Paddle Bar

The Lake Erie islands sit visible in the distance from one of Ohio’s most active recreational marinas, Bay Harbor gives Sandusky’s boating community a proper waterfront to call home.

The major tourist circuits mostly overlook this stretch of Marblehead shoreline, which is exactly the reward for anyone willing to explore past the Put-in-Bay ferry line.

The oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes stands visible from this shoreline, and Beach Glass Lounge has been drawing summer visitors to Marblehead’s underappreciated peninsula since the Victorian era.

Kelleys Island is the largest American island on Lake Erie and a National Natural Landmark for its glacial grooves, and this brewery serves the quieter crowd who want the island experience without the Put-in-Bay party scene.

Walleye, perch, and yellow bass define northwestern Ohio’s freshwater fishing scene, and Jolly Rogers serves it with the same direct, honest style the Walleye Capital demands.