a day / 289 miles / 9 hours 37 minutes
Experience 12,000 years of history along Lake Erie. Visit the Lake Erie Islands, coastal marshes, prairies, rivers, and waterfalls. Follow tales of early shipping and sailing at maritime museums, restored freighters, and lighthouses. Learn about the Western Reserve, the Underground Railroad, and the War of 1812 at historic sites and museums.
Day 1
9:00 - 3.3 miles / 6 minutes - 9:06
Conneaut Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse
The Conneaut Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse is the latest in lighthouses to monitor Conneaut Harbor. Its 60-foot steel tower was built in 1936 and has a black band that serves as a navigational guide during the day. This is a "sister" lighthouse to one in Huron.
9:21 - 13.6 miles / 27 minutes - 9:48
During World War II, Ashtabula received more iron ore than anywhere else in the world.
This port still ships and receives goods from across the globe, including limestone, taconite,
coal, and agricultural potash. Lighthouses underwent many changes as technology advanced
and boat traffic increased. The Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse was the last manned lighthouse
on Lake Erie. Built in 1905, this lighthouse can be seen from the Great Lakes Marine
Museum and Coast Guard Memorial Museum.9:58 - 0 miles / 0 - 9:58
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
Consistently ranked a top 10 birding spot in North America, these areas have spring/fall waterfowl and songbird migrations that attract 150,000- plus visitors. More than 300 species are common, drawn to the marshes for food, protection, rest and breeding. Located along the Mississippi Flyway, the marsh allows neotropical songbirds to rest before or after crossing Lake Erie. Together, they are named a Regional Shorebird Reserve by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
Both natural areas are open year-round, dawn to dusk. Access to the visitor centers will vary pending time of year. Magee Marsh Bird Trail is closed during seasonal hunting. Magee's Sportsmans Migratory Bird Center is open 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday hours are offered, from 11 am to 5 pm, from March through November. Extended hours are offered April through May for migratory visitors. Some areas of the trails may close due to bald eagle nesting. The Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is constructing a new visitor center, which will open in 2006.9:58 - 42.9 miles / an hour 25 minutes - 11:24
Maumee River's rapids were one of the few obstructions on what was otherwise an unimpeded journey from New York to the Gulf of Mexico; Fort Meigs was built to command them. General William Henry
Harrison built Fort Meigs in 1813 as a staging area for an invasion of Canada. British soldiers and Indian allies attacked in May for eight days. A second attack occurred in July, again with America victorious. Visitors encounter a museum, stockade, blockhouses, and costumed guides.11:24 - 30.7 miles / an hour a minute - 12:25
At the end of your first of three days, there are plenty of accomodations to choose from in Cleveland.
12:25 - 0.2 miles / - 12:26
Learn about Great Lakes ecology and science at several areas on the Great Lakes Environmental Floor. Hands-on activities will give you a chance to explore Great Lakes environmental activity, geography and geology; the human and economic importance of the Great Lakes; nonpoint pollution; and environmental threats. The Great Lakes is presented as an ecosystem of national and global importance that affects other ecosystems and can serve as a model for identifying environmental threats and remedies.
16:26 - 38.3 miles / an hour 16 minutes - 17:42
Located on the front lawn of the Inland Seas Maritime Museum, the Vermilion Lighthouse is
a replica of an original lighthouse that was later moved to Lake Ontario. Known as the
"Town of Sea Captains," Vermilion was without a lighthouse for 63 years. The lighthouse is
located next to Main Street Beach.17:52 - 40.7 miles / an hour 21 minutes - 19:14
Marblehead Lighthouse State Park
Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating Great Lakes lighthouse. Completed in 1822, it was constructed of local limestone. Lighthouse tender is one of the first federal jobs for women -- most took over for husbands upon their retirement or death. Rachel Wolcott became the first female Great Lakes keeper upon the death of her husband.
Today, visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse and visit an associated museum. Nearby, the Wolcott Keeper's House is also open for tours.19:44 - 119.0 miles / 3 hours 58 minutes - 12:42