Put in Bay, OH – A Hidden Gem In The Midwest

Where? That is what I said when I my Dad told me that he had a wonderful, family friendly spot for us to visit this summer. Growing up on Lake Michigan, a destination on Lake Eerie truly felt foreign to me. We had spent many holidays in Ohio but never visited this surprising gem. To get to Put In Bay, you have to get to Toledo, Ohio and then ferry over by boat to this island in the Midwest (the Ferry is $8/adult and $17/car). Not only is Put In Bay beautiful, but it is also has historical significance.

Its location in between Canada and the United states provided the British army a strategic advantage during the War of 1812 (remember learning about that?!?) In any case because of its historical significance, Put In Bay is a US National Park with a sunning International Peace Monument to commemorate the battle victory. Although the island itself is only 3.7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide we were able to have a memorable visit there because of a few things that they island has done right in attracting tourism.

Casual Atmosphere

As soon as you get off the ferry, you are offered golf carts and bikes to get around the island. These are truly the most practical ( and the most fun) way to get around. A car is truly just unnecessary, parking on the island is limited and it takes longer to get to and in your car than it would just to walk most times.

The few hotels on the island are huddled together near the downtown part of the island where all the restaurants and shopping is located. The island generally is well manicured but the downtown is immaculately clean and welcoming, especially to families. There are incredible parks, a carousel, indoor and outdoor dining, water sports, and boutique ice cream and retail parlors everywhere. Its truly just picture perfect.

Engaging Park Services

Due to the historical side of Put In Bay Island and the large international Peace Memorial Park, it is impossible not to participate in the learning that is so ingrown to the community there. The park service has a very nice free museum with a theater to make sure that everyone who visit understands that Put In Bay is more than meets the eye.

Island Life

I know, it sounds funny but truly being on a island, no matter where always kind of seems exotic. There is water EVERYWHERE and it is part of every landscape. Our favorite spot that we visited EACH day we were there was the South Bass Island Lighthouse, this tiny lighthouse is located on the edge of the island with the most stunning views and breeze. The kids and I danced in the wind for hours wishing we had a kite with us.

With the bikes we were able to explore every nook and cranny of this island and I rode with my Dad at sunrise and at sunset. It was such an amazing bonding experience. ( Be aware that in the month of June, the island experiences an infestation of May Flies, large dragonfly looking insects that are harmless but literally swarm the island for two weeks.)

All in all, Put In Bay ended up being a great little getaway in the Midwest. We stayed at the Put In Bay Resort and Conference Center. I would say it was an average hotel that has a pool, continental breakfast and spotty wifi. Although it was just fine for our visit, with the tiki bar by the pool and ashtrays everywhere, the resort had a little bit of a ‘Spring Break’ vibe that I would probably veer away from next time.

If you are looking for a quick little Midwest getaway, check out Put In Bay, you won’t regret it. To see other family friendly adventures, click here.

Cheers,

Rina

Who is REALLY the hero? Mom Vs. Dad

May 10, 2017

Mother’s Day — the day we give praise to all the mother’s around us…our own mother’s, our mom friends, and even those that are like mothers. The flowers, homemade cards, and of course the school crafts all come pouring in. This is also the perfect time to think about the ironies behind how our children view mothers. For instance, do our children really view us as givers? Are we just givers of endless amounts of snacks and ridiculous requests? Let’s not mention the endless hours of sleep we are deprived of, the enormous amounts of guilt we feel, and the thousands of unfinished cups of coffee (sadly waiting on the counter all day waiting to be enjoyed)?

I once asked my children what they thought I did all day…the answers varied. My overly observant daughter replied (in a nice complete sentence), “I believe you clean and cook and make sure everything is perfect by the time we get back from school.” My son, who sees the world much MUCH simpler replied, “I don’t know…what do you do? Do you just wait by the door for us to get back home?”

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You may be wondering why I decided to title this “Mother’s Day” tribute, “The Father, The Hero…” — let me explain. Before I continue, I would like to lay out a disclaimer…this post in NO way is putting down father’s and saying they don’t do squat (even though, let’s be real…).

Spring Break — I was told to take it easy (by my very kind Doctor). My husband had already planned to take a couple days off to hang out and hopefully play some golf. Luck would have it that I’m down and the weather wasn’t golf-appropriate. He stepped up and came to the rescue (I inserted that for those about to go all “at least your husband helps…blah blah blah” on me).

What does a crazy mom do when she hears she’ll be “down” for a few days? Plan. I made sure we were stocked up on groceries (end-less snacks) for him. I made some meals — easy heat-up meals, ready to go in the refrigerator for him. I made sure all the laundry was done and folded (and EVEN put away) for him. I did all this to not only help him take over, but also to ease my own stresses on being “down.”

During my stages of bed-ridden bliss, my darling children would visit me in bed. They would bring me sweet cards, sneak me treats, and even serenade me with a song and nicely demand a TV show. During their visits, they would also go on about how “daddy was doing.”

“Daddy made us lunch mommy — JUST like you!” — so he just heated up the food I prepped and then served it? Nice.

“Daddy gave us ice cream with sprinkles AND chocolate syrup!” — so he simply scooped out ice cream and gave into the kids’ whining for more sugar? Wuss!

“Daddy laid out my pajamas for me!” — so he opened a drawer AND took the nicely folded PJs out? What a man!

Oh and my all-time favorite…

“Daddy READ us a book!” — he can read?? Get out!

Here’s my take on it…kids don’t expect their fathers to perform and execute tasks the way us moms do. They expect the whole “your mommy is better at this than I am so just bear with me” spiel. They naturally expect their mothers to complete tasks effortlessly. I asked a male friend about this and he simply replied, “you ladies are just naturally better than we are.”

And with that — the end.

There’s a reason my children were incredibly happy when I was back — their routines were back in place. They were happy that lunch was prepared for them by ME, they were actually content with MY dessert portions, they appreciated the way I kept their lives in order (including their never-ending laundry), and they really enjoyed MY story-times with them. Even though my husband tried his best, there’s nothing that could replace a mother’s touch. That unique blend of love, care, and sometimes over compulsive behavior! A mother knows how it should be done and even when things blow up, she can effortlessly fix it without a second thought.

Happy Mother’s Day, ladies…you may have a crummy day today or hopefully not. Just know, you’ve got this — you don’t need to try to be the BEST because in your childrens’ eyes, you already are. Simple.

Cheers to that!

Your brainy chick,

Komi