Top 10 Getaway for Family Travelers - Sandusky, Ohio
FTF honored Sandusky, Ohio with a Top 10 award as one of the best places for a family getaway in 2002.
Sandusky, Ohio
If you're dreaming of that all-American small town experience this summer, Sandusky and the Lake Erie Islands in northern Ohio are for you. Located midway between Toledo and Cleveland on the south shore of Lake Erie, this area has attracted vacationers with activities from fishing to extreme thrills for over a century.
Ohio's most famous family attraction, and the world's largest amusement park, Cedar Point ( 419/627-2350; www.cedarpoint.com), has occupied one or two days of every family visit since 1888. Start your vacation here. With over 68 rides and 17 coasters (including our favorite, Millennium Force, plus the world's first double-twisting impulse roller coaster, Wicked Twister, it combines the old-fashioned midway from our youth with coasters that rival those at extreme theme parks. There are many other reasons why the Cedar Point peninsula welcomes 3.5 million guests annually between May and Labor Day: lots of live shows, three antique carousels, go-karts and the unimpressive but heat-relieving Soak City water park. For the younger set, the park boasts Camp Snoopy, a Peanuts-inspired playland for toddlers, 23 rides for young children and a cute petting zoo. Cedar Point has even starred in its own Discovery Channel documentary. The 364-acre peninsula, lined with evergreens, also offers a sandy beach, a marina, a choice of hotels, an RV campground, fishing, shops and restaurants.
For a step back in time and quieter pleasures, hop a ferry to nearby Put-In-Bay, a charming, offshore destination with Victorian homes and B&Bs, a verdant town square brimming with fair weather activity, small sand beaches, excellent fishing, the Perry's Cave tour, hiking and biking galore. Kelleys Island, a bit more distant, is less developed and very peaceful for a longer stay. On the mainland, you can hike the mile-long pier leading to Huron's Lighthouse, bird watch en route, then dine at the Pilot House. In old Milan, families can visit Thomas Edison's birthplace and bicycle along the quiet Milan Canal. Bellevue's Mad River Train Museum is a hands-on treat for little ones, who can also tag along on a tour of murky Seneca Caverns, a National Historic Landmark. Port Clinton offers the fun of mini-golf, lake cruises, and bright yellow speedboats which make daytrips to the islands possible. Sandusky itself, a bustling town in comparison, boasts a petting deer park, and the charming and informative Merry-Go-Round Museum. This gem, perfectly housed in a restored circular Post Office whose layout permits kids to drift past new, old and under-repair carousel animals, is a must-see.
There are many lodging choices at Cedar Point itself, from the 650-room, classically ornate but busy-with-group-tours Breakers (419/627-2106) with two outdoor pools, one indoor heated pool, a small beach and rooms, to their new Camper Village (419/627-2109) with comfortable modern cabins. Throughout the Erie County region, a wide variety of other motels, hotels and suite properties including the major chains are available. Notable is the Adirondacks style, all-suite Great Wolf Lodge (800/641-WOLF; www.greatwolf.com) with Ohio's first, year-round indoor water park complete with a treehouse waterfort, five pools, nine water slides and a lazy river ride. But, we guarantee you won't spend much time in your room. Contact the Sandusky/Erie County Visitors & Convention Bureau (800/255-3743; 419/625-2984) for more information or visit www.sanduskyohiocedarpoint.com.
