Put-In-Bay and Kelleys Island

• OSH

  

  I am contemplating on taking my wife to Put-In-Bay and/or Kelleys Island this summer.
  
  She's never been and I know that these two places are nice and she'd really like them.
  
  I am looking at some advice in where to stay and what to expect in terms of prices. I found a place that I can get for $75 per night (weeknight), and I haven't found a better price. It's a really nice place too, maybe a bed and breakfast. I am going to try and stay away from "Christmas in July" time. I also know that a ferry ride is going to be roughly $14-18 per person.
  
  Can anyone lead me in the right direction on lodging, activities, food joints, or other activities that we could look at or go to?
• Fab4Runner

  

  Can't help with lodging because we always camp at PIB but my favorite bars are Roundhouse, Mr. Ed's and Beer Barrel. I've never had a bad time anywhere on the island, though. I think Frosty's Pizza is bomb dot com but I am always hammered when we get it so who knows.
• ou1980

  PIB----PARTY
  
  KI-----Sights, shops, peaceful
• muffy

  You may want to do Kelley's on the weekend and PIB during the week, if you want to have a good time without it crowded with people.
  
  We have a 32' boat and stay on it so I don't have any recommendations for where to stay.
• Fab1b

  

  I love bar hopping PIB!!
• se-alum

  

  Fab4Runner;722274 wrote:Can't help with lodging because we always camp at PIB but my favorite bars are Roundhouse, Mr. Ed's and Beer Barrel. I've never had a bad time anywhere on the island, though. I think Frosty's Pizza is bomb dot com but I am always hammered when we get it so who knows.

  
  I usually get crushed and hammer a chicken dinner outside the Roundhouse..lol!
  
  Definitely do PIB Sunday-Thursday if you're not up for a party. I'm sure lodging is cheap those days.
• Fab1b

  

  them chicken dinners and frosty's pizzas are off the chain when you are rawked!!
• krambman

  

  No idea about lodging. My family owns a house on PIB so I've never had to worry about where to stay. I've been to Kelly's twice, but it's been about 8 years, so I have no clue about anything there, other than that I hear it' quiet and boring (and Put-in-Bay is pretty quiet during the week anyway).
  
  For food I recommend Frosty's Pizza, Mossbacks, and the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is great because you can get food ala carte downstairs, or eat in the restaurant upstairs with table service, tv's, and a great view of the harbor. Tippers also has some good buffets and other dinner deals daily. Food isn't fantastic but is decent and cheap. If you want to have an excellent dinner in a great setting with a good bottle of wine then Axel and Harry's is the place to eat. It's tucked away behind the Dairy Queen, but there's nothing better than eating dinner on their deck at sunset (although it is pricey).
  http://www.frostys.com/
  http://mossbacksatputinbay.com/
  http://www.the-boardwalk.com/pdscms/
  http://www.beerbarrelpib.com/Tippers/default.htm
  http://axelandharrys.com/
  
  Unfortunately the monument observation deck is still going to be closed all summer for repairs. It won't be opened until summer 2012.
  http://www.nps.gov/pevi/index.htm
  
  Unless you need to get to or from the island after 9:00pm take the Miller Ferry. The Miller is located on Catawba Island, has several free parking lots, and boats leaving every half hour. The boat ride itself is 18 minutes. Tickets are $13 round trip (the Jet cost more than that one way). The dock on PIB is about 1.25 miles from downtown, so it's an easy walk, even with a few rolling bags. If you don't want to walk you can take a bus or cab for about $3 a person. Even with the cab, taking the Miller is still half the cost of taking the Jet.
  http://www.millerferry.com/
  
  If you're staying downtown then everything is basically within walking distance. If you want to do much exploring outside of downtown then I would rent a golf cart or bikes for one day. Otherwise there isn't much to do outside of downtown. The winery and cave are outside of downtown, as is the state park with ruins of the old Victory Hotel. Perry's Cave is a great place to go with an excellent mini-golf course. There's an amusement center on the edge of downtown called Adventure Bay with go-carts and a pretty good arcade. There's also a crappy nine hole golf course on the island across from the state park, but it's still golf and it's cheap and they have club rental. I would also recommend taking in the historical museum behind the police station.
  http://www.heinemanswinery.com/
  http://www.perryscave.com/
  http://www.adventureputinbay.com/
  http://saunderscottages.com/
  http://www.leihs.org/
  
  If you need online and your B&B doesn't have free wifi you can get free wifi at the public library located in the bottom of the school building. Also, there's a South Bend Chocolate Company Chocolate Cafe located under The Goat between downtown and the caves. They have the best coffee on the island. If I'm on the island while you're there you'll find me in there every weekday morning from 9:00-noon enjoying the coffee and free wifi working on my computer.
  
  When you get to the island grab a free guidebook and buy a copy of the PIB Gazette (I actually have a year round subscription). Both will have a good calendar and some insight on things to do and see while you're there. Here's the basic summer calendar. Each bar should list their entertainment schedule online.
  http://www.putinbay.com/calendar.htm
• OSH

  

  Lots of good help, thanks all. Keep it coming if you will, it'll continue to help me but it could help others if they feel like going too.
  
  How long do you think the stay should be? I was thinking about 2-3 nights total (which could be 5 days or so total). Can I cover both islands in that time?
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  Miller Ferry is really the best deal to and from PIB (unless you have your own boat which you can stay on).
• Timber

  PIB = Disneyland for drunks I have always had a great time there with my wife and friends. It is funny to see the people being caught up in the excitement, get overserved, and see them passed out in various Public places. Not a "ha-ha" funny, just funny like you know it is going to happen.
  
  It is one of those places I try not to over-plan (Like Key West) and just walk around, go from place to place and see what happens. Enjoy!
• sportsfan24

  

  My wife and I had a great time when we went last summer. Our hotel had a swim up bar that opened at 10am. So we hung out there and walked around the island as well. We also rented a golf cart and drove around the outer part of the island. Just make sure you don't drink and drive while on the cart b.c that would suck to get a DUI while driving a golf cart.
• Rocketsfan

  Take a couple of credit cards because it is stupid expensive.
• krambman

  

  OSH;722413 wrote:Lots of good help, thanks all. Keep it coming if you will, it'll continue to help me but it could help others if they feel like going too.
  
  How long do you think the stay should be? I was thinking about 2-3 nights total (which could be 5 days or so total). Can I cover both islands in that time?

  
  You can cover both islands in the time. Even though Kelly's is bigger, there's more to do at PIB, so I would do two nights at PIB and one on Kelly's.
  
  I should ask why kind of vacationer you are. Are you a vacation doer, or a vacation rester? Are you the type that wants to be up and doing things (sightseeing, tours, swimming, fishing, etc) all day long, or are you more the type that is content to sleep in until 12:30, lay by the pool for a few hours, take a walk around the park, nap, then grab dinner and hit a few bars for drinks?
• Belly35

  

  Years ago before the island where to developed 1980 I owned a 34" Columbia
  We woulkd just dock it to some other boat and party ... crazy good times...
  
  You have given me a great idea ...... I think my wife and I will revisit this summer also..
• Thread Bomber

  

  OSH;722272 wrote:I also know that a ferry ride is going to be roughly $14-18 per person.

  This is cheap. It costs at least 30 dollars to ride a ferry in Pittsburg. Better wear two rubbers.
• krambman

  

  All of this talk about PIB makes me think that we should have an OC get together on the island sometime this summer. Anyone interested?
• Fab4Runner

  

  krambman;722676 wrote:All of this talk about PIB makes me think that we should have an OC get together on the island sometime this summer. Anyone interested?

  
  I would be. I didn't go at all last year and it made me sad.
• OSH

  

  krambman;722585 wrote:I should ask why kind of vacationer you are. Are you a vacation doer, or a vacation rester? Are you the type that wants to be up and doing things (sightseeing, tours, swimming, fishing, etc) all day long, or are you more the type that is content to sleep in until 12:30, lay by the pool for a few hours, take a walk around the park, nap, then grab dinner and hit a few bars for drinks?

  
  I don't drink, and neither does my wife, so we don't have to worry about any rough mornings.
  
  We like to see the sights, enjoy the area, rest, walk/bike, and do whatever on vacations. We like to go to all kinds of different food places, so the list you gave me of places to try was excellent. She likes to do these little craft stores and other little shops. I go along for the ride. I am pretty easy to please. I know she'll like it up there. She likes the B&B stuff. I just like being around and enjoying time away from doing anything.
  
  We plan on going to CedarPoint too. A lot of my buddies have never been, so I told them that it'd be a celebration time to go if/when I finish my Master's degree. I am graduating on April 30, so we are going to plan a good time to go to CedarPoint sometime in June or July, maybe even August. My wife and I may just have to plan our trip to the islands around the same time we all get together at CedarPoint.
• se-alum

  

  krambman;722676 wrote:All of this talk about PIB makes me think that we should have an OC get together on the island sometime this summer. Anyone interested?

  I would be interested.
• Rider_In_Ttown

  

  krambman;722676 wrote:All of this talk about PIB makes me think that we should have an OC get together on the island sometime this summer. Anyone interested?

  I would be interested too.