A peaceful, EASY FEELING
Middle Bass Island a quiet retreat
Editor’s note: A familiar name returns to our pages this week. Steve Stephens, who was a longtime travel writer for The Dispatch, is contributing freelance travel stories for us. We hope you enjoy the journeys that Steve leads us on.
MIDDLE BASS ISLAND – White pelicans are not the kind of creatures that can easily sneak up on someone. h Nevertheless, the majestic birds, among the largest in North America, were one of many pleasant surprises I encountered during a recent week on Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie. h
I’d been looking for a fun, but restful, lake destination for a family vacation. A visit to Put-in-bay is always fun, but “restful” is not an adjective that would immediately come to mind while describing the lively village on South Bass Island. h Instead, we decided to give Middle Bass, South Bass’s less-raucous neighbor, a shot. We were glad we did. h During our stay, the biggest hoopla was a fundraiser for the local historical society. The auction, held on the lawn next to the town hall, seemed to attract everyone on Middle Bass, a crowd about the size of a slow night at the Roundhouse
Bar at Put-in-bay across the channel.
Middle Bass is not a party island, unless your idea of a party includes nature walks, calm kayaking and bicycle rides down sleepy roads. The island isn’t completely snoozy, however. Visitors can enjoy three restaurants, a small general store and, on the lovely and historic grounds of the former Lonz Winery, a delightful new coffee shop, The Island Grind, which became our morning hangout.
The old winery and new coffee shop are both located within Middle Bass State Park, which also hosts a large marina.
No bridges connect the Bass Islands to the mainland, which adds significantly to their charm. But getting to Middle Bass is quite convenient, even for non-boaters. Miller Boat Line ferries make the round trip several times each day from docks near Port Clinton. Passengers can buy a ticket just before boarding, but visitors who are taking a motor vehicle to Middle Bass need to reserve a spot on the ferry in advance.
A passenger ferry, the Sonny-s, also makes the short island hop between Middle Bass and downtown Put-in-bay several times a day. We rode the Sonny-s once during our stay, lunching at one of Put-in-bay’s many restaurants and visiting Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. But one day “in town” was plenty for us.
Lodging options are limited on Middle Bass. There are no hotels or motels, and just a few rental cabins and condos. My wife and I, four kids and daughterin-law stayed in a sprawling lakefront house I’d found on VRBO.
Although a car was handy to have for all our gear, the island is small enough to bicycle to any destination, and our host had conveniently provided enough bicycles for everyone in our group.
The lake view from our rental house, on the island’s north shore, was magnificent, with the sun setting dramatically beneath the water each evening in the channel between Sugar and North Bass islands.
The spot was also perfect for kayaking. Some of us paddled across the calm, mile-wide channel to North Bass, the site of another state park; and on another trip paddled around Middle Bass to the Scheeff East Point Preserve, one of several island nature preserves.
I and my wife, an avid birdwatcher, also enjoyed quiet morning strolls along a road that leads past the island’s little airstrip and two nature preserves, Petersen Woods and Kuehnle State Wildlife Area. The marshy preserves were covered with water lilies and filled with wading birds such as black-crowned night herons, great blue herons and great egrets. We also were frequently enthralled by bald eagles soaring overhead.
The biggest avian thrill, however, was the white pelicans, which, with a nine-foot wingspan, are second in size on this continent only to California condors. Although I’ve enjoyed watching white pelicans soar and swim in Florida and along the Mississippi River, I was startled to find that the birds, whose long naked beaks and huge wings give them an almost prehistoric appearance, had recently made their way to Lake Erie.
I could hardly believe that the gigantic flotilla of 100 birds bobbing just offshore from our lakehouse could be pelicans. However, a quick internet search
Visitors can enjoy three restaurants, a small general store and, on the lovely and historic grounds of the former Lonz Winery. The island is small enough to bicycle to any destination, and our host had conveniently provided enough bicycles for everyone in our group.
confirmed that the birds, first seen on Lake Erie just a few years ago, have already established nesting colonies nearby.
They, like my family, apparently enjoy what they’ve found around Middle Bass Island.
For more information on Middle Bass Island and the surrounding region, call the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome Center at 1-800-255-3743 or visit shoresandislands.com.
Email Steve Stephens at sjstephensjr @gmail.com.