A Charming Village On The Shores Of Lake Erie Is A Popular Midwest Vacation Destination

Most beach trips are focused on the ocean. You may have traveled to the East Coast, the West Coast, and even the Gulf of Mexico for seaside adventures during the summer months. But this year, you should consider a lake destination. Lake Erie is lined with resort towns. Geneva-on-the-Lake might just be the most charming of them all.

Geneva-on-the-Lake is a tiny town — less than 1,000 people live here year round — on the northeastern shore of Ohio. Cleveland, the Buckeye State's second-largest city, is less than 55 miles to the southeast. Its Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) receives nonstop flights from cities all over the United States. After a quick, but necessary, stop at Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it is an easy drive northeast along Interstate 90. You can arrive at this lakeside village in less than an hour.

Ashtabula County, where Geneva-on-the-Lake is located, feels worlds away from Cleveland. Ohio's northeasternmost county is home to 19 covered bridges and more than 30 wineries. Visitors come for its picturesque rivers, relaxing state parks, and gorgeous lake views. It borders 26 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes. In the early 1900s, three famous men — John D. Rockefeller, Harvey Firestone, and Henry Ford — started camping and fishing here. Geneva-on-the-Lake quickly became known as Ohio's first summer resort town. It has been a popular destination ever since.

The center of Geneva-on-the-Lake is one mile of Lake Road East. This stretch, affectionately called the Strip, sits a block in from the water. It is lined with donut shops and coffeehouses, water-sport rentals and souvenir stores. Eddie's Grill, an iconic restaurant that has been serving hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and straight-out-the-barrel root beer since the 1950s, sits on the Strip. So does Allison's Mini Golf, the oldest continuously operating mini-golf course in the United States. 

Breakwater Beach, where you will find lots of beach glass, is just a short golf-cart ride to the west. Yes, a golf cart. You can rent one and then zip around Geneva-on-the-Lake like a local. Breakwater Beach is a 600-foot natural beach in Geneva State Park. The nearly 700-acre state park sits right along the edge of Lake Erie. In addition to the beach, it has freshwater estuaries and marshes as well as woodlands. There is a marina, a campground, and a lodge with an outdoor pool (summer rates from $248 per night). Relatively flat hiking trails, such as the four-mile Orange Trail, hug the shoreline. Plus the beach has epic sunsets overlooking the water. Then, when you head back to the Strip for dinner, you will find live music at Sportsterz Bar and Grill or Old Firehouse Winery most nights. Be prepared to dance the night away.

Though much of your time in Geneva-on-the-Lake will be spent along the water, there are plenty of activities that do not involve getting wet. The town is in the Grand River Valley, which is one of Ohio's five wine-growing regions. You can sip local wines, including rieslings and cabernet sauvignons, at both the Lakehouse Inn and Old Firehouse Winery. One of the area's famous covered bridges stands just five miles to the south. The West Liberty Covered Bridge, which at 18 feet is the shortest covered bridge in the country, is in Geneva. You can cross the bridge on your own or join the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake's Covered Bridge Tour ($50 per person).

After exploring Northeast Ohio, you can continue your Lake Erie road trip into Pennsylvania. Though Interstate 90 is the fastest route, the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Scenic Byway (LECT) lets you enjoy the lake views along the way. When you reach Erie, you will find one of America's oldest amusement parks with free entry. Waldameer Park & Water World offers free general admission. You can purchase an all-day wristband or individual rides once you are in the park. Then, if you continue even farther northeast into New York, you will find Woodlawn Beach State Park. Its spacious beach has beautiful rolling sand dunes and trails just south of Buffalo. Your summer vacation possibilities seem endless now that you have added charming lakefront destinations into the mix.