Call it surprising Ashtabula County. To anyone who’s never been to the lakeshore about an hour East of Cleveland, they’d think it was someplace you drive past at 70mph on Route 90. But talk to the boaters, bikers and seasonal vacationers who have discovered this region, and they’ll say it to your face: you can keep the crowds of Sandusky, Put-In-Bay and Kelleys Island. Out East, it’s just you and the Lake.
The first surprise is the quality of the wine from local wineries such as Ferrante, Debonne and Grand River Cellars. Many are open for tours and tastings, and wine flights are popular to taste the variety of varietals offered by these Ohio wines. If your idea of wine from our state is sweet Catawba whites, you’ll be surprised by the quality and diversity of the Rieslings, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
Next, enjoy the charming downtown strip of Geneva-On-The-Lake, with unpretentiously preserved shops, stands, kiosks, burger palaces, souvenir stands, ice cream shops and putt-putt courses. In fact, the Allison family has been running their mini golf course in the center of town since 1924, making it the oldest putt-putt in continuous use. On weekends, be prepared for the roar of motorcycles and their beer-fueled riders, who keep the strip lively. But downtown Lake Road is a people-watchers paradise anytime of the week. Kinda like living in a Bruce Springsteen song, or on the Midway at Cedar Point, but for the whole summer.
Grab a burger & fries at Eddie’s and stroll the sidewalks and your evening entertainment quota is filled. If you’re with kids, you must stop for ice cream. Sit on one of the plentiful benches (now there’s a concept!) that line the sidewalks of downtown. You won’t miss whatever is on TV.
You’ll want to check out the newish Lodge at Geneva-On-The-Lake, with it’s modern facilities, grand lobby and indoor and outdoor pools. They offer a wine tour shuttle to area wineries. To the West is the State Park with a good sized beach and marina, and to the South are numerous covered bridges for your road trip.
Finally, dine on the water and linger for sunset. The smallish Lakehouse Inn & Winery and Old Firehouse Winery are situated with decks overlooking majestic Lake Erie, as is the unpretentious Lakefront Restaurant with the totally pretentious view [pictured]. Suddenly, sunsets were a priority for our entire group. We couldn’t miss one during our entire stay. Simply captivating.
For more information, contact Mark Winchell mwinchell@visitashtabulacounty.com, at the Ashtabula County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 800.3.DROP.IN, 440.275.3202, http://www.VisitAshtabulaCounty.com, Twitter.com/VacationInAshCo
WIN $500 by using the free Cool Cleveland app now available for your iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch by clicking here, and for your Android smartphone or tablet by clicking here.
[Click here to return to the current issue of Cool Cleveland]
ZeroLandfill Cleveland launches 5th year of its award-winning upcycling program. This cool organization collects expired specification samples (like carpet, tile or fabric samples) from manufacturing, architectural and interior design industries. The samples are then repurposed by artists, art educators and homeschoolers.
MOCA Cleveland’s ArtSquad invites you on a trek around University Circle searching for art. Read about their super-cool Road Activity Book, complete with info, games and coupons, and get rolling.
Laura Kennelly is a freelance arts journalist, a member of the Music Critics Association of North America, and an associate editor of BACH, a scholarly journal devoted to J. S. Bach and his circle.
NEO Travel: So Close, So Far Away
Call it surprising Ashtabula County. To anyone who’s never been to the lakeshore about an hour East of Cleveland, they’d think it was someplace you drive past at 70mph on Route 90. But talk to the boaters, bikers and seasonal vacationers who have discovered this region, and they’ll say it to your face: you can keep the crowds of Sandusky, Put-In-Bay and Kelleys Island. Out East, it’s just you and the Lake.
The first surprise is the quality of the wine from local wineries such as Ferrante, Debonne and Grand River Cellars. Many are open for tours and tastings, and wine flights are popular to taste the variety of varietals offered by these Ohio wines. If your idea of wine from our state is sweet Catawba whites, you’ll be surprised by the quality and diversity of the Rieslings, Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
Next, enjoy the charming downtown strip of Geneva-On-The-Lake, with unpretentiously preserved shops, stands, kiosks, burger palaces, souvenir stands, ice cream shops and putt-putt courses. In fact, the Allison family has been running their mini golf course in the center of town since 1924, making it the oldest putt-putt in continuous use. On weekends, be prepared for the roar of motorcycles and their beer-fueled riders, who keep the strip lively. But downtown Lake Road is a people-watchers paradise anytime of the week. Kinda like living in a Bruce Springsteen song, or on the Midway at Cedar Point, but for the whole summer.
Grab a burger & fries at Eddie’s and stroll the sidewalks and your evening entertainment quota is filled. If you’re with kids, you must stop for ice cream. Sit on one of the plentiful benches (now there’s a concept!) that line the sidewalks of downtown. You won’t miss whatever is on TV.
You’ll want to check out the newish Lodge at Geneva-On-The-Lake, with it’s modern facilities, grand lobby and indoor and outdoor pools. They offer a wine tour shuttle to area wineries. To the West is the State Park with a good sized beach and marina, and to the South are numerous covered bridges for your road trip.
Finally, dine on the water and linger for sunset. The smallish Lakehouse Inn & Winery and Old Firehouse Winery are situated with decks overlooking majestic Lake Erie, as is the unpretentious Lakefront Restaurant with the totally pretentious view [pictured]. Suddenly, sunsets were a priority for our entire group. We couldn’t miss one during our entire stay. Simply captivating.
For more information, contact Mark Winchell mwinchell@visitashtabulacounty.com, at the Ashtabula County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 800.3.DROP.IN, 440.275.3202, http://www.VisitAshtabulaCounty.com, Twitter.com/VacationInAshCo
WIN $500 by using the free Cool Cleveland app now available for your iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch by clicking here, and for your Android smartphone or tablet by clicking here.
[Click here to return to the current issue of Cool Cleveland]
Posted on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, in Commentary, News, Outdoors, Review, Thomas Mulready | 1 Comment »