Travel

Island Time

Explore the Shore Among Lake Erie’s Jewels

By Paris Wolfe

Few places in Ohio combine history and nature — and, let’s face it, a bit of partying — as successfully as Lake Erie’s popular islands.

Summer is the best time to practice your island hopping in western Lake Erie’s collection of little land masses. The Ohio “Keys” are rife with activities from mid-April through late October when the weather is temperate and the lake is free of ice.

While the islands are a boater’s paradise, landlubbers have easy access to three of the four islands by ferry. And, once there, bikes and golf carts dominate the streets. Rentals are available at the ferry stop. Cars are welcome, but few folks opt to ferry them over.

Island Hopping

South Bass Island (1,588 acres) is home of the legendary Put-in-Bay. It draws perhaps the most enthusiastic crowds for playing and partying on weekends, and recovers on weekdays. It’s popular with college students and bridal parties on the weekends, with a mellower vibe during the week. Plan accordingly.

Middle Bass Island (805 acres) is less commercial than South Bass but offers a handful of shopping opportunities as well as a state park and 184-slip marina.

North Bass Island (593 acres) is a mostly unimproved state park open to primitive camping with a special permit, hiking, picnicking, biking, wildlife watching and fishing. It can be accessed only by airplane or personal watercraft.

Kelleys Island (2,888 acres) is home to more than 300 people, making it both residential and recreational. Biking, hiking and beaches make up its attractions.

The actual experience at the islands might depend on the timing and location of a visit. Weekend evenings are rowdier and “crowdier,” while weekdays are slow and leisurely.

Happy Glampers

Style Under the Stars

By Traci McBride

If you haven’t stepped foot in a campground lately, you’re in for a surprise.

Elaborate tents with strings of solar lights. Fanciful campers with flowerpots and outdoor rugs at the doorways. Extravagant treehouses. Funky yurts.

You may drag along musty, stained sleeping bags and a package of hot dogs for a few nights under the stars, but your neighbors have upped the camping game: They’re glamping.

Outdoor Style

Camping lost its novelty for many of us with memories of miserable nights, too many bugs and ash-sprinkled food. The bugs are still there, but the rest has undergone a stylish transformation.

Glamping is getting away from it all while enjoying the luxuries of home. Are you a tent, RV or Airstream camper? Spice things up with practical, traditional yet supremely comfortable details that introduce color, patterns and simple amenities to your campsite. You’re a glamper.

Details Matter

You’ll sleep better and have more enthusiasm for hiking when you’ve rested on a queen-size blow-up mattress, having spent the evening listening to a waterproof battery-operated sound system after cooking a gourmet meal.

A portable kitchenette that includes a spice rack, paper towel holder and lantern pole makes food prep easy. You are more likely to get the grandkids to join you if they don’t have to lie on the hard ground and are still able to earn some tablet or cellphone time with a solar-powered charger. Download outdoor apps (such as SkyView and the Audubon Bird Guide) to enhance your hikes. Beautiful design plus practical functionality equals the ultimate glamping experience.

Products have certainly affected traditional camping. Battery-operated portable showers, solar chargers and battery-powered twinkle lights keep everyone clean and add a little romantic sparkle.