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Marblehead, OH
Setting Sail From the Editor
When I first met Paul Klein well over a decade ago, he had one goal — to move to the charming lake town of Vermilion, Ohio.
Yes, he had a boat and he built a koi pond in his suburban back yard, but it didn’t scratch the itch. He wanted to wake up on the water every morning. He wanted to hop on his boat without having to haul it anywhere. He wanted every day to be a vacation.
Paul, who’s been the publisher of Lake Erie Living since 2009, had to wait till his kids were grown to pull the trigger. Finally, in 2017, he made an offer on one of those gabled beauties in the Vermilion Lagoons with white siding, black shutters and an American flag fluttering next to the front door.
Dreams don’t always hold up under the stress of reality, but Paul’s sure did.
Paul was presented with an honorary Lake Erie Living cover to celebrate his time publishing the magazine.
While life has its challenges for everyone, they’re now softened by the sound of the water as Paul drinks his morning coffee, watching blue herons land on his dock. Stress quickly falls off him when he and his wife, Pam, ride their bikes into town for dinner or take the boat to Pelee Island for the weekend. It could be that his kids visit even more often because of those views — and Jet Skis.
So it hasn’t been hard for Paul to “sell” Lake Erie to advertisers and readers. Because the lake isn’t a product or a status symbol. It’s a feeling of being connected both to the beauty of nature and to the people who show up to share that beauty with you. It’s an eagle soaring overhead. A toddler trying to manage a dripping cone in front of the ice cream shop on Main Street. A late-night beer on the back patio with your son who has become a man.
It’s happy/sad news that this issue will be Paul’s last at the helm of this publication. Yes, we’ll miss him and so will many of you. But who can’t smile at the thought of him having even more time to enjoy life on the water?
Paul, we’ll see you on the lake.
Colleen Smitek Editor
Chairman
Lute Harmon Sr.
President
Lute Harmon Jr.
Publisher Paul Klein klein@clevelandstudios.com
Editor Colleen Smitek editor@lakeerieliving.com
Web Editor
Rachel Hagenbaugh
Contributing Writers
Laura Watilo Blake, Lara Busold, Linda Feagler, Vince Guerrieri, Kristen Hampshire, Jill Sell, Lynne Thompson and Jennifer Webb
Managing Art Director
Jenny Perdue perdue@clevelandstudios.com
Contributing Artists
Laura Watilo Blake
Production & Operations Manager
Corey Galloway cgalloway@clevelandstudios.com
Account Managers
Julie Bialowas, Nichole Cardinale and Sara Jamieson
Beach combing has become more popular than ever, leading us to wonder if there’s still treasure left to be found.
You stroll along the beach hoping to catch a glimmer of glass lit by the sun. But it’s not as easy as it used to be, thanks to a combination of social media, the better handling of trash and the pandemic, which made so many other things off limit. So is there treasure still to be found? We ask three of Lake Erie’s best beach glass hunters.
Shea Alltmont: The Amateur Archaeologist
Shea Alltmont loves a good mystery. Her latest discovery? An intact piece of brown beach glass embossed with flowers and leaves.
“With my research, I found the exact picture of the pre-Prohibition bourbon that was made in a bottle. It was from a company called Four Roses,” says Alltmont, who works as a library communications manager in Avon Lake, Ohio. “Doing research is what drives me — what the piece is connected to, where it was made, and what it might have contained.”
While her impressive collection encompasses decades of beach glass, she has noticed a change. “Plastic became the next big thing to manufacture,” she says, adding that recycling and dumping laws have reduced the amount of glass in the water. Still, plenty of history washes ashore.
“It’s just fun,” she says. “There’s magic in it.”
“It’s just fun. There’s magic in it.”
— Shea Alltmont
Melany Hall:
The Nature Lover
Melany Hall, a paramedic, finds relaxation in beachcombing in Vermilion, Ohio. “I like to go by myself. I find the zen in the waves; they drown out everything, all your thoughts, and you’re just looking for glass,” she says.
Hall’s children love beach glass hunts, too. They learn about native plants and fossils and return with jars of glass sorted by color.
Over seven years of collecting has taught Hall that treasures come in waves. “There have been some dry spells,” she says. “Then, some days, the waves bring in lots of glass. I say, ‘it must be the glass fairy.’”
Beverly Vinch: The Artist
Beverly Vinch’s collection is the real deal — a few thousand pounds containing rare colors like orange, along
with shipwreck pottery and marbles. Her husband, Bud, and his siblings collected Lake Erie beach glass in the 1960s, and the couple came across tubs of it while cleaning the basement of his childhood home.
As a professional jewelry maker, she saw potential, and now exclusively crafts colorful beach glass necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings from her studio in Avon Lake, Ohio. “I love the fact that it’s organic, recycled and repurposed.”
Vinch has plenty of loot for her Washed Ashore Jewelry line (washedashorejewelrey. com), so she saves beach glass outings for the grandkids. She, too, has noticed a surge. “Go to Huntington Beach in the morning during the summer,” she says. “You’re going to see 20 people out there all bent over, looking for glass.”
–
Sarah Miller
“I
.”
— Melany Hall
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Explore
Whether you’re lacing up your hiking boots to tackle scenic trails, soaking in breathtaking shoreline views or discovering fascinating historical sites and local attractions, Lake Erie has a lot to offer that’s free or basically free. Here are 55 ways to explore the region without breaking the bank.
• STORY AND PHOTOS BY LAURA WATILO BLAKE •
1 Scour the shoreline for beach glass and rare blue slag glass at places like Conneaut Beach in eastern Ohio, Freeport Beach in Pennsylvania and Perkins Beach in Cleveland.
2 Hop aboard the free shuttle that makes 21 stops at area attractions between New York’s Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara in Ontario. discoverniagarashuttle.com
3 Relax on the sand while listening to free live music at Cleveland’s Edgewater and Euclid parks during the Cleveland Metroparks’ summer concert series on Thursday nights. clevelandmetroparks.com
4 Watch the nation’s largest D-Day reenactment unfold on Conneaut Beach Aug. 13-15. ddayohio.us
5 Sit back and take in spectacular sunsets from places like Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo, Port Stanley Main Beach in Ontario and Fish Point Nature Preserve on Pelee Island.
6 Smell the more than 2,400 roses at Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens in Ontario. niagarafallstourism.com
7 Relax into one of the colorful Adirondack chairs overlooking the Vermilion Lighthouse at Main Street Beach in Vermilion. cityofvermilionohio.gov
8 Take a free pontoon ride through the lagoons of Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle State Park offered Friday to Sunday in the summer season. dcnr.pa.gov
9 Fly a kite at Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, which has 200 acres of green space filled with public art. buffalowaterfront.com
10 Plan a lighthouse road trip by checking out
11 Relax under real swaying palm trees installed every summer at Port Dover Beach in Ontario. portdover.ca
12 Drive the backroads of Ashtabula County in Ohio to find its 19 historic covered bridges. visitashtabulacounty.com
13 Climb to the top of the 50-foot observation tower at Lake Erie Bluffs in Lake County Ohio. lakemetroparks.com
14 Explore Detroit’s Belle Isle (free when arriving by bicycle or on foot) by wandering among the exotic plant species at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory and visiting the playful octopus at Belle Isle Aquarium. michigan.gov
15 Attend one of Buffalo’s hundreds of free seasonal events from outdoor yoga and fitness classes to concerts and summer movie nights right on the Erie Canal terminal at Canalside. buffalowaterfront.com
16 Watch free outdoor Shakespeare performances from mid-June through August at Buffalo’s Delaware Park, one of America’s great urban green spaces. shakespeareindelawarepark.org
17 Spot waterfowl and wading birds weaving through a maze of blooming water lotuses at Great Egret Marsh Preserve in Marblehead, Ohio. marbleheadohio.org
18 Meander atop the St. Thomas Elevated Park, an abandoned railway bridge in Ontario converted into a walking trail with gardens, art installations and views of the Kettle Creek Valley. elevatedpark.ca
19 Stroll Geneva-on-the-Lake’s famous main drag — The Strip — a nostalgic mix of arcades, shops, eateries and lake views in eastern Ohio. visitgenevaonthelake.com
20 Wander the streets surrounding Detroit’s Eastern Market on Saturdays for a glimpse of colorful murals and street art. detroitmi.gov/ mural-map
21 Ferry to Put-in-Bay where kids under 16 can angle for fish at the revamped Aquatic Visitors Center, which has live fish displays and interactive exhibits about science, conservation and history. ohiodnr.gov
22 Bring your roller skates and scooters to roll along The Ribbon Roller Trail, a 1,000-foot-long paved at the Glass City Metropark in Toledo, Ohio. metroparkstoledo.com
23 Cast a line during Ohio’s Free Fishing Days on June 20 and 21. odnr.org
24 Gather on the porch at James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, Ohio, from which the president-to-be campaigned in 1880. nps.gov/jaga
25 Get creative every weekend at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Community Arts Center, a satellite studio space with a colorful exhibition of puppets and costumes from the popular Parade the Circle, held in June at Wade Oval. clevelandart.org/ca
26 Head to Showse Park in Vermilion, Ohio, to get a full-body workout on the equipment lining the park’s Health and Fitness trail. cityofvermilionohio.gov
27 Take the trail less traveled to Pelee Island’s Lighthouse Point, where Lake Erie’s second oldest Canadian lighthouse stands guard. pelee.org
28 Catch the fun of fishing on Pennsylvania’s Fish-for-Free Days, held May 24 and July 4. fishandboat.com
29 Skip the gym and run the 60 steps at Huntington Reservation in Bay Village, Ohio. clevelandmetroparks.com
30 Watch Barcelona Falls spill onto the sand just east of the Barcelona Harbor pier near Westfield, New York. westfieldny.com
31 Wander through the Cleveland Museum of Art to see famous works, such as Monet’s “Water Lilies.” clevelandart.org
32 Peruse the collection of modern and contemporary art at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum on the first Friday of every month. buffaloakg.org
33 Take a self-guided audio tour while hiking through the rugged Niagara Glen, deep in Ontario’s Niagara Gorge. niagaraparks.com
34 Swim at one of the 13 sandy beaches within Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle State Park, a seven-mile-long peninsula with a 13.5-mile-long recreational trail connecting them. pa.gov
35 See where Ice Age glaciers carved deep ridges into Devonian limestone at Kelleys Island’s Glacial Grooves State Memorial. nps.gov
36 Skip rocks on one of Lake Erie’s glacially tumbled shale beaches (which yield some of the finest skipping stones in the Midwest), including Freeport Beach in Pennsylvania, Pebble Beach on Kelleys Island and Point Gratiot Beach in Western New York.
Toledo Museum of Art Glass City River Wall
Toledo Zoo & Aquarium
31
37 Browse exhibits on Monroe’s role in the War of 1812 at the Monroe County Historical Museum in Michigan. monroecountyhistoricalsocietymi.org
38 Road trip along Ontario’s Talbot Trail (Highway 3) from Windsor to Fort Erie, a scenic coastal 125-mile route along Lake Erie’s north shore. ontariotrails.on.ca
39 Take a free hour-long tour (offered at noon Monday through Friday) of Buffalo City Hall, an Art Deco masterpiece with an exceptional view from its 28th-floor observation deck. explorebuffalo.org
Cleveland Museum of Art
40 Hike through dramatic coastal dunes and bluff forests at Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve in Mentor, Ohio. ohiodnr.gov
41 Get a bird’s-eye view of ships transiting the Welland Canal at the St. Catharines Museums and Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 in St. Catharines, Ontario. stcatharines.ca
42 Learn about the ecology and natural history of Lake Erie at the state-of-theart Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle State Park in Pennsylvania, which features a 75-foot-high observation tower. trecf.org
43 Watch researchers band migrating bird species during the spring or fall migration at Long Point Bird Observatory near Port Rowan, Ontario. lbo.lprca.on.ca
44 Attend one of six free concerts (June 6 at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania) hosted by America250PA. america250pa.org
45 Note that Niagara Falls State Park in New York is always free, but to avoid parking fees, head to Lot #3 at the east end of Goat Island Tuesday through Thursday year-round and daily Sept. 8 to May 21. niagarafallsstatepark.com
46 Learn about one of Canada’s bloodiest battles at Old Fort Erie on July 1, when all of Canada’s national parks are free to visit. niagaraparks.com dobbinslandingerie.com
Windsor Sculpture Park
47 Take advantage of free admission to all National Park Service sites on May 25, June 14, July 3-5, Aug. 25, Sept. 17, October 27 and Nov. 11. nps.gov
48 Ride to the top of Erie, Pennsylvania’s Bicentennial Tower on the first Tuesday of each month from May through September. dobbinslandingerie.com
49 Hike a section of the 100-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. nps.gov
50 Watch the 180 dairy cows get their 4 p.m. milking at Calder Dairy and Farm in Carlton, Michigan. calderdairy.com
51 Visit Michigan state parks on June 13 and 14 for “Three Free” weekend, which includes access to off-road trails, boat ramps and fishing at no charge. michigan.gov
52 Marvel at how the Heidelberg Project transformed a neglected neighborhood on Detroit’s East Side into an outdoor art gallery that has helped rebuilt the community. heidelberg.org
53 Spend a rainy day at Cleveland’s Rockefeller Park Greenhouse, the city-run botanical garden and greenhouse filled with colorful blooms. rockefellerparkgreenhouse.org
54 Wander among the 35 large-scale works of art at Windsor Sculpture Park, found along the Ontario side of the Detroit River. citywindsor.com
55 Enrich your knowledge about currency at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Money Museum. clevelandfed.org
California
Dreaming
An Ohio couple gets creative to turn a traditional century home into a playful nod to West Coast whimsy.
By Lynne Thompson
From the street, the house looks like any well-maintained century farmhouse, a simple twostory sided in slate blue and shingled in gray under the gables. But a mere glance at the back of the home from the 50-foot private beach reveals that it isn’t a typical Lake Erie retreat.
A rough-hewn 9-by-9-foot wooden tower rises from the ground-floor deck. It consists of seating at a reclaimedwood bar on the first level, a screened-in
porch on the second, and an observation platform only accessible via an exterior circular staircase on the third. Off the deck is a glass garage door that frames a view of illuminated letters, each a different color and style culled from a discarded stripmall or store sign, hung over a tweedy red sectional on a dark-navy interior wall. They spell out “Malibula,” the name owners Michael Caito and John Rach gave their delightfully funky summer hideaway in Ashtabula County, Ohio.
“WE FIGURED IF WE WERE GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS EFFORT, WE MIGHT AS WELL DO SOMETHING KIND OF COOL.”
“I’ve always wanted to live in California — in fact, I’m always California dreaming,” explains Caito, an architect at Chardon, Ohiobased Payne & Payne Builders. “I can’t afford to move out there. … [This] is the Malibu view at the Ashtabula County price.”
Ironically, the search for Malibula began on the opposite coast during a 2016 Cape Cod vacation. Caito remembers gazing at the water from the deck of the couple’s rented condo and thinking, Why can’t we have something like this near Cleveland? The couple ended up buying the first house Caito saw on Zillow, a three-bedroom, three-bath former fishing cottage that was basically move-in ready.
“We knew right away this was the one, as soon as we walked in,” says Rach, an accounting manager for Streetsboro, Ohio-based design-builder Geis Companies.
The couple’s first project was turning the entire second floor into a nauticalthemed primary suite by knocking out walls between two bedrooms, a hallway and halfbath and removing the ceilings to open up the space to the attic. The original pine floors were stripped of their olive-green paint job and refinished. One remain ing beadboard wall, along with the ceiling, was painted white, a foil for facing walls painted baby blue and red.
a bedroom opens to a luxurious bath. A glass wall separates the vanity and commode from a wet room tiled in a gray-and-white stripe featuring a shower and soaking tub.
“We built the tub up on a step so we can see out the window,” Caito notes.
Erosion necessitated replacing the wooden deck in 2018. Steel pilings were driven 19 feet down to shale to support a larger composite replacement and shore up the back of the house. Permits were then pulled to construct the tower, which Payne & Payne carpenters built out of wood reclaimed from a razed Geneva-onthe-Lake, Ohio, water slide.
“We figured if we were going to go through all this effort, we might as well do something kind of cool,” Caito says.
A sliding barn door in a fourth wall of whitewashed pine beadboard reclaimed from
A portion of deck roofs a nautical-themed beachside cabana curtained in diaphanous white panels. The couple outfitted it with two custom-made mattresses elevated from the concrete by reclaimed composite decking and shielded from rainwater filtering through the deck slats by a shiny metal ceiling. Rach covered the mattresses with huge white Turkish towels and racing-flag-inspired pillows ordered from Etsy. The couple subsequently replaced the rotting rec-room floor with a luxury-vinyl-tile counterpart; replaced two double-hung windows with the glass garage door to open the space to the lake in fair
“THIS IS THE MALIBU VIEW AT THE ASHTABULA COUNTY PRICE.”
weather; and enlisted carpenters to add a shiplap-sided wet bar topped in solid maple. Caito and Rach found the “Malibula” letters online and at the nowdefunct Cleveland Flea. Rach put LED tape inside each letter, then drilled holes in the wall to connect them to the electrical system.
The first-floor whitewashed-pinebeadboard living-dining area is furnished in the same balance of style and sustainability. White wooden chairs with woven-wicker seats returned to service from the couple’s primaryresidence attic, along with a low blue sofa that functions as a banquette, surround a table built by a friend with oak from his grandparents’ barn. Nearby, a midcentury-modern sofa upholstered in a white linen-
look fabric shares space with a 1920s chrome-and-cowhide Le Corbusier chair and crushed-redvelvet seat resembling a cupped hand. A metal tool cart stationed against a kitchen wall serves as a bar, a nod to the region’s industrial history.
Caito and Rach, along with their Welsh terrier Baxter, make good use of the renovations by weekending at Malibula from late spring through fall. Caito talks of swimming in the lake, collecting rocks on the beach for a front-yard rock garden, changing the deck and cabana-level lighting to reflect the tone of movies viewed in the rec room — purple for “Wicked,” pink for “Barbie,” etc. “We don’t even like to go out to dinner,” Caito says. “We’d just rather stay here.”
“WE DON’T EVEN LIKE TO GO OUT TO DINNER. WE’D JUST RATHER STAY HERE.”
1947
FamilyOwned SINCE
HOW TO ADD MODERN FLAIR TO YOUR HOME WITHOUT
MODERNIZING YOUR HOME CAN BE AS EASY AS A NEW COAT OF PAINT.
“Fresh paint is the number one thing to change your space,” says Clare Opfer of S&H Blinds and Floors in Sandusky, Ohio.
“And people aren’t afraid of color anymore.”
More and more people are looking at accent walls, using black or dark blue or green as a contrast to the typical neutral
director for Wayne Homes in Sandusky. “Mixed materials are in,” he says. “Stone or brick as a base material with board and batten siding accents.”
Ted Otero of Otero Living in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, says he’s seeing a lot of homeowners who’ve been in a house for several years who are looking for a refresh as a cost-effective alternative to buying or building a new home.
“Build costs and land costs are so
usable rooms — or repurposing existing rooms in a redesign.
“We might be reusing a dining room that’s not being used,” he says. “A lot of homes from the 1990s and 2000s had dining rooms that are being converted into a second office. That’s especially popular these days.”
Shaffer is also seeing a lot of homeowners freshen up their interiors with kitchen remodels, including two-tone kitchens and
Sunshine and sand are usually the stars of the show when overnighting on Lake Erie, but these three new resorts prove that high-end amenities can bring a sparkle to any stay, no matter the weather or season.
by Lynne Thompson
We admit it — we’re hotel snobs. Friends joke that our idea of roughing it is staying in anything less than a 4-star hotel. So we were happy to learn that more upscale lodging options are opening on the shores of Lake Erie. Following are three we checked into to check out.
HIDEAWAY BAY RESORT
Christian Edie and Kevin Cullen first discovered Hideaway Bay in 2011 while standup paddleboarding along the Lake Erie shore near their rented Hanover, New York, home. The only thing they saw on the overgrown driftwood-strewn shore was a rundown structure that had housed the Hideaway Bay Restaurant before it closed in the early 2000s. But the onetime professional standup paddleboarders were smitten.
“It was one of the most beautiful bays on Lake Erie,” Edie rhapsodizes. “We were like, ‘We need to do something here.’”
The thought resurfaced every time the couple passed the 3.6-acre property while leading kayak and paddleboard tours. “We kept envisioning what could go there.”
That vision became a reality in June 2024, when the couple and their generalcontractor partners, brothers Gene and Matt Tundo, opened the Hideaway Bay Resort.
traveler tip
check out the hideaway bay resort cabanas complete with kitchen and beach bar waiter service.
They replaced the old restaurant with a new eatery, 10 waterfront cottages and a long list of amenities and outdoor recreational opportunities. Walnut Creek, which borders the property on the west, provides what Edie describes as world-class trout fishing. And the couple’s water-sports business, SUP Erie Adventures, offers standup paddleboard and kayak instruction, tours and rentals, along with foil-boarding and kiteboarding lessons. They also arrange Hobie Cat sailing tours with another company.
“This is a world-class wind-sports destination. … We’re in the top five for the entire U.S.,” Cullen says.
We checked in at the Drift restaurant, an expanse of natural wood, wicker and rattan that evoked a beach vibe without the stereotypical sun-, sea-and-sand motifs. Our pale-yellow-sided cottage, elevated four feet off the ground to reduce the chance of flooding, was just steps from the property’s stand-alone wood-burning sauna and hot tub, grill station and fire pit.
Sliders off the front deck opened to a living area with an electric fireplace, wallhung flat-screen TV, queen sleeper sofa, coffee table and brass bar cart. The corner kitchenette was outfitted with a microwave, coffeemaker and undercounter refrigerator, the cabinets filled with table service for four, a two-burner hotplate and couple of pans.
A bedroom furnished with a queensize bed on a two-storage-drawer base, dollhouse-cute vanity and four-hook wall rack (the only closet housed utilities), along
with a bathroom consisting of a subwaytiled stall shower, pedestal sink and commode, rounded out the first floor. A narrow circular staircase led to a queenbedded loft room with its own balcony. Light sleepers may want to request a cottage closest to the water — a stretch of railroad track borders the back of the property. We slept soundly through the night. Trains do not sound horns because they do not cross a road, and the cottages, we later learned, were built with insulated sound paneling.
Those yearning to simply rest and relax can book a morning yoga session, in-room massage or facial, or rent a chair, daybed or cabana on the sandy beach — rentals that are available to daytrippers as well as overnight guests. (Swimming in the lake is not permitted due to environmental issues stemming from creek runoff, but wading in the water is considered fine.) The cabanas come with waiter service from a beach bar and kitchen that serve up fare such as spicy watermelon margaritas, grilled Caribbean lobster and chicken yakitori with cucumber salad. Drift, which also is open to the public, offers a menu influenced by the experiences of its general manager, who grew up on an Arizona ranch and married a Japanese woman, and his executive-chef son. We vacillated between ordering street tacos and steak frites, teriyaki salmon and Japanese scallops, before settling on a meaty pork-, beef-and-veal Bolognese served over tagliatelle.
traveler tip
drift hosts will happily customize your experience for a special occasion , celebration or simply just because
The nightly cottage rate includes a continental breakfast served as a restaurant buffet in the summer, a plated-and-covered selection left in the kitchenette refrigerator during shoulder and off-seasons. We preferred the latter — the two mini muffins, slice of lemon pound cake and bagel became breakfast in bed.
$430-$600 a night/$600-$800 a night Fourth of July weekend, chair $10, day bed $50 and cabana $250 a day, 42 Lake Ave., Silver Creek, New York, (716) 401-5762, hideawaybayresortny.com (check website for restaurant hours).
VINCENT WILLIAM WINE
traveler tip make an inn reservation and enjoy pool access , concierge services and made-to- order breakfasts .
Michael Profeta was intrigued by the large structure he spotted from a lakeside park in Madison, Ohio, during a 2015 drive to his suburban-Cleveland home.
“It was not finished, but it looked really, really old,” the engineer-owner of an MRI procurement-, installation-and-repair company recalls.
Closer inspection revealed a For Sale sign in front of a 13,000-square-foot stone-and-cedar-sided mansion started in the late 1990s on five lakefront acres just north of the Grand River Valley wine region. Profeta bought the place, unsure of exactly what he’d do with it. The home winemaker planted grapevines in front of the house “for ambiance,” then began finishing it with his own two hands, eventually hiring carpenters, plumbers and other trades to finish the job.
“Truthfully, I underestimated what it was going to be,” he says.
“It” became Vincent William Wine, an exquisite adults-only inn named after Profeta’s father Vincent and his wife Katy’s father William Carney. The to-the-
manor-born experience begins the moment guests step through the front door into an entry hall endowed with a grand curving staircase, crystal chandelier and glass doors framing views of the lake. But the atmosphere is relaxed — people routinely mistake Profeta for the gardener when he’s working in the vineyard or front-courtyard vegetable garden.
Manager Tracy Savage says many guests returning to the two-yearold inn ask for their favorite of the seven lakeview rooms, each of which has an ensuite bath — the one with the private rooftop patio is particularly popular. There’s also a guest house with two twobedroom units available for rent on Airbnb that served as the linen house for the Cottage Grove Inn, a popular summer resort that stood on the site from 1914 until it was demolished in 1962.
We checked into the most luxurious of the inn’s accommodations, a first-floor suite overlooking the lakefront pool and hot tub. It boasted a European-country décor featuring a stone fireplace and king-size bed stationed under a candelabra-style chandelier. A silver tea set and ice bucket, along with an electric tea kettle, coffeemaker and basket of snacks, were arranged on a leathered-granite wet bar with a hammered-bronze sink and undercounter beverage refrigerator.
But the real attraction was a huge bathroom with the biggest steam shower we’ve ever seen, complete with rain head and multiple body sprays, and a 6-footlong double-slipper clawfoot tub. We chose soaking in a hot bath over braving the June rain for a dip in the pool or wade in the lake on the private beach.
Profeta’s Sicilian heritage is reflected in the mix of Italian and American dishes served in the inn’s restaurant, which is open to the public (and children). We sat down for dinner in the cozy tasting room and ordered Nonna’s Meatballs, two 3-ouncers made with Profeta’s
mother’s recipe and topped with red sauce, basil and ricotta cheese. A slice of house-made tiramisu, dusted with cocoa powder and garnished with fresh berries, followed. The meatballs were so delicious that we returned to get another order for a late-night snack.
We were disappointed to learn that the restaurant had depleted its stock of Vincent William Wine’s 2021 estate cabernet franc. But Profeta’s software-engineer son was kind enough to fill our glass from a vessel containing a yet-to-be-bottled portion of the 2022 vintage — one that had taken double gold at the 2025 Ohio Wine Competition the previous month — tapped from a stainless-steel tank in the basement wine cellar. Our admittedly uneducated palate savored luscious notes of cherry and raspberry, along with a hint of black pepper.
We left too early to sample the complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast options. (The breakfast sandwich, which put scrambled eggs, spinach, white cheddar cheese, bacon and breakfast potatoes between slices of a freshly baked croissant, sounded too big to handle while driving.)
But we resolved to return, if only for Nonna’s Meatballs.
$459-$609 a night Wednesdays through Sundays, 1300 Belleair Ave., Madison, Ohio, (440) 428-1300, vincentwilliamwine.com (check website for restaurant hours).
LOOKING FOR MORE OVERNIGHT OPTIONS AROUND THE LAKE? CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO THE 25 BEST PLACES TO STAY AT LAKEERIELIVING.COM/ HOTELS
THE WAVE AT MARBLEHEAD
Allyson Robinson recalls that her husband Matt was skeptical when a Realtor friend approached them in 2022 about buying and renovating the former Lighthouse Resort in Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio. The Columbus, Ohio, constructioncompany owner and his interior-designsavvy wife knew from years of summering at their nearby vacation home that the 23-year-old structure looked like any threestory chain motel off an interstate exit. And it had been closed since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. A tour by flashlight in lieu of electricity revealed that it would require a down-to-the-studs gut job to turn the place into a boutique hotel.
traveler tip eat at the wave lakeside dining for a unique culinary experience built on 100% nongmo ingredients sourced directly from local farms .
“I probably caused a lot of gray hairs on my husband, talking him into this,” Robinson admits.
The couple, along with a group of investors, reopened the property as the 65-room, three-suite The Wave in October 2024. It surprises with enough resort-style features to keep work-weary adults from venturing off the grounds, even for a walk to the iconic Marblehead lighthouse: a pristine resurfaced pool, firepits surrounded by Adirondack chairs on the pool deck and well-manicured lawn, a pickleball court, indoor fitness center and outdoor bar where food is delivered from the onsite restaurant — a perk that eliminates the hassle of changing out of a bathing suit just to eat.
Across the road is the hotel’s private stretch of rocky beach. Our one-bedroom lakeview suite was so tricked out that we could have lived there for a month. A peninsula with wooden barstool seating separated a living area furnished with a nubby white sleeper sofa and entertainment center from a sleek kitchen equipped with a full-size stainless-steel refrigerator, dishwasher, twoburner electric cooktop, built-in microwave and coffeemaker. The gray cabinets were stocked with table service for four, cookware, various utensils, kitchen towels and hot pads. There was even a bottle of dishwashing liquid and roll of paper towels on the solidsurface counter.
The bedroom was dominated by a combination armoire-desk and king-size platform bed complete with cream-colored throw and accent pillows. The adjoining taupe-tiled bathroom
featured a big ADA-compliant stall shower and custom trough sink long enough for two people to use at a time if there were more than one faucet.
A gusty wind off the lake made the sunny afternoon too chilly for lolling by the pool, so we headed into the restaurant, a light, airy space open to the public where diners can sit at a big four-sided bar or request a table in front of the fireplace, by a lakeview window, or on the firepit-warmed patio. The menu was varied — main courses ran the gamut from burgers and salads to salmon-and-tuna poke and Korean fried rice. We ended up eating grilled walleye tacos served with house-made malt chips while watching the occasional freighter traverse the darkening blue horizon.
We woke up early, dressed and hurried downstairs to discover that the restaurant wasn’t open for breakfast on
weekdays — it only serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. A staffer offered coffee self-served in the lobby, which we sipped while watching the sun come up over the lake — a fair-weather ritual at The Wave, judging from the number of guests on the restaurant patio.
$330-$1,500 weeknights/$400-$1,900 weekends, 614 E. Main St., Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio, (419) 780-3756, wavemarblehead.com (check website for restaurant hours).
More to Explore
New Discoveries and
Timeless Charms
Plan
an unforgettable journey through Western New York, where waterfront revivals and cultural hubs complement historic villages, world-class comedy and inspiring natural wonders.
By Rachel Hagenbaugh
REIMAGINED WATERFRONT
Buffalo’s waterfront is buzzing with renewed energy. The revival’s centerpiece is The Chandlery, a stunning $14.25 million gateway to the Canalside district. Highlights include a new visitors center complete with interactive itinerary-building kiosks, photobooths and souvenirs.
Before wandering down to the water, view “Destination,” an inspiring art installation by Reinhard Reitzenstein that uses granite luggage and sculpted footprints to honor the immigrant journeys intertwined with the city’s rich history.
TRANSFORMATIVE GREENSPACE
Buffalo’s waterfront footprint expands even farther with the introduction of Ralph Wilson Park. Funded by the late Buffalo Bills owner’s foundation, this 100-acre greenspace is undergoing a spectacular transformation. Debuting its first phase in summer 2026, the park features an inviting public space, wetland ecosystem for local wildlife and playground modeled after a lake freighter.
CULTURAL RENAISSANCE
Buffalo is celebrating a landmark year for arts and history. This summer, the Hispanic Heritage District welcomes the Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute. The museum honors the community’s impact through exhibits and a theater hosting shows, local art and a speaker series.
Nearby, the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor is celebrating the return of the Colored Musicians Club & Jazz Museum. Following a $3 million makeover, this historic 1935 institution boasts a revamped bar and immersive exhibits. In the fall, the district also will be home to the WUFO Black Radio History Collective, chronicling the medium’s influence on culture and civil rights.
ARCHITECTURAL MARVELS
Just outside Buffalo, Frank Lloyd Wright’s breathtaking Graycliff estate is debuting a $6 million visitor center to welcome guests yearround. This modern upgrade elevates the visitor experience with integrated technology that brings Wright’s visions to life, an expanded gift shop, a grab-and-go coffee area, and enhanced
accessibility, ensuring everyone can easily explore this beautiful intersection of nature and history.
OUTDOOR ESCAPES
Western New York is legendary for natural beauty. While Niagara Falls forever anchors the region, travelers seeking dramatic views must explore Letchworth State Park. Dubbed the “Grand Canyon of the East,” Letchworth boasts gorges, waterfalls, hiking and hot air balloon rides.
ELEVATED ADVENTURES
When the snow melts, Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville turns into a summer playground, offering treetop obstacle courses, zip lines, a mountain coaster, golfing, miles of dirt trails and a three-pool complex. Nearby, historic village streets are lined with boutiques, outdoor gear shops and diverse dining.
A short drive east, Western NY Wilds of Allegany County offer a tranquil escape interwoven with a thriving artisan community. Kayak Cuba Lake, fish the Genesee River or tackle offroad trails at Tall Pines ATV Park. Plus, surrounding communities are havens for shoppers, antiquers, craft beer fans and foodies.
DON’T
MISS: Holiday Valley’s Summer Music Festival (July 3-5) and the Great Wellsville Balloon Rally (July 17-19).
TRANQUIL TREASURE
When you’re ready to dial down the energy, Roger Tory Peterson Institute offers a tranquil sanctuary hosting spectacular exhibitions blending creative expression with environmental conservation. Last year, it unveiled a magnificent five-storytall mural celebrating the naturalist’s legacy and monumental impact.
“The Roger Tory Peterson Institute has something for everyone — beautiful nature art exhibitions that inform and inspire, programs and events throughout the year, arts and crafts studios where you can express your creativity and a lovely gift shop and nature trail to explore,” says Jana Ball, communications and visitor experience associate.
The Chandlery Visitors Center
LOADS OF LAUGHS
No trip to Western New York is complete without the National Comedy Center — named “Best Pop Culture Museum in the Country” in 2026 by USA Today. Through over 50 interactive exhibits tailored to your sense of humor, plus archives and educational initiatives, the museum explores comedy’s social and political contributions to American culture. Step inside classic scenes, create memes or take the stage for comedy karaoke.
Plan your trip around the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival (Aug. 6-9), a 35-year tradition. “We’ve built this festival to offer something for every kind of comedy fan,” says Malachi Livermore, vice president of programming and guest experiences. “From nationally touring headliners to the stand-up showcases featuring a wide range of distinct comedic voices, along with late-night shows, block parties and special events throughout the city — audiences can experience comedy in multiple ways across the entire weekend.”
HEART OF CHAUTAUQUA
Finally, take the scenic route around Chautauqua Lake. Board the Chautauqua Belle steamship for narrated rides, take a tour of Webb’s Candies and browse Farm Bell Basket Barn, a sunny yellow shop featuring an eclectic mix of local art, souvenirs and antiques. Stop at Bemus Point, which offers tons of shopping, dining and places to enjoy ice cream and live music.
Wrap up your trip at the renowned Chautauqua Institution. During its nine-week summer season, the grounds transform into a cultural powerhouse, buzzing with symphony performances, ballet and captivating lectures from global thought leaders.
“The natural beauty, history and culture of the area are unmatched,” says Victoria Burch, marketing manager for the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. “Once a visitor comes, they fall in love with the area and come back again and again.”
Your Story. Our City.
The National Comedy Center and (inset) the Chautauqua Institution Miller Bell Tower
The government man came out in 1926 and said, ‘Let’s see you fly.’ I did and he gave me my license right then.”
— Bill Long
Lorain, Ohio
Bill Long piloted his first plane in 1909. Well, technically, he was at the controls on many occasions in the previous year, but 1909 was the first time he actually took one off the ground.
Long, an Edgerton, Ohio, native who moved to Lorain, Ohio, with his family when he was a year old, was already a successful car dealer. But in 1908, some Lorain residents brought a Bleriot monoplane to him to fix up, and it served as entry into a lengthy aviation career.
At first, Long drove the plane around a racetrack before taking it into the air. He helped Glen Curtiss make his historic flight from Euclid Beach in Cleveland to Cedar Point in Sandusky. But when he tried to join the Army as a flier in World War I, he was turned down due to heart palpitations.
In 1926, he finally got his pilot’s license. It was an easy process, he recalled. “The government man came out in 1926 and said, ‘Let’s see you fly.’ I did and he gave me my license right then.”
The massive tornado in Lorain in 1924 effectively sank Long’s auto business, but his love for flying could not be abated. He worked with other aviation pioneers, both inventors and producers in aviation, and some of the nation’s most famous fliers, including Eddie Rickenbacker (whom he called “the fella in Detroit”) and Jimmy Doolittle (“the fella in Dayton.”)
Long also ran a flying service, taking passengers to Cedar Point. (In the days of Prohibition, he also might have transported some liquor from Canada to the United States, as well as given rides to federal agents to look over rumrunning routes. Of course, not at the same time.)
In 1932, while on a flying run with his mechanic, Long crashed his flying boat, and both were laid up in the hospital for several months.
But Long was undaunted. In 1944, he opened the Lorain airport (he grew crops between the runways) and remained an avid flier into his 80s. Bill Long died Feb. 9, 1971, at the age of 83.
— Vince Guerrieri
They pac ked all t heir
favorite things.
(And not a single pair of shoes.)
We build lake homes where shoes are optional— but memories are guaranteed. At Wayne Homes, we know that a lake home should feel like freedom—the kind you can taste eating breakfast on the counter and feel in sand-dusted toes that never quite make it into shoes. That’s why our homes are built for easy living, whether it’s floor-to-ceiling windows for panoramic views, floors that can handle soggy footprints, or layouts that give every family member their own slice of bliss. Because at your lake house, you don’t just take your shoes off. You let your guard down.
Learn about building a custom home on your land at WayneHomes.com Sandusky: 866-928-0906
