Being the end of his vacation time and not sure if we will get any more adventure days in before I go back to school. Drew wanted to do something pretty big. This has been our State Park summer and there were two located in a city where we could easily make it to two neighboring states easily. Of course, we had to find things to do in those states so they would count. Since the State Parks we were going to visit were in far northeast Indiana, I suggested finding things along Lake Erie to do. Drew went right to work locating points of interest and planning the best way to make this tri-state trip happen.
We made a stop at Love's in Goshen for breakfast, iced tea and coffee then headed to our first stop of the day. We drove through some rain to get to Pokagon State Park in Angola, IN. It was drizzly so we didn't spend as much time there as we have at some other parks. I spent time walking through the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp where young men lived from 1934-1942 while they built the park. They were given jobs through the public works program started by President Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression. The buildings are gone but there are markers and informational signs where each one stood. Due to the way the trees have grown, you can see where each building was. It's really neat to walk through where these young men lived while they worked on building the park you're standing in the middle of. 
Through the rain, I took the walk down the path to the beach. It was only sprinkling when I left the parking lot. By the time I reached the beach, it was pouring! Obviously, I didn't spend much time there. But I can tell you that the beach is very nice. It's a decent size for being in a State Park (their beaches tend to be smaller, with the exception of Indiana Dunes) but this one was the largest I've seen at any of the other parks. It was very clean and there was plenty of space for the families that chose to stick it out through the rain. There is a sand volleyball area and a bath house. It's a bit of a walk to the beach from the parking area. But on a day when it's not raining, it would certainly be worth the walk!
In addition to the CCC camp and the beach, there are playgrounds scattered throughout the park, beautiful picnic shelters, lots of picnic tables, trails to explore, a toboggan run with a warming center and nice bathrooms. The camping areas looked very nice as we drove through. As with the other State Parks we've visited, this one is very clean and well cared for. When we left there, we went a little way down the street to Trine State Recreation Area. There are many biking and hiking trails throughout the park as well as a wetland conservation area. There is a nice playground for children and cabins you can rent. The lodge at the back of the park looked beautiful from the outside as did the smaller cabins nearby. While there isn't a lot to do other than hike or bike, this park is beautiful! I've said it before and I'll say it again...no matter what state you live in, take time to check out your State Parks! They really are gems. 
Now on to Lake Erie. Obviously, I've seen Lake Michigan hundreds of times (if not more). As a teenager, I've see a snippet of Lake Erie from Cedar Point. But honestly, between being more worried about my time with my friends, riding some rides and just being a teenager who didn't care about the world around her, I didn't pay attention to anything except for Cedar Point. That all changed this week. We went to Paper District Marina in Sandusky, Ohio. Besides being a beautiful marina, there is a beautiful view of Lake Erie. There are places to walk along and look out at the lake as well as tables to sit at and have a picnic or just relax near the lake. There is also a cafe right along the shore. The parking is free and the marina is located just outside of the downtown shops. When we were done at the marina, we stopped at Boom Town Coffee so I could get a little caffeine boost to continue our travels. It's a cute little coffee shop right in the heart of downtown Sandusky. 
Our next stop was Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. Sadly, the museum and keeper's house are closed. You're also unable to tour the lighthouse at this time. But that doesn't take away the fact that there are gorgeous views of Lake Erie, an absolutely stunning lighthouse and lots of area to picnic. Along the lake shore are two large pairs of binoculars for viewing the lake. Next to each pair is a sign telling what you can see from that view. You can fish along the shore, walk in the small sandy area long the water or sit on the rocks to watch the lake. It's a very quiet little park with no admission fee. 
We headed west along the shores of Lake Erie to the town of Port Clinton, Ohio because Drew saw they had a lighthouse. Well, let me tell you that we almost missed it! When we saw this tiny little lighthouse (half the size of any other lighthouse we've seen and maybe even smaller), we laughed so hard! However, there is a sign next to it explaining that this is a replica of the original lighthouse and therefore not as tall. But it was very pretty and the view of the lake was gorgeous! There were people fishing, sitting along the lake, swimming and playing in the sand. After spending a short time there, we headed just around the corner and went to Frisch's Big Boy for dinner. The food was good and the service was great! It was the first we had eaten since breakfast. Just like last week, we were having so much fun we didn't even think to eat lunch until 5:00!
We had two parks in Toledo, Ohio we wanted to check out. Bayview Park was the first. We didn't stay long because, as we pulled in, we could easily see the name was very deceiving. It neither had a view of the bay nor was it much of a park. It was a grassy field across a drive from a yacht club marina. The marina was packed so full you could barely even see the water they were docked in. So, we went a short distance away to Cullen Park. It's a small park along Lake Erie. There were lots of people fishing along the lake. We took some pictures and headed on our way because we had another state to get to. 
We made our way north to Luna Pier, Michigan. It's a small lakeside community along the shores of Lake Erie. They have a beautiful beach, a very large pier you can fish from, a gorgeous lighthouse and lots of places to sit along the lake. It was so incredibly peaceful there that we had to force ourselves to head home. There is a fee to park but it was only $2 for an hour. It was well worth it! The pier is situated perfectly so you could sit in the same spot to see both the sunrise and the sunset...but I wouldn't recommend sitting there the whole day between the two. haha Luna Pier is definitely worth the trip! We plan to go back and explore the town a bit more...and definitely sit along that pier again!
We left on Wednesday morning and we pulled back into the driveway Thursday morning. OK, it was 12:15 but it was still Thursday! We may have spent more time driving than we spent out of the car. But we had so much tome to chat and laugh together along the way. We had the option of taking the toll road or go through all the little towns. Let me tell you, if you travel and have that choice, NEVER choose the toll road! While I would love the chance to drive fast (and not worry about getting a ticket), you miss so much when you're on the toll road and what's the point of paying to drive on a road when you can see so much more and enjoy so many more sights for free? Besides, the names of some of the tiny towns you travel through are priceless. Last week we "rambled through Bramble" and "freely drove through Freedom." Yesterday we "assume we passed through Assumption" and "brought good things to light in Sylvania." Road trips aren't all about the destination but the journey getting there.
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