Mentor-On-The-Lake, OH to Kingville, OH

July 2, 2017

Day 3 - Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail

Sunny, tailwind

We left Jeremy’s house at 8:30 and got back on the ACA route, Lake Shore Blvd. We detoured off the route just east of Grand River and crossed the Grand River to head back out towards the lake following the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail which led us into Fairport at about 9:30. We rode through the small town and down to the beach to take photos of the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse.

We could have scrambled over the breakwater rocks for a better view but decided to leave that to another day.

Site of a number of lighthouses since 1896, the current lighthouse was constructed in 1925. It was built to replace the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse on the hill that was decommissioned the same year due to deterioration.

Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse

We rode back up the hill and to visit the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse which unfortunately didn’t open until 12 noon. We debated on sticking around and waiting to do a tour but decided we had a lot of miles ahead of us so headed east out of town on the Lake Erie Ohio Coastal Trail. I will write to them and get the stamp later.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse, built 1871, decommissioned 1925. Later it was opened as the countries first maritime museum in 1945.

At Painesville we the Coastal Trail seemed to led us in another direction so we took a couple of roads to get back on the ACA route but eventually met up with the Coastal Trail again at Lockwood Road anyway.

By the time we reached the outskirts of Perry it was 11:30 and we were hungry so we rode into Perry but found nothing open. But on Center Road we found a new store that has great sandwiches. Refreshed, we continued our zip zag pattern heading east.

I was also surprised that we were never in any area that was rural. Each of the roads we traveled had an endless succession of houses.

We took a break at Madison Township Park on the beach, then headed to Geneva-on-the-Lake stopped at the State Park to inquire about camping. They had one site left for $29. I then made a phone call to the Village Green Campground who had sites for $21. We decided to push on the extra 12 miles to shorten tomorrow’s ride.

Riding through Geneva-on-the-Lake was like a zoo. Sunday afternoon of a long holiday weekend traffic was at a standstill. Every Harley rider within a 200-mile radius was potentially here. We zigged our way through traffic taking the side walk where needed as we wanted to get another 9 miles to Ashtabula by 4.p.m. The main street was just rows and rows of bars, food joints, ice cream shops, etc.

Heading east on Hwy 531 we arrived in Ashtabula and found a grocery store and picked up supplies for the next few days. Downtown we rode up the big hill to the Ashtabula Maritime Museum and did a tour also picking up a stamp for the Ashtabula Lighthouse.

This lighthouse like many along the Lake Erie coast is out on a breakwater and a risky walk out to get a closer look so I settled for another distant photo.

The first lighthouse here was built in 1836. The third lighthouse, in use today was built in 1905. It is a square two story iron structure with the light tower rising from the center of its roof. When the breakwater was extended in 1915, the lighthouse was moved 1700 feet further out into the lake. Ashtabula Lighthouse was the last manned lighthouse on Lake Erie and was automated in 1973.

The keepers house was converted to a maritime museum in 1984.