Sandusky



Sandusky is a city in Ohio Erie shore west and county seat of Erie County, on Ohio's north coast along Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo. It is perhaps best known for Cedar Point Amusement Park, home to some of the world's tallest and fastest roller coasters. It is one of Ohio's prettiest downtowns and is very clean. Walking along the waterfront in the business district should be considered very safe compared to most cities. There is a pier for those who want to fish. They say late winter fishing is great at the pier due to the fish gathering in Sandusky Bay for spawning in the local rivers and streams. Elevation: 580ft/176.8m.

By boat
A popular way of traveling during summer is by ferry, many companies offers day cruises and excursion trips to the Lake Erie Islands. Some of the larger companies includes Jet Express, that runs daily ferries during summer to and from Kelleys Island, Cedar Point and South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay). Additionally, Owen Sound Transportation Company runs the largest passenger ferry along the Lake Erie, the MV Jiimaan, between Leamington, Pelee Island and Sandusky.

Most ferries arrive at, located at 101 West Shoreline Dr at the northern end of Jackson St.

Launch ramps

 * Shelby Street Boat Launch, 101 Shelby St. +1 419-621-1059. Host to many fishing tournaments.

Marinas

 * Castaway Bay Marina 10 Harbor Parkway. +1 419-626-3611
 * Cedar Point Marina 1 Cedarpoint Dr. +1 419-627-2334
 * Lyman Harbor at Lyman Harbor, 1615 First St. +1 419-625-9626
 * Safe Harbor Sandusky, 1 Huron St., +1 419-627-1201

By car

 * On the Ohio Turnpike (I-80):
 * Take Exit 118(7) and follow the signs west on U.S. 250.
 * Take Exit 110(6A) and follow State Route 4 north.

By train

 * Train operator:
 * All services pass through in the middle of the night, often making rail travel quite inconvenient. Routes stopping at Sandusky:
 * Capitol Limited operates daily between Chicago and Washington, D.C. including stops in South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Alliance, Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville.
 * Lake Shore Limited operating daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. It makes stops at most stations along the route, though it does not stop at some of the smallest stations. Trains consist of train cars from both branches between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer).  The trains split into separate branches between Albany (Rensselaer) and both Boston and New York City.  Stops between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer) include South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Schenectady. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and Boston include Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham.



Get around
Driving is easy and pleasurable. Ferries to the islands leave from downtown Sandusky, Catawba Island, Marblehead and Port Clinton to the west. If you are just pleasure driving, consider going west along the lake to Marblehead, Catawba Island and Port Clinton. These are more scenic areas with plenty of tourist attractions. Be on the outlook for bicycles and pedestrians during the day and after dark. Traffic and drinking while driving laws are strictly enforced.

Pedestrian traffic is prohibited on the Cedar Point causeway (and is very impractical).
 * Sandusky Perkins Area Ride Connection (SPARC), +1 419-627-0740. The SPARC offers three routes to various stops around the city of Sandusky and Perkins Township including the Sandusky Mall, museums, stores, and area businesses., to view a schedule. Rides are $1/person; exact change required. Deviation routes up to 1/2 mile are offered with a 24-hour advanced reservation.
 * There are several taxi companies offering transportation throughout the city and most offer call ahead service.

See
The main attraction is of course Cedar Point, but the surrounding area along the lake offers plenty to see. By going west toward Catawba Island (which is accessed by a land bridge), you will find plenty of historic sites like the Marblehead Lighthouse from where you can see Cedar Point, or picnic, fish or watch the lake boat traffic and enjoy the coolest breeze in Ohio. Johnson Island has a Civil War Cemetery at the site of a Civil War Officers prison compound. The area is littered with historic sites. The older cemeteries in Sandusky and on the islands are also very interesting for those who appreciate stone carving.

Often overlooked is the beach at Cedar Point, one of the nicest and cleanest beaches on Lake Erie. It is adjacent to the Breakers Hotel at Cedar Point and outside Cedar Point fence. Seldom, if ever crowded.



Do
Sandusky and the surrounding areas are hopping from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Tourists travel from all over the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions to visit Cedar Point and many other amusement venues, and for boating, fishing and island hopping on the nearby Lake Erie Islands. If you are planning to fish and are not familiar with the area, keep in mind that although you catch some fish from the shore, those with the big catches are fishing offshore. Charter boats can provide everything you need except a license, for about $100 per person per day or more. They, and the "head boats", have navigation equipment and sonar equipment to find the fish at spots the boat owners are familiar with on the lake. Head boats are not quite as fancy and take more people, but prices are as low as $35 per head.


 * - located in Sandusky
 * - located in Sandusky
 * - located in Sandusky

Buy
If you are visiting the Sandusky area during the summer months, you will find plenty of fresh veggies, peaches, tomatoes, sweetcorn, grapes are all grown locally and available at the orchards to the west.

Eat
Sandusky, being on the North Coast of Ohio offers some of the finest fresh water seafood available. The fresh water perch and walleye available in the area are fantastic. Other local favorites include turtle, white bass, pickerel and frog's legs. At the west edge of Sandusky is Toft's Dairy. They have a large ice cream parlor with great milk shakes and sodas.

Drink

 * Louie's: The favorite watering hole of the Cedar Point Staff. It's located just off Cedar Point Drive. On busy nights, patrons are required to show a Cedar Point employee ID.
 * Louie's: The favorite watering hole of the Cedar Point Staff. It's located just off Cedar Point Drive. On busy nights, patrons are required to show a Cedar Point employee ID.

Sleep
During the tourist season (no doubt due to Cedar Point), accommodations can be higher priced and rooms may be hard to come by. The main tourist season begins in early June, after most schools have finished for the summer, and doesn't end until late August when schools resume classes.

Splurge



 * Battle of the Indoor Water Parks, Sandusky boasts many indoor water parks/resorts that draw families from all over the Great Lakes states:

Stay safe
If swimming on Lake Erie, have a buddy nearby who can help if needed.

Go next

 * Huron
 * Leamington, Ontario, Canada. Canada's southernmost city. By ferry.
 * North Coast Beaches. Along the southern shore of Lake Erie are a large number of public beaches.
 * Lake Erie Islands. Located west of Cleveland, a group of picturesque and festive islands in Lake Erie are accessible via ferry. In addition to several Ohio State Parks located on the islands, there is plenty to do including wineries, restaurants, bars, marinas and beaches.
 * Port Clinton is a quaint fishing town on Lake Erie about 20 minutes west of Sandusky. It also provides ferries to the Lake Erie Islands as well as head boats and charters for fishing.
 * Vermilion
 * Catawba Island, just west of Sandusky and accessible by road, offers a number of marinas, fishing charters and other Lake Erie shore activities.
 * Marblehead, also to the west. You can see Marblehead Peninsula and the lighthouse from Sandusky or Cedar Point. Be sure you take some time and climb to the top. A Ferry to Kelly's Island leaves from Marblehead.
 * Milan, Birthplace of Thomas A. Edison, inventor.
 * Cleveland is about 1 hour and 13 minutes east on Ohio State Route 2. Home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
 * Toledo is about 1 hour and 9 minutes west on Ohio State Route 2. Check out the Toledo Zoo.