Every year we take the kids for a day trip to Put-in-Bay! Put-in-Bay is a one tank trip getaway and a fun place for the whole family. Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. The population was 138 at the 2010 census. It’s a cute quaint little town with lots to do.
Put-in-Bay Ohio is one of the most unique places you will ever visit. It is a tiny two by four mile island and filled with historic homes, the nation’s third tallest monument, quaint restaurants and local pubs. Beautiful water surrounds Put-in-Bay. There are not even that many cars on the island, most people get around by golf cart
We headed out to Put-in-Bay on Monday. During the week it’s nice and quiet, the weekends can get busy with boaters and vacationers. The kids love catching the Miller Ferry in Catawba to take the big boat over to the island Put-in-Bay. That in itself is an experience. It’s a big ferry boat with people, bikes and even cars. It’s just a quick 20 minute ride to the island and boats run every half hour. Make sure you know when the last boat from Put-in-Bay to the main island is, times vary depending on the day.
After our boat ride we arrived on the island and rented our golf cart at Island Bike & Cart Rental. There are a lot of golf cart rental places but this one is right when you get off the Miller Boat Ferry so it’s very convenient. We jumped into our cart and headed over to the Boardwalk, known for their lobster bisque. I also love their shrimp wraps. We have to stop there every time. It’s also nice because you are right on the water. You can watch all the boats come in and dock. Very pretty.
The boys at the Boardwalk at Put-in-Bay
After lunch we stopped in the center of town so the boys could play on the playground. It’s hard for them to see this and not want to stop here for a little bit. After they burned off their lunch time for ice cream. My favorite place to stop is the Candy Bar!
I love the Candy Bar. It’s located in the heart of downtown Put-in-Bay they offer a delicious variety of handmade chocolates, fudge, saltwater taffy, ice cream and over 500 kinds of candies! It’s like the candy you had when you were a kid. Tons of stuff! A great place to stop and look around and grab an ice cream cone!
After we got our sugar rush we jumped back on the Golf Cart and cruised the little island of Put-in-Bay a bit. It is a small island but a small island with a lot to see. It’s so pretty and with every turn you discover a new place! I can’t believe how many restaurants are on this small island. There is also a lot of shopping. Little gift shops and souvenir shops. We drove around for a bit and decided to stop and play some mini golf.
There is a great place on the island called Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center. There is a lot to do here. You can explore the caves, visit the butterfly house, play mini golf, climb the rock wall, go through the fort amaze, do some gemstone mining, and play laser tag. You could easily spend a few hours here. We decided to play 18 holes of mini golf.
After mini golf it was time to hop in the golf cart and check out Adventure Bay. Adventure Bay Amusement Park is great fun and adventure for guests of all ages. Just a few of the attractions include a redemption Arcade, Video Games and Ride Simulators, Brunswick’s Virtual Bowling Lanes, Animaland Stuff your own Collectible Animal, Water Blaster Bumper Boats, Water Wars, Batting and Soccer cages, Sport fishing Simulator, remote control boats, kiddie rides and an electric go cart track! We took a spin on the go carts. It was me and Ryan and then Sean and Steve. Me and Ryan lost. I realized I am not a great go cart driver. Sean and Steve drove circles around us! It was fun though!
After the go carts back in the cart we went back into the center of town and walked around some of the souvenir shops. We then headed back to Miller Ferry to catch the 5:00 pm boat ride. The kids did not want to go but they were exhausted! They were trying to fall asleep on the boat ride home, we kept them awake by giving them more candy we got that day : ) Do what you gotta do!
We made it to the car and they were out. Then we have just an 1.5 hour ride home. Put-in-Bay is a great day trip or vacation for families. There is a lot to do and explore. We love going out there and we are very lucky it’s so close. If you are trying to fit in another quick family outing consider Put-in-Bay, it’s a special place!
Disclosure: My Miller Ferry tickets and Golf Cart for the day were compensated. All opinions are my own.
