Lake Erie Shoreline Route

12 August 2022 Friday
Posted 20 April 2023

Wandering along the south shore of Lake Erie from Ohio to New York

0900 49,157 65° Leave Wakeman, Ohio

0930 49,170 Vermilion, OH

Stopping at the Vermilion Station we learned that the town is a mecca for railfans, boasting five trains rolling through every hour.

Vermilion Mainline Rail

“To improve Railroad Fans experience in… A Small Town on a Great Lake …through local information, historical perspective and enhanced photographic opportunities.”

Vermilion doesn’t just depend upon rail access, as the Vermilion Lighthouse (1877) welcomes ships and pleasure craft to the town harbor.

Definitely a boating town, Vermilion has public slips downtown. Just across the way, waterfront homeowners have their own docks.

Vermilion has one of the cutest public restroom buildings we’ve seen on this trip.

Public gardens and a wooden pike sculpture add color to the downtown streetscape.

This window painting made us wish we were going to be around for the upcoming local Festival of the Fish.

The town doesn’t just have mainline railroads, it was also served by electric Interurbans that stopped at the Lakeshore Electric Interurban Station (1903)

Our US history knowledge expanded as we learned that parts of Ohio were given to Connecticut landowners.

1155 49,204 73° Lakewood, Ohio

Lakewood Park is a good spot to catch an overall view of Cleveland. The shoreline between Vermilion and here had beautiful homes all along it.

Quick glimpse of Cleveland as we pass through on I-80. We need to return and spend some time visiting the sights.

1500 49,310 74° Erie, PA

We had planned to spend the night at Lavery Brewing, a Harvest Host site.

After seeing homeless people in the parking lot & alley next to where we would park, we decided that it wasn’t for us. The brewery restaurant was fine, but not an overnight stop for us.

We did swing by the Maritime Museum in Erie, but the U.S. Brig Niagara, wasn’t in port and Beth had no interest in climbing the 187 foot tall Bicentennial Tower.