How often do you take time to be a tourist in your own backyard? We love to take a day and experience our area as though we’re tourists... find new spots to have fun, look for awesome restaurants, and enjoy the scenery. A couple weeks ago we headed to Marblehead, OH, about 45 minutes west of our home, for one of our tourist days. Our day was awesome, and whether you’re from far away looking for spots to visit on Lake Erie, or from the northeast Ohio area, this post will guide you through a day of fun rain or shine!
Marblehead Lighthouse State Park
Marblehead Lighthouse rests on the Marblehead Peninsula and is one of the most iconic Lake Erie images. The lighthouse is right on the water and is especially impressive at sunrise and sunset… it’s one of Todd’s favorite local spots to photograph.
A visit to the lighthouse can be as short as a few minutes to check it out, or longer if you want to stop and enjoy the scenery. The grounds are beautiful, very well kept, and include areas for picnics and lounging.
East Harbor State Park
East Harbor State Park is a great Lake Erie beach destination just a few miles west of Marblehead’s downtown area. The state park includes a very popular campground, beautiful beach, and multiple picnic areas.
The beach is great for walking and swimming. We took a walk and enjoyed the views of the lake and Kelly’s Island and Put-In-Bay, two of the most popular Lake Erie islands.
Hidden Beach Bar
After taking in the sights it was time for some refreshments! We love finding places on the water to eat and headed to the Hidden Beach Bar to check it out. Hidden Beach Bar is on Hidden Beach Rd. and in Shrock’s Marina.
Don’t let the name fool you… it’s not a crazy beach bar that you’ll be uncomfortable taking your kids to. The atmosphere is very relaxed and families are encouraged to visit. Hidden Beach Bar has lots of seating right on the water with views of Lake Erie and Put-In-Bay.
Todd and I split a taco boat and liquid refreshments and Daniel had chicken tenders. The food was good and the overall experience was great!
Erie Social Club Shuffleboard Club and Bar
Right after we finished at Hidden Beach Bar a big cloud rolled in… good thing we had a contingency plan! Before we left Todd did a search for indoor spots in Marblehead and came across Erie Social Club Shuffleboard Club and Bar.
Though we’ve never played shuffleboard before, we decided to check it out and had a blast. We had so much fun that we lost track of time and were there for over 2 hours!!
Erie Social Club has indoor shuffleboard, corn hole, table top shuffleboard, board games, Jenga, and vintage video games. It also has a full bar and sandwich shop. Groups of all ages are welcome and the atmosphere is very family friendly.
Erie Social Club is a great all seasons spot… we’ll be back many times!!
Orchard Restaurant and Bar
The sun came out and we decided to wrap up our shuffleboard game and head to dinner. Where to go? Todd had heard about Orchard Restaurant and Bar, but they don’t have a website or much available online. The day was about adventure so we decided to try it out!
Orchard Restaurant and Bar is about 10 minutes from Marblehead. It’s technically in Port Clinton on Rt. 53on the way to Catawba Island.
When we got to Orchard we went through the front door and entered a pretty swanky dining room… not quite our vibe for the day. However, we heard Orchard has a great patio so we headed to the back and found an awesome spot that we love!
Orchard’s patio is big, has a full bar, and looks out over a garden and orchard. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, and the scenery is beautiful. We were also excited to hear great live music!
We thought Orchard was great before we ate, but the food put Orchard in the awesome category. Seriously, our food rivaled all the great foody joints in the city! Todd and I both had salads, and Todd had an Ahi burger, I had seared scallops with peach salsa, and Daniel had a burger with truffle fries. Everything was very high quality, perfectly prepared, and delicious!
Wrapping it up
Marblehead is awesome to visit for a day or longer! We only touched on a few of the fantastic spots in Marblehead… we’ll have to do another tourist day and visit more!
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