The Lake Erie Islands turn a slice of northern Ohio into its own little archipelago: golf carts instead of cars, wineries instead of vineyards, and a ferry ride standing in for a flight. Three days is enough to settle into Put-in-Bay, Ohio’s busiest lake town, and still make time for Kelleys Island’s quieter beaches and 400-foot glacial grooves. Jet Express and Miller Ferry run passenger boats to Put-in-Bay from the Marblehead Peninsula all summer, and a second short hop from nearby Marblehead gets you to Kelleys Island and back in an afternoon.
Day 1Crossing to Put-in-Bay
Drive to the Marblehead Peninsula, catch the passenger ferry across to South Bass Island, and settle into downtown Put-in-Bay before an evening at Perry’s Victory Monument.
⛴️ Ferry — Jet Express to Put-in-Bay
~18 min crossing from Port Clinton · $41.99 adult round trip
Jet Express runs high-speed passenger catamarans from the Port Clinton mainland to downtown Put-in-Bay in under 20 minutes, with bikes carried for a small extra fee and departures roughly every half hour in peak summer.
Jet Express · jet-express.com
🛎️ Check-In — Bayshore Resort at Put-in-Bay
Check-in 3pm · rooms from $175/night
A lakefront resort a short golf-cart ride from downtown, with its own pool deck and private dock — one of South Bass Island’s larger hotels and an easy base for a car-free three days.
Bayshore Resort at Put-in-Bay · www.visitputinbay.com/accommodations/bayshore-resort/
🏛️ Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial
~45 min · free · open May–September & October weekends
A 352-foot Doric column run by the National Park Service, built to mark Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s 1813 Battle of Lake Erie victory — the observation deck at the top is the highest point on the islands and takes in Canada on a clear day.
Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial · www.nps.gov/pevi/index.htm
🍕 Dinner — Cameo Pizza at Mr. Ed’s Bar & Grille
Dinner · $10–18 per person
A downtown institution serving late-night pizza, subs and wings until 3am most summer nights — the easiest first dinner in Put-in-Bay’s compact bar district.
Day 2Island Wineries, Caves & the Lighthouse
Rent a golf cart for the day and circle South Bass Island: a 138-year-old winery built over a crystal cave, and the lighthouse at the island’s quiet southern tip.
🛺 Golf Cart Rental — Boathouse Cart and Bike Rental
Around $90–$140/day for a 4- to 6-passenger cart
Golf carts are the default way to get around Put-in-Bay’s hilly, car-light roads; Boathouse rents by the hour or full day and is a short walk from the ferry dock, with bikes available too.
Boathouse Cart and Bike Rental · www.visitputinbay.com/transport_services/boathouse-cart-and-bike-rental/
🍷 Heineman’s Winery & Crystal Cave Tour
~45 min tour · $13 adult / $8 child (6–11)
Ohio’s oldest family-run winery, open since 1888, runs combined tours of its vineyard and the enormous celestite-crystal cave beneath it — now lit and walkable — followed by a tasting of the estate’s wines in an outdoor wine garden.
Heineman’s Winery · heinemanswinery.com
🗼 South Bass Island Lighthouse
~30 min · tours run limited days, check ahead
A restored 1897 lighthouse at the island’s south end, now part of Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory — climb to the top on one of its scheduled open days for a close-up view of the lake and the Bass Island chain.
🍗 Dinner — Chicken Patio at the Round House Bar
Dinner · $15–25 per person
Put-in-Bay’s oldest bar pairs its patio with a half-century-old barbecue chicken dinner, basted in a house wine sauce and served family-style at picnic tables a block from the harbor.
Chicken Patio · www.visitputinbay.com/business/chicken-patio/
Day 3Kelleys Island & the Trip Home
Ferry back to the mainland, then make the short hop to Kelleys Island for glacial grooves, a Native American petroglyph and a lakefront lunch before heading home.
⛴️ Ferry — Put-in-Bay to Catawba, then on to Marblehead
~20 min crossing back · short drive to Marblehead
Miller Ferry’s boats run frequently between Put-in-Bay and Catawba Point; from there it’s a quick drive east along the Marblehead Peninsula to the dock for the Kelleys Island ferry.
Miller Ferry · www.visitputinbay.com/transport_services/miller-ferry-boat-line/
🪨 Glacial Grooves Geological Preserve & Inscription Rock
~1 hr combined · free
A National Natural Landmark where Ice Age glaciers carved grooves up to 10 feet deep into the island’s limestone bedrock, plus a roofed limestone slab nearby carved with Native American petroglyphs dated to roughly 1200–1600 AD.
🏖️ Kelleys Island State Park
~1–2 hrs · free
A 677-acre state park covering a quarter of the island, with hiking and mountain-biking trails, a sandy swimming beach, and kayak rentals — the easiest way to see the island beyond its one small village.
🦞 Lunch — Dockers Waterfront Bar and Restaurant
Lunch · $12–20 per person
A seafood-leaning menu and a wraparound patio steps from the Kelleys Island ferry dock, with lake views that make it worth timing lunch around the next boat back.
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