Visiting Marblehead

Constructed in 1821, the Marblehead Lighthouse, built of native limestone at a cost of $6520, sits on the shore of Lake Erie. Seventy-seven narrow steps lead the curious visitor to the top where a 300mm light, visible for more than 11 nautical miles on a clear night, flashes green every six seconds.

If you climb the 77 steps (as I've done several times despite my fear of heights) and look to the north, you will be rewarded with a clear view of South Bass Island where the little town of Put in Bay is a popular tourist attraction and home to Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, built as a symbol of the lasting peace between the United States, Great Britain and our northern neighbor Canada. Turn to the east, and you will have an unusual view of Cedar Point, which claims to be the number-one rated amusement park on the planet. It's also the second oldest amusement park in North America, with a history dating back to 1870.

They weren't giving tours of the lighthouse today, so we kept our feet on the ground, but this has been a beautiful day with temperatures in the 70s and a great breeze. We had a lot of fun visiting Marblehead . We also spent part of the afternoon in Lakeside, which was a pioneer community in the American Chautauqua movement in the late 19th century, but that's a story for another day, and it will probably have to wait until next year when we make our annual trip out to Ottawa County.