We had a lovely stay on the shores of Lake Erie. Actually, we were in a protected cove called East Harbor State Park, here:
I have lived on the West Coast, right on the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, and I’ve lived even longer a mere five miles from the Atlantic Ocean in Massachusetts, and I must say that Lake Erie, even though it is a smaller great lake, felt like the ocean — except warmer and without the salt.
Some standout moments from our short stay of a few days:
First, honestly, eating out at a restaurant, something we hadn’t done in a long time. I know, I should have said the beauty of the area, but we were tired when we got there the first night after one of our longer travel days, set up camp, fed and walked Murray, and then went out to eat.
I tried walleye fish for the first time in the form of tacos at JJ’s Table and Bar. The name walleye wasn’t appealing, but it was a specialty of the area. After I asked the stupid question of whether the fish was fishy (answer: no), I ordered it with a peach margarita. Who knew the area was also a haven for peach lovers, which I happen to be?
That leads me to my next standout moment, Schwan Peach Farm and their wine and salad dressing. Superb all around. No doubt about it. And when we went to pay at the farm on Catawba Island, sticking out to the left of our state park’s little peninsula, the nice woman said, “We take cash, check or IOU.” IOU!!
And everyone in the area was as friendly as the folks at that farmstand. The wine wasn’t too sweet, just clean and crisp and heavenly peachy — both fragrance and taste. And the salad dressing is my new favorite.
I can’t leave out Port Clinton’s CHEESEHAVEN, started in 1949 with smoked cheese and bierwurst. I saw the sign and literally yelled out, “Cheesehaven!!” We had to stop. The place has an old time feel with tons of individual candies in barrels (at 2022 prices) and, according to the sign, 125 types of cheeses. I bought the mango habanero because . . . why not?
The campground was FILLED with geese. They came, they pooped, they left, they returned. Then, it was Friday, and the campground filled up with weekenders, enjoying the beach and boating. And by late Sunday morning, it was deserted again, except for the geese, just the way we like it.
We had a spigot right outside our camper door, which was nice, and the showers were made to scrub elephants hides, strong and hot. Philip loved them. I even left the safety of our spider-free tiny shower to try them out. That was big for me because I am an arachnophobe, and camp showers, toilets, picnic tables, etc. are not my friends.
When Murray and I were exploring the park, we came across a tiny cemetery for two, Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood, whose farm we were on. They lived from the early to the late 1800s. Sadly, one of their descendants lost the farm during the Great Depression, but luckily for all of us, the land ended up as a gorgeous state park.
We left Ohio three state parks and I’ve lost count of how many days ago, but I will try to get caught up within the next week. Thanks for reading!