The Cleveland Plain Dealer has an article linked above on the topic of people who spend their summers on the shores of Lake Erie. It reminded me of summers spent at my great-grandmother's cottage on the Maumee River, summers spent visiting relatives at Lake James and other visits to a friend's cottage near Sandusky.
My father owned a boat so we would also cruise out to Put in Bay as well as taking camping/boating trips in the Ohio/Michigan/Indiana area.
Taking this article with the below one on Toledo becoming a port of call for Great Lakes cruise lines points out how important not only our Lake is but the vacation/recreation aspect of this area that we are very lucky to have.
:-)
Keeping Your Belongings Safe Through Storms
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6 comments:
Lisa - having grown up on and still living on Maumee Bay/Lake Erie, I must say that I cannot imagine what life would be like without being on the lake in the summer (and in winter).
Every weekend was spent sailing/sailboat racing - travelling from Detroit to Sandusky and making all the stops at all the clubs in between. We became afficiandos of the best bathroom/shower facilities as we stayed on the boat most of the time.
Our yearly vacation, Bay Week on Put-In-Bay, was the only time we rented a cottage. And while it certainly wasn't the best of places, it was affordable and could fit us, cousins and babysitter in one place.
Reading the article you linked just makes me realize how very lucky we are to have communities like Point Place and Oregon, with such prime waterfront property and a "year-round" vacation feel.
My experience with Lake Erie as a kid was at the famous Toledo Beach. My family was not able to afford a cottage, so a day trip to the beach was good enough for us.
Who can forget the wonderful beach with its sandbars that made you go from chin-deep to ankle-deep in two easy steps.
As my father grew feeble and forgetful in the early 1970's, I drove him there to see if the place would bring those old memories back. Neither of us had been in that water since my youth.
Although the amusement park, the crowds, the traffic and the bath houses were long gone, the beautiful waves breaking onto that sandy beach touched our hearts that last summer of his life.
That's my thoughts exactly Maggie which is why I thought the article might be of interest.
Lib_Dem, my family was the same way until much later when my father became a corporate pilot but thankfully we had relatives or friends who either owned or rented cottages that were nice enough to let us descend on them.
The cottage days are out of my families reach but camping still is done well as day trips out to Maumee Bay State Park. With the must take day trips to Johnson's Island and Colonel Mustard's Yellow Custard near Marblehead. We have spent many an enjoyable day at Maumee Bay State Park.
:-)
My opinion is that our greatest natural asset, Lake Erie, is terribly underrated and overlooked.
The constant babble about 'The Marina District' missed the point of the value of the lake itself. The so-called Marina District is nothing but a venue for businesses to make some cash from the summer customers.
On the other hand, look at how Chicago uses its property along Lake Michigan for the benefit of its citizens as well as an attraction for visitors. This from http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/swim_report.home.cfm
The Chicago Park District manages the city's 29 lakefront and one in-land beach for the enjoyment of Chicago families and visitors. Chicago's lakefront is also home to the lakefront trail, volleyball, soccer, concessions, golf courses, harbors, bird sanctuaries, and natural areas. Admission to Chicago's beaches is free.
Here in Toledo, we need to drive several miles AWAY from Toledo to enjoy 'the' beach at Maumee Bay.
Do we have an office of Recreation here in Toledo?
kate,
You rang??? :-)
Anyway:
"Do we have an office of Recreation here in Toledo?"
We used to, when I was a kid.
If it still exists, it is likely still gutted, due to lack of funding.
Recreation comes out of the General Fund, which has been suffering a malaize for years, if not decades...
In my youth, each park had their own staff to hand out balls, tennis rackets, and other play essentials, and to generally maintain each park by picking up refuse, broken glass, etc.
They kept us from killing each other too ;-)
Greets to the webmaster of this wonderful site! Keep up the good work. Thanks.
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