Home»Great Places to Visit»Put-in-Bay

Put-in-Bay, located on South Bass Island just off Port Clinton, Ohio, in Lake Erie, is far more than a small town on an island. Each year, the town attracts more than 750,000 visitors, according to the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce. Long a "party-down" kind of place, the downtown caters to tourists with scads of gift shops, bars and restaurants; many other attractions, including a cave, a winery and a butterfly house, are elsewhere on the island. The island itself is home to two lighthouses: the South Bass Island Light, which serves as a research facility for The Ohio State University, and the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial in downtown Put-in-Bay.

Understandably, boating is a popular activity, as is fishing for walleye, bass and perch in the waters of Lake Erie. Getting to and from the island is by ferry or airplane (there's a small airport on the island); no cars are allowed except for those who live here and those who are spending the night. Golf carts, bicycles and other motorized vehicles can be rented at reasonable rates.

This is a great place to visit, which we do at least once a summer. This year, in fact, we've been here three times -- most recently as part of a first-time meet-up with our friends Peggy and Becky.