Avon Lake is located along the Lake Erie shoreline and stretches for approximately five miles forming a northward arch into the lake. The city lies on a part of Tract Seven of the Connecticut Western Reserve, lands that were reserved for families whose farms had been destroyed or who lost their belongings during the Revolutionary War.

The city traces its history back to the very early 1800's when the area started as a farming community and progressed to grape growing vineyards. Later, Avon Lake became a lakeshore summer cottage resort and is now a growing suburb.

In 1810 Jonathan Hale, a farmer from Glastonbury, Connecticut, arrived in the Western Reserve. As a gesture of good faith, Hale guaranteed the debts of a friend in Connecticut. Unfortunately for Hale, the man was not able to settle these debts, thus forcing Hale to pay them. Hale was forced to sell his house and farm in Connecticut, and with $1,250 left from his shrunken assets, he purchased 500 acres of land and ventured to the Western Reserve.

Upon arrival Hale found a squatter settled on his property. Respecting the work the man had done, such as clearing the fields and building a cabin, Hale gave him his horse and wagon in exchange for his efforts and hence began the Hale Homestead.

In 1825 Hale began constructing a sparkling three-story red brick house using materials from his property. At the time of completion, this was one of only two brick homes in the Cuyahoga Valley. Three generations of the family lived in this house and farmed the property.

Part of Hale Farm and Village is Wheatfield Village. Wheatfield Village never really existed, but the historic buildings are original 19th century structures built within Ohio's Western Reserve. Facing demolition, they were acquired by the Hale Farm and moved to the site as part of a "historic preservation through relocation" program. Today they provide an intimate view of commercial and domestic life in mid-19th century Ohio.

For what it's worth, Jonathan Hale was my great-great-great-great grandfather.

The city of Bay Village (my hometown!) lies along the Lake Erie shore and is approximately 10 miles west of the city of Cleveland.

The first permanent settlers, the Joseph Cahoon family, arrived and settled in 1810. By 1818, the Cahoons had built a four-bedroom frame house on a grassy hillside above the creek. Joseph called it the most beautiful spot in America. The house stands today as the Rose Hill Museum, filled with Cahoon and other early settlers’ memorabilia.

John Huntington, one of the original partners in the Standard Oil Company, built a summer estate in 1880 on 100 acres of land, now known as Huntington Reservation, part of the Cleveland Metroparks System. The park features the only public beach between Cleveland and Lorain.

Kelley’s Island is located in the western basin of Lake Erie about four miles north of Marblehead and twelve miles from Sandusky on the Ohio mainland. The entire island measures more than four square miles and is the largest fresh water American island in Lake Erie. A short drive from Cleveland makes Kelley’s seem right next door, yet the Canadian Border lies only a few miles north of the island.

Remnants of the island's past can be seen throughout the island as the entire island is on the National Register of Historical Places.

A group of 12 high school girlfriends made this trip as we had all turned 50 in 2007!

Located in the shallow western end of Lake Erie is a group of 20 or more islands. One of these, Put-in-Bay or South Bass, served as a base of operations for Oliver Hazard Perry. It was from the harbor called Put-in-Bay that Perry sailed to defeat the British fleet under Robert H. Barclay during the war of 1812. The American victory in the battle of Lake Erie gave the country and the United States Navy a memorable slogan of positive accomplishments, "We have met the enemy and they are ours..." Today there stands at Put-in-Bay a beautiful 352-foot Greek Doric column, the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.

The brigs, ships, and sloops are long gone and their place has been taken by yachts and sailboats. Many captains of these pleasure craft plot a course for Put-in-Bay seeking relaxation from the tensions of the city. Others board the ferryboats or airplanes for their trip to an island in Ohio's Lake Erie vacationland. Urban and rural tourists have been coming the Put-in-Bay for over 100 years. One can also explore the depths of the caves, bicycle around the island, or sip locally produced wine.