Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Last vacation post, I promise! :)

After Mass at the local church Sunday morning, my family took the ferry to South Bass Island, specifically to Put-in-Bay. It's a darling little town that reminded us of Martha's Vineyard and Mackinac Island.

We ate delicious lobster bisque at the boardwalk (the sign said, "best soup in Ohio!") and strolled through the historic park. One of us noticed that Caroline's dog Skippy was small enough to fit in the display cannons, but despite the kids' best efforts he refused to go in. No cannons for this pup, but it was pretty funny watching their attempts.

Next we stopped for a visit at the little Catholic church on the island. It was beautiful to find Our Lord waiting there, the red candle burning brightly—a reminder that God is present in even the most remote places. 

Half a mile from the church was a chocolate cafe and museum. Of course we couldn't pass that up! We shared hot chocolate and milkshakes on the outdoor patio.

Next we went mini-golfing, and I totally got the best score of the girls on my team (Lillian and Cathy) ... which isn't saying much since we're all pretty terrible. My mom creamed us all with the best score of the whole family.

We took a rural route back to the harbor, passing several pretty vineyards and wineries. The island has a long history of vineyards and wine-making—in fact it's called one of the "Wine Islands" of Lake Erie.

We had a small scare on our walk back. A very large, scary-looking dog with no owner in sight bounded up to us and made a sudden dive for Skippy! We all freaked out and Cathy and Frank bravely chased him away—especially impressive from Cathy since she's normally pretty quiet, but she went right into Mama Grizzly mode. After the dog left, Caroline carried Skippy until we were safely back in town. 

The ferry ride home was beautiful and we ended the night with another great dinner and bonfire. Everyone agreed that my mom brought enough food to last us three months—we couldn't believe the number of dishes she was pulling out! All of it was delicious and I wish she could cook me dinner every night.

Monday we visited a few lighthouses and state parks before heading home, Lillian and Matt to Delaware and the rest of us back to Illinois. It was so great to see them and enjoy a relaxing little vacation. I'm grateful to my dad for planning the whole thing.

Marblehead, Ohio

The whole family got geared up and loaded into my parents' 12-passenger van (affectionately known as the Swagger Wagon) for our long-weekend trip to Ohio. I love how little Joe looked with his giant Boy Scout backpack and stack of books for entertainment. 

Our first day in Ohio, the "big kids" (aka the marrieds) explored Marblehead with Mum while Dad took the littles to Cedar Point. While exploring a lighthouse keeper's home, we stumbled on a Civil War reenactment. I had to laugh—I don't go looking for reenactments, but somehow reenactments always find me!

Next we headed into the very pretty town of Sandusky, where we visited a few parks and the local maritime museum. We learned that Sandusky was a major point of passage on the Underground Railroad—its code name was "Hope." Townspeople often hired runaway slaves to help them earn money for their journey North, local lawyers defended them in trial, and sailors and captains gave them transport to Canada. The town has a proud history of freedom, displayed in park statues and museum exhibits.

We could see Cedar Point across the water and we joked that we could see Caroline on top of the tallest rollercoaster. We stopped at Toft's Creamery for some of the best ice cream of my life before meeting up with the rest of the family.  The day ended with Mum's famous pulled pork sandwiches around the bonfire and a family singalong. It was perfect.