Islands, lighthouses, and lakefront life on the North Coast
Base yourself downtown near the marina. The Cedar Point peninsula is visible from the waterfront. Walk out to the pier at sunset for your first Lake Erie panorama.
Buy a Sunrise Ticket for early entry. Hit Steel Vengeance and Top Thrill 2 before 10am when the park fills. Full day pass is expensive but the lineup is unmatched in the Midwest.
The Catawba ferry dock has a larger lot and shorter drive from the highway. Port Clinton is closer to Sandusky but the lot fills by 9am in summer.
Morning Miller Ferry from Catawba Point (35 min). Rent a golf cart, see the Perry monument, grab lunch at a lakeside bar. Return by late afternoon.
Heineman Winery is the oldest family winery in the US and sits above Crystal Cave. The cave tour comes with wine tasting. Both are worth 90 minutes.
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Kelleys Island by ferry from Marblehead. Rent bikes and loop the island (4 miles, flat). Glacial Grooves in the morning, state park beach in the afternoon.
Best swimming beach on the island — clear water, natural shoreline. The campground crowd thins out by mid-morning on weekdays. Great snorkeling near the limestone ledges.
Oldest active lighthouse on the US Great Lakes. Open for tours on summer weekends. The peninsula drive back to Sandusky passes several lake views worth stopping for.
Large dune and beach state park between Marblehead and Port Clinton. Good walking trail along the barrier spit. Camp sites if you want an extra night outside.
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