Pack your bags and load up the family for a road trip to Port Clinton and the North Shores of Ohio. There is something for everyone from the outdoor enthusiasts to the thrill seekers. Your family can make a full itinerary for a long weekend to include beaches, lighthouses, islands, African Safari, hiking trails, amusement parks, indoor waterparks, and so much more. We recently took a weekend road trip and stayed as a family to explore the area. Port Clinton is only 2.5 hours away from Fort Wayne which makes it a convenient location to visit. The boys have so many stories to share about our experiences from our weekend. So far, they have shared stories with anyone that would listen about their trip including their favorites, African Safari Wildlife Park and Kalahari Indoor Waterpark. We all had our favorite stops along the way and mine was the charming Lighthouses. Check out eight must see attractions for your family to enjoy plus recommendations on where to stay.
1. African Safari Wildlife Park
This WOW experience will have your family talking about this for a long time. African Safari Wildlife Park is like nothing we have ever experienced before with all the animals coming right up to your car window, in your car window, and even eating right out of the cup in your hands. We are amazed at all the different animals including Alpaca, Bison, Elk, Giant Eland, and so many more species. There is even an opportunity to feed the Giraffes. Upon arrival, you will receive food to feed the animals during your drive. I definitely recommend purchasing more because the food goes fast. Plus, if you have more left over then you can drive through again at no additional charge. We went through twice and the kids wanted to go again and again!
2. Port Clinton Lighthouse
Check out the sandy beaches and lighthouse along the shorelines of Lake Erie in Waterworks Park. There is also a Lake Erie Love Photo-op sign that you won’t want to miss. Our boys enjoyed splashing and running on the sandbars in Lake Erie. The restored Port Clinton lighthouse is a darling little lighthouse standing just 26 feet tall! I have heard that they decorate and light it up for Christmas and I would love to come back to see it.
3. Portage River Paddle Company
Get out into nature and view the scenic Portage River on the water. Portage River Paddle Company operates two locations to choose from along the river. You can rent kayaks, tandem kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards by the hour. We choose to visit the Oak Harbor location due to the windy conditions that day. Once we loaded up into two canoes, we spent 2 hours on the water. It was a serene and welcome break from the fast-paced life back home.
4. Kalahari Resort
The Midwest’s largest indoor waterpark! Need I say more. Kalahari has it all, including multiple little kid areas, a wave pool, lazy river, surfing, and the best waterslides for any age. We spent the whole day here and had a blast! This was not our first visit and the kids have been begging to go back for a long time. We actually had to cancel a reservation last year due to them being closed for the c word. The boys are getting braver and tried out some of the bigger water slides this time and loved it! For lunch, we grabbed pizza and chicken tenders from the waterpark dining restaurants. After swimming, we played some arcade games in The Big Game Room and hit the jackpot with tickets. Kalahari has so much more to offer including an outdoor waterpark (seasonal), escape rooms, laser tag, virtual reality (in water too), mini bowling, Safari Outdoor Adventure Park with zip line, rope course, climbing wall, and mini golf. Your family will have an amazing time here too!
5. Island Adventures Family Fun Center
Island Adventures Family Fun Center is a great way to spend quality family time playing Putt-Putt, riding bumper boats, and racing go-karts. We raced the go-karts several times and our oldest son left us all in his dust. There is also an area to sift for gemstones and fossils. There is just something about hands on messy fun that draws my boys in. Of course, we couldn’t leave without a round of putt-putt. I did see progress in my boy’s putt-putting skills since we spent less time fishing their balls out of the water. For dinner, we got carryout from Cameo Pizza right next door and it was delicious!
6. Cedar Point
Ok thrill-seeker, this one is for you! HalloWeekends at Cedar Point is a must! During the day, they host family-friendly events like trick or treating and a fall festival. At night, the haunt and frights come out to specific areas around the park including scare mazes and other haunted attractions. They don’t call Cedar Point the Roller Coaster Capital of the World for nothing. There are 18 roller coasters, and my goal is to ride them all. Just waiting on the boys to join me.
7. Marblehead Lighthouse
Visit the most photographed lighthouse on the Great Lakes! I could spend hours here enjoying the view from Marblehead Lighthouse. The large rocky coastline and view of Cedar Point is worth a few moments to sit and take it all in. The lighthouse itself is stunning and we just missed the guided tour season.
8. Great Lakes Popcorn
Satisfy your sweet tooth at Great Lakes Popcorn with over 30 flavors of popcorn (buckeye is heavenly), chocolate, and nuts. We sampled the different flavors before purchasing some to take home. Our five-year old got a bag of popcorn that was almost as tall as he was. Bet you can’t tell that they love popcorn. Great Lakes Popcorn also offers shipping and will make a yummy gift idea.
PLACES TO STAY
There are several options for places to stay while visiting the area. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Port Clinton Waterfront which was a short drive to all the places on our list. This hotel was located right on the Lake Erie shoreline and the views in the morning were so calming looking across the water. The hotel has very clean rooms that accommodated our family of 5 with a pull-out couch and 2 queen beds. Plus having a free continental breakfast made for a convenient way to start our day earlier. The hotel also had an indoor pool and exercise room that both overlooked Lake Erie. We would recommend staying here to.
What are you waiting for? Create your own stories with the whole family on a road trip to Lake Erie Shores and Islands.
Special thanks to Lake Erie Shores & Islands for the hospitality!
