Put-in-Bay, OH
Land on an island: South Bass is a mile from a whole downtown of restaurants and bars, and golf carts are how the island moves; rental outfits meet arrivals at the field. The spread runs from Frosty Bar's pizza and the Boardwalk's famous lobster bisque on the harbor to Mossbacks' hand-breaded Lake Erie perch and the Goat Soup & Whiskey, casual fine dining with on-site gardens in a former island winery; the island bills itself the restaurant capital of Ohio. Above it all stands Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, a 352-foot column commemorating the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie, and Crystal Cave beneath the old winery is the largest known geode in the world. The field has no fuel; plan accordingly. Fly in, cart to town, eat well, and remember the last ferry is someone else's problem.
Put-in-Bay (KP2W2 — wait, 3W2) sits on South Bass Island in Lake Erie — accessible only by ferry, private boat, or airplane. The island is named for the bay where Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry sheltered before the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie, one of the decisive American victories in the War of 1812. Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial — a 352-foot Doric column visible from 30 miles out — commemorates the battle and is one of the tallest monuments in the United States. The island is summer party central, with bars, restaurants, and golf cart rentals. The airport is right on the island; it's a magical day-trip destination from May through September. Winter: the island largely closes.
Ohio's Lake Erie islands are a magical summer destination accessible by boat or plane. South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay) is the party island with bars, restaurants, and Perry's Victory Memorial — a 352-foot Doric column commemorating the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie, visible from 30 miles out. Kelleys Island has glacial grooves cut by ice 18,000 years ago. Middle Bass Island has the historic Lonz Winery ruins. From the air, the islands rise from blue water like emerald jewels. Multiple GA airports on the islands; rent a golf cart upon landing.
Ohio's oldest continuously operating lighthouse — built in 1822 on the Marblehead Peninsula at the entrance to Sandusky Bay. The 50-foot limestone tower has guided ships through the dangerous reefs of the western basin of Lake Erie for over 200 years. Now an Ohio State Park with the keepers' house preserved as a museum. From the air, the white tower stands out clearly against the rocky shoreline. Pair with a Cedar Point or Lake Erie islands trip.
On a sand peninsula jutting into Lake Erie — Cedar Point has been a coaster and entertainment destination since 1870 (yes, 1870). Today it has 17 roller coasters including Steel Vengeance (one of the world's top-rated coasters) and Top Thrill 2 (a 420-foot, 120 mph hypercoaster). From the air, the peninsula is unmistakable — coasters tracing white skeletons against the lake. KSKY is the closest airport. Pair with Lake Erie islands flying for an unforgettable summer day.
Toledo earned its nickname "The Glass City" the year Edward Drummond Libbey moved his New England Glass Works here in 1888; Owens and Libbey-Owens-Ford followed, and the city became the center of American glass. Libbey and his wife Florence founded the Toledo Museum of Art in 1901, and it grew into one of the finest regional museums in the country — more than 30,000 works, free to enter. Its glass collection spans 3,500 years, and Toledo is where the Studio Glass movement was born in 1962. The Glass Pavilion across the street — a building of curving, almost entirely glass walls — was the first US work by the Japanese architecture firm SANAA. Toledo Express sits well west of the city, so the museum is a ride into the downtown art district.