Wanna Be a Steader!

We just returned from vacation...miss me? 

We went to one of our favorite places in the WORLD - Lakeside, Ohio - right on Lake Erie.  Lakeside completes a water-triangle between itself, Kelly's Island and Put-In Bay (Perry's Monument).

This is an incredible place for the family - it's one of the last Mayberry RFD-like places left in America.  I have had no problem, as our girls were growing up, to let them take off on their bikes and roam.  Mostly because this is a gated Christian community that sprang up as a result of an 1873 camp meeting on the shores of Lake Erie.  Most of the houses there are on the Historic Register and have restored gingerbread trim or are nautical-themed.  Our friends, who's cottage we stay at every year, are the 3rd generation of their family own this particular cottege - just 3 blocks from the lake! 

If Lakeside had an grocery store inside the gated community, it would have EVERYTHING!  As it is, inside Lakeside you will find:  putt-putt, tennis, walking trails, playgrounds, shuffle board, volleyball, horseshoes, swimming, fishing, bike and golf cart rentals and repairs, shops (shops, shops, shops!), a Christian bookstore, great little restaurants, coffee shops, clock shop, jewelry shop, home and yard assessories shops, a 1st-run movie theater, an auditorium that features family entertainment every night (last year they had Randy Stonehill, Fernando Ortega, Russ Taff - this year we saw the Riders in the Sky!  If you like old-time cowboy music and radio theater - they were INCREDIBLE!!  They're the guys who did the cowboy music for Toy Story I and II). 

One of the highlights of Lakeside is the 300 foot long pier that you can swim or fish off of; or just sit, relax and wave at the boaters as they go by.  We were there for the July 4th fireworks - WOW!!! - what a great show!  And it all reflected beautifully over the water.  On the  land-end of the pier is their beautiful Pavilion - it has a little restaurant and shops below or your can go up to the covered area and watch people swim and fish.

Lakeside also has 3 hotels, 2 of them historic.  One is, of course, the Lakeside Hotel  and it looks just like the Grand Hotel in Michigan (think:  "Somewhere in Time").  The other historic hotel is The Green Gables Inn.  This hotel only hosts women/girls and is decorated in the homiest of items - I got to go through it last year on their annual tour.  Every room is named after an Anne of Green Gables character...the beds are made with hand-made quilts and throw pillows...ahhh!!!  Just like Grandma's!

Our friends have a boat and we got to go out boating, swimming and tubing twice.  It was a blast.  Our girls worked odd jobs to raise their vacation money and they went to Cedar Point Amuzement Park with our friends (about 30 minutes away and it has THE BEST roller coasters in the world!), while they were there, my dh Ty and I got a day to ourselves - we went to Marblehead Lighthouse (about 10 minutes away - this is the lighthouse that is on some Ohio license plates).  Yep...climbed all 77 winding steps to the top!  We then hit some great antique shops and then, back at Lakeside, we saw an early show of "Cars" and then went across the road to Coffee & Cream and got a delicious latte which we drank outside under their umbrellaed table.

But...like all vacations...it all ended much too soon.  I know I sound like  an ad for Lakeside, but we just love it and have gone every year for the last 8 years.  You can check it out yourself at www.lakesideohio.com

Thanks for letting me share with you.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><