was literally and figuratively shining on our trip. Our odyssey had begun.
Our first stop was Marblehead Lighthouse, the oldest continuously-operating lighthouse on Lake Erie. I thought climbing to the top would be the highlight of our getaway. As it turned out, it was only the beginning...
Just about a mile south of the lighthouse on Route 163, we found Mystery Hill. I expected it to be cheesy; it's listed in "Ohio Oddities," after all. But where else can you park your car under the shade of a two-story plastic dinosaur?
We paid our bucks (the term "rip off" came to mind, but I squelched the thought--we were here to have fun, not rate the place for AAA) and embarked on the tour.
The "tour" was conducted by a bored teenager who spoke so quickly I doubt any of the kids had a chance to question the physics and odd phenomenon behind the tricks. (The tour, in a nutshell: Here's a cabin that mysteriously slants at a 30-degree angle. A ball mysteriously rolls uphill. Chairs mysteriously balance on two legs. Here's the sandbox where you can dig for fossils. They're not real. The dinosaurs in the woods aren't real either. But some of them roar. Thanks for your $12. Visit the gift shop on your way out.) Well, after all that, no mystery as to where to go--it was dinner time.
We checked into our Sandusky hotel, about a 15 minute drive from Marblehead, smack in the center of shopping/restaurant row. Even though I'm not a steak-lover, I was tempted to eat at the Angry Bull just because I think it's a great name for a steak joint. Instead we chowed at a national chain, a string of which line Rt. 250 just south of Cedar Point.
Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Adventures in Ohio's Vacationland in Ohio is owned by . Permission to republish Adventures in Ohio's Vacationland in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
