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Sandusky, Ohio—
“The shore next door”
By Pam Bossard-McDanolds
he sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the lake shimmers before you like a jewel. The day is perfect and
there is no better place to spend it than Sandusky,
Ohio, on beautiful Lake Erie. Chock full of interesting stuff
for the whole family, from historic architecture to nature
trails, from fishing and boating to immaculate gardens,
Sandusky is a historic city with a small-town welcome.
Getting around
For nature lovers, Sandusky abounds with parks and nature
preserves where visitors can walk, hike and bicycle along
pathways. Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve is a birdwatcher’s heaven. It includes both forest and barrier-beach
environments.
While Sheldon March State Nature Preserve is natural
unblemished habitat, Historic Washington Park located in
downtown historic Sandusky offers blooms and beds to satisfy any gardener. Here’s where visitors can find the famous
fountain statue, “Boy with a Boot,” which has become a
symbol of Sandusky.
All visitors can benefit from the excellent Sandusky
Transit System. This public transportation system operates
within city limits and outlying neighborhoods. The Red
Line Trolley is free from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SANDUSKY/ERIE
COUNTY VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU
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The Red Line Trolley is free from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer.
Day through Labor Day with stops at The Boy with the
Boot/Floral Clock, Sandusky State Theater, Battery Park,
Shoreline Park, Washington Street Pier, Jackson Street
Pier, Sandusky Library and many others. It’s a great way to
see the town for free. The trolley stops are close to most
marinas, so boat-bound travelers can make the most of their
visit.
The Jet Express is a jet cat that has always been “the
HeartLand Boating • September 2006
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Sandusky’s Washington Park shows off its spring colors.
fastest way to Put-In Bay.” Now it is also the fastest way to
Kelley’s Island. The Jet Express offers a gorgeous and
speedy 40-mph 12-mile tour of the islands and Lake Erie.
It departs several times during the day and also makes a
stop at the nearby town of Port Clinton.
And if you like a little bit of Canada in your Sandusky
visit, hop onboard the Pelee Islander, a ferry boat making
Marinas and Launch Ramps
City of Sandusky Boat Ramp
101 Shelby St.
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
(419) 621-1059
www.ci.sandusky.oh.us/recreation/boatramp.htm
Battery Park Marine Services
1231 First St.
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
(419) 625-6142
www.batterypark.com/
N 41 degrees, 27 minutes, 85 seconds
W 82 degrees, 42 minutes, 05 seconds
Cedar Point Marina
One Cedar Point Drive
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
(419) 627-2334
1-888-CPDOCKS (273-6257)
marinas.cedarpoint.com/
N 41 degrees, 28 minutes, 63 seconds
W 82 degrees, 41 minutes, 16 seconds
September 2006 • HeartLand Boating
The fountain statue, Boy With a Boot, has become a symbol of
Sandusky.
once-daily trips to Ontario, with a stop at Pelee Island.
Pelee Island is noted for bird watching, wineries, and
bicycling.
Lyman Harbor
1615 First St.
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
(419) 626-6545
www.lymanharbor.com/
N 41 degrees, 27 minutes, 20 seconds
W 82 degrees, 40 minutes, 58 seconds
Sandusky Harbor Marina
1 Huron St.
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
(419) 627-1201
1-800-877-3625
www.sanduskyharbor.com/
N 41 degrees, 27 minutes, 26 seconds
W 82 degrees, 44 minutes, 54 seconds
Son Rise Marina
1535 First St.
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
(419) 624-8557
1-888-508-3625
www.sonrisemarina.com/
N 41 degrees, 27 minutes, 3 seconds
W 82 degrees, 41 minutes, 0 seconds
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The famous Cedar Point Amusement Park.
Cedar Point
No trip to Sandusky would be complete without a stop at
famous Cedar Point Amusement Park. It’s home to the
famous Mean Streak, dubbed the tallest, fastest, steepest,
wooden roller coast in the world. Mean Streak hits speeds
up to 65 mph.
The park also includes an astonishing 15 additional roller
coasters, including Millennium Force, a colossal 6,595-foot
long coaster that stands an amazing 310 feet tall. It speeds
passengers along at
a scream-shattering
92 miles per hour.
The Place to Buy all your
And in case some
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Lifts Overhead Lifts • Dock Ladders • Decking • Fasteners
Point offers a vast
Boat Lifts • Corner Bumpers • Rowing Docks
collection of rides
Mooring Whips • Winches • Stationary Docks
Power Posts • Dock Kits • Internal Pile Guides • Plan Kits
for thrill-seekers,
Tank Floats • Gangways • Solar Lights
children, and
and much more! In stock and ready to ship!
families.
On a hot sunny
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Castaway Bay, Cedar Point’s indoor water park.
calling you. What is it? It’s an incredible indoor water park,
conveniently located at Cedar Point. The fully enclosed
park is five stories tall with a tropical island theme. It boasts
a wave pool, four water slides and The Rendezvous Run–a
520-foot-long water roller coaster for the whole family.
A boat-bound visitor who wants the thrills and spills of
Cedar Point and Castaway Bay may drop anchor at either
the Cedar Point Marina or the Castaway Bay Marina. Both
are within walking distance of the amusement parks. The
Cedar Point Marina is one of the largest on the Great
Lakes, with two restaurants and a swimming pool, along
with other amenities.
Lakeshore attractions
If you’re a tow-behind visitor to Sandusky, it doesn’t get
much more convenient than the Sandusky Boat Ramp. You
can drop your boat in the water for $5 a day, or buy a
season pass for $50. The ramp is located on the bay at
Shelby and Water streets. Buy both snacks and bait before
spending a relaxing day on the boat in Lake Erie.
If you’ve stopped in Sandusky to grab a little fishing
time, you’ve come to the right place, because Lake Erie is
one of the best fishing spots in the United States. Anglers
fish for walleye, small- and large-mouth bass, yellow perch,
steelhead trout and others. Fishing licenses are required;
HeartLand Boating • September 2006
Marblehead Lighthouse
Shopping in downtown Vermilion.
non-Ohio residents can buy a one-day license for $11, a
three-day license for $19 or an annual license for $40.
One of America’s celebrated scenic by-ways is the Lake
Erie Coastal Ohio Trail. By following this route, visitors
enjoy the scenery as they see and visit historic lighthouses
and inns.
Sandusky Bay is one of the world’s largest freshwater
bays, encompassing more than 60 miles of shoreline.
Dotting this shoreline are the picturesque Stewards of the
Storm: Marblehead Lighthouse and the Vermilion
Lighthouse.
The Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest operating
lighthouse on the Great Lakes. It started guiding ships in
1821 with 13 whale-oil-fueled lamps and is still in operation
today. Of course, today is uses a 300-mm light that casts a
green glow every three seconds. More remarkable still, this
beautiful beacon was built in only 11 weeks.
The Vermilion Lighthouse is a vision of daring-do. Not
only was this lighthouse built in 1847 and rebuilt in 1859,
but the brave lighthouse keeper had to make his way,
often over wind-swept whitecaps, across a 400-foot catwalk linking the lighthouse to the mainland. When the
lighthouse began tilting toward the harbor in 1929, it was
dismantled, only to be rebuilt once again in its new
permanent home at the Inland Seas Maritime Museum
September 2006 • HeartLand Boating
Vermilion Lighthouse
located in
Vermilion, Ohio.
The town is just a
15-mile hop east
of Sandusky.
Vermilion is
more than just the
home of the
Vermilion
Lighthouse. A
harbor town
founded in the
1830s, it has
retained its small-
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town flavor in its shops, parks, lakeside cottages and finedining establishments. Vermilion also has the Merry-GoRound Museum, which takes visitors on a trip through the
history of America’s favorite amusement park ride.
Thomas Alva Edison’s birthplace is now a museum in
nearby Milan and his home is open for tours. If you have
an extra day, a side trip to Vermilion brings a visitor to a
great place to explore.
Sandusky, Ohio, is a gem of a town with a warm wel-
coming atmosphere. Whether you hop on a roller coaster
at Cedar Point and scream through the air at 92 mph, or
drop anchor in the bay for a day of fishing and reading,
there is no better location to make the whole family
happy.
It’s the kind of place that you visit again and again. I’ll
see you there, because I’m headed back to Sandusky, too.
Pam Bossard-McDanolds can often be found boating. But no
matter where she is, she is never without pen and paper to
write, nor without a book to read.
Fun Facts About Sandusky
• Sandusky was founded in 1818.
Great Websites about Sandusky, Ohio
• The word “Sandusky” is Native American,
meaning “cold water.”
www.ci.sandusky.oh.us - City of Sandusky
• The original plat of Sandusky was in the shape
of the Masonic symbol.
www.sanduskymainstreet.com - Downtown
Sandusky
• Sandusky is 603 feet above sea level.
www.cedarpoint.com - Cedar Point Amusement
Park
• Blackboard chalk was invented in Sandusky
in 1835.
www.coastalohio.com - the byways of Ohio
• Ohio’s largest collection of limestone buildings
is found in Sandusky.
www.inlandseas.org - Great Lakes Historical Society
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800-381-5101
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HeartLand Boating • September 2006