Put-in-Bay Visitors Stories
Whatever the highlight of your trip, and whoever yout ravelled with, we want you to share it with others who may be planning a trip to Put-in-Bay so they can get a "taste of the Bay"! We've selected a few Trip Advisor comments to start out and will add YOUR stories as we receive them!
- GretaB - Ohio - Aug 31, 2011
- Put in Bay is FANTASTIC! Visited for a full day, and I wish we would have stayed ON the island for the entire weekend, instead of OFF the island in Port Clinton! We did not want to leave on the last Jet Express Boat taking us back to Port Clinton!
Definitly rent a golf cart, mopeds or a bike to get around the island..alot of the different attractions are spaced out from each other on the island..and it was so much fun to ride around in a golf cart the entire day too!
Went to Heineman's Winery and Put in Bay Winery...excellent wine at both places and friendly staff! Enjoyed the selection of different wines..yummy! Visited Perry's Memorial, but unfortunatly the memorial itself was closed, so we were unable to go up into the memorial..but, we did go to the museum and watched a neat movie about Perry's Memorial and learned alot..there was even a neat musket demonstrator on the back lawn of the memorial that showed us how the soldiers back in the war days used muskets. There were alot of other things we visited and seen as well on Put in Bay..and the nightlife was so much fun! We even seen a live band play 80s music at the Boathouse Bar and Grille and they were GREAT!! Loved them!!!
- Aerobeemer - Canfield, OH - Aug 27, 2011
- My wife and I have been going to PIB the middle week of September (and will go again this year)for the last seven years. We also will be taking our two year old. We feel this is a great time to go as it is not overly crowded. We always make the butterfly house a must see attraction. As far as restaurants we prefer are Axel & Harry's (a little pricey), Goat Soup & Whiskey, and the Boathouse. I believe that most of the major attractions and restaurants are still open at this time of year but noticed the carousel is closed and cameo pizza is not open during the week. We enjoy the two parks and the beach at our lakefront rental home. Hope You have a great time!
- ALMAR1988 - Amherstburg, Canada - August 15, 2011
- For anyone in the Lake Erie area, this island holds the most enjoyable summer experience. You can reach the island by personal watercraft or a ferry from Port Clinton Ohio. There is everything you can imagine to fill your day..beach, watersports,museums, shopping, winery tours, cave tours, butterfly house and much more. They have an incredible choice of restaurants, from seafood, steaks, italian to Irish pub fare. Every meal is a differenet experience. Nightlife is a choice of many different venues you can experience by just wandering down the main road which surrounds a lovely park. Island transportation is mainly golf carts and mopeds. A perfect place for all ages to enjoy.
- PinnellMom - Columbus, OH - Aug 10, 2011
- You can walk about anywhere in PIB for the golfcart rentals. There are discounts too at the Jet Express ticket office if you ask. I believe if you have AAA there is also a discount on the Jet Express. We went last year to PIB, had a wonderful day, rented jet skis and tooled around the island on the golfcart.
- IrishLake - Cincinnati, OH - Aug 10, 2011
- No, you don't NEED a golf cart to get around, BUT it sure is fun, especially during the daytime before the bars really get busy. If you want to visit the various parts of the island, just drive around and have fun, go to the winery, etc, it's a great way to go. I don't know if there are lockers available anywhere. Seems to me if there are, they would be near the ferry docks, or at the bike/cart rental offices.
You will see all sorts of people on PiB. People you described, 20 somethings, college kids, lots of bachelor and bachelorette parties, 50+ years baby boomers, and families during the day. You'll see everyone at night, minus the families with kids (for the most part, I have seen little kids in the bars before, but that was years ago).
No beach really, but there are some public pools that have bars like the Put-in-Bay Resort & Conference Center. I would think they offer lockers as well at the public washroom. Do a google search.
A few main things to keep in mind:
1 You CAN get a DUI while driving a golf cart or riding a bike. Have someone in your party stay sober.
2 You CAN miss your boat if you're not paying attention to a clock. Check the schedules for when the last boats leave, and buy your tickets for those boats ASAP, as they sell out fast.
- PinnellMom - Columbus, OH - Aug 10, 2011
- I would recommend renting the golf cart for the day, it is just so much fun. There is a lot to do on the island. It is pretty laid back. There are mainly 30+ year olds and everyone just seems to be having a good time. Try the walleye or perch at any of the restaurants, it is all good. There are a lot of open-area seating with entertainment all over. I like the cave tour, nice and cool.
- farmerswife1 - Pittsburgh, PA - Aug 05, 2011
- We spent the last weekend in July 2011 on Put In Bay.
- JOZ99 - Cleveland, OH - Aug 01, 2011
- Most of the pools are open to the public, and during the week I would imagine they are fairly calm and "kid friendly". On the weekend however, they are giant adult pool parties with DJ's, Bands, and tons of alcohol flowing. On a busy Saturday, they can best be described as a spring break atmosphere.
- TravelinAdams - USA - Jul 31, 2011
- Put In Bay is gorgeous! If you are looking for a fun way to explore coastal Ohio, this could be for you. Beware--it's not too family friendly here. At least from what we experienced. The crowd gets pretty rowdy! We chose to meet college friends at the campground on the island. I love to camp, and we had a blast--but this is not your "get away from it all" campground. Be prepared for bachelor parties and noise. If that is what you are looking for, you'll be in good company. The facilities were nice and clean. The showers were plentiful and well maintained. The beach here is also very nice! Book early if you want a campsite on the lake--well worth it!
- Beenaroundtheworld2 - North Chicago, IL - Jul 28, 2011
- This has become an annual trip for us Women. Taking a ferry over makes the experience interesting each time as we tend to bring too much but it makes us laugh. We rent golf carts for transportation to see the Island and get around. The little town is cute with plenty of places to eat at and drink at. The night spots are fun and we danced til they closed the places. Pizza after hours is available and everyone here is so friendly. We DO go after kids are back in college so it is not as obnoxious. I would NOT bring young children here unless you keep them away from the town area. We enjoy the harbor & seeing the vineyards butterfly house etc. Each year we do something a little different and squeeze a lot in. Shopping is so-so. Too touristy, they could get some nicer stores for the more serious shopper with money to spend...It is a blast here. Would recommend it for a girls weekend for all age women.
- tommybear - Illinois - Jul 11, 2011
- We stopped at Perry's Cave on our trip to Put-In-Bay Island. The kids really wanted to do the fort maze & had a good time working their way through that. We walked thru the antique car museum, which was really small, but did have some unique vehicles in it! We decided to do the cave tour & it was really interesting... I was amazed that the kids really enjoyed that too, plus it was amazing to cool off.
My daughter did the gem mining & was so happy to find so many gems in her bag! Overall, it's a little touristy & pricey. I'd recommend picking what you really want to do, as the combo packs didn't really fit our interests.
- pfxlax - Carlsbad, CA - Jun 15, 2011
- Baystomers Bi Plane Tour is a unique experience. Most folks will never ride in an open cockpit Bi Plane, but Baystormers offers about a 15 minute flight for 2 around Put In Bay for 150.00. Baystormers usually flies on Saturday and Sunday from around 1000 until sunset. The plane is cool, the pilot is cool (his name is Rick) and the flight is fun! Bring your camera.
- rosemurex - Northwest, OH - Apr 21, 2011
- Put-in-Bay is also a family place, recently, two Family Fun centers have grown; putt-putt, caves, gem mining, Butterfly House, go carts, arcade games, plus there are parks, family events, kayaks, jet skis, parasail, caves, the Memorial, wildlife museum, fish hatchery. The parties exist too, but they're centered in the town/bar area on summer weekend nights. The Miller Ferries from Catawba carry people, cars, bicycles, luggage & freight. If you come without a car with a lot of goods, tell the ticket booth attendant to hail a cart to help transport your items aboard. Or, if you bring a car, you won't have to worry about loading items on the boat, & you'll save the cost of renting island transportation. In summer peak you may encounter a car waiting line on Thurs. pm + Fri. going to Put-in-Bay & again on Sun. coming off Put-in-Bay. There's a grocery, carry out + hardware store on the island, & reasonably priced.
- Kilarney - Livonia, MI - Apr 21, 2011
- I have been to PIB for the weekend with adults only and loved it. We had a great time BUT it was a HUGE party and I would not have wanted my child with me. During the week it may be completely different but I've only been on weekends so I don't know the difference.
That being said I did bring my daughter, I believe she was 9 at the time, for just a day trip. We took the Miller Ferry that docks at the back of the island away from the downtown. We rented a golf cart, toured Perry's Cave, went gem mining and played miniature golf. We had a ton of fun! I would go again with children but only for a day trip unless I had lodging away from the downtown.
We drove by downtown on our golf cart around 4:30-5:00 and it was already looking pretty rambunctious. During the day PIB is fine but at night the town is a gigantic party.
