A row of golf carts in downtown Put-In-Bay
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
We went to Put-in-Bay, OH over the weekend. I-Had-Never Been-There-Before. In fact, I had never heard of it before Wednesday of last week when J asked about taking a day trip there. The town is on South Bass Island, in the middle of Lake Erie. It’s not too far from Sandusky. The island has a couple of caves that one can tour, a huge monument to Oliver Hazard Perry (who, from what I can tell, single-handedly defeated the entire British Navy using only a salad fork, his left shoe, and a lead pipe), lots of bars and restaurants, and many other attractions. We rented a golf cart to drive around the island, which the kids enjoyed. I was surprised how much I liked the tour of the winery (it was part of the admission to one of the cave tours), given that I rarely drink wine. The kids liked the caves, too, and enjoyed “panning” for minerals at one of the family fun centers. Ask them about it sometime.
One of the “caves” was not a cave in the traditional sense – it was actually a geode. We were standing inside what they claim is the world’s largest geode, a piece of which is at the Smithsonian. (Spain also claims to have the largest geode.) The cave/geode was found when the winery people were drilling for water. If you are claustrophobic, or have a debilitating fear of giant underground crystal formations, I recommend not going on this tour. The other cave, which was across the street, was larger, and Perry and his boys found clear drinking water in it – there was a very nice-looking lake at the bottom of the cave. This water is said to have been a welcome relief for the troops after drinking the water from Lake Erie, which apparently made them sick. Coming in on the ferry, we could easily see how this was possible. This cave had one fairly small room in it whose entrance had a low ceiling dubbed “Headache Rock” by the tour guide, for reasons that would be clear to you if you saw it or hit your head on it.
The day we were there, the Budweiser Clydesdales were on the island, bringing to all peoples a message of peace and quaint beer commercialism. We made sure to be downtown when they arrived, but I was disappointed in the horses. They were pretty and all, but I thought they did tricks and dance routines, or sang songs, or talked like Mr. Ed or something. All they did was walk slowly. This might have passed as entertainment in the old days, but not now. I think they should cash those horses in for a blimp or a boat that jumps off ramps or some monkeys in clown suits. Now that would be fun to watch. Believe it or not, there is a guy who travels with the horses whose job is, in part, to wipe slobber off the horses’ lips. Really. Horse slobber. That probably wasn’t his only job – I’m guessing he also has to pick dirt and roadkill out of the horses’ hooves. Or help sober them up from a long night of drinking Bud out of their trough. This person’s job is a small step up from riding the little golf cart at the rear of the procession, carrying the shovels and pails, but only a small one.
The Budweiser Clydesdales and wagon. Note that the wagon was not put before the horses. (Not shown: Slobber-wiping assistant.)
We did the whole trip in one day, and overall it was a successful outing. It is our understanding that the waterfront turns into a giant party at night, and we could see signs of that reputation being true as we were leaving the main downtown area at about 6:30 pm. Bring Your-Party-Hat if you’re going to Stay-After-Dark in Put-in-Bay.
Soccer and UM Happenings
Soccer practices start again this week, and UM football takes over next weekend with the season opener against UConn (pronounced "Connecticut"). Students move in this week, so it will be back to long lines at the campus ice cream places until spring. And Meijer will be completely full of students buying beanbag chairs, full-length mirrors, and plastic milk crate shelves for a solid week.
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