Monday, July 21, 2014

Middle Bass Island - Part 2

I wanted to get another post done before we left the good wifi of our hotel in Gettysburg.  We move to another RV park next Saturday so I'll be posting again then.

Karl and Pat were such wonderful hosts when we visited them on Middle Bass Island.  On Saturday, we boarded a ferry departing for South Bass Island to learn a little more about the history of the area.

Ferries, boats and airplanes are the only way to move between the islands.  You can even take your car on this ferry.

We caught an early ferry so we didn't have much company on this trip.

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The ride didn't take long and soon we were at Put-In-Bay.

A short walk from the pier and we arrived at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.  It commemorates the vital role that Lake Erie played in the War of 1812 and the ensuing peace obtained between the United States, Great Britain and Canada.

The memorial is 352 feet high and you can ride an elevator to the top.

An important battle took place in the waters between South Bass and Middle Bass Island on September 10, 1813 between the ships of Great Britain and United States ships led by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.

The fighting was ferocious and Perry even had to change ships in the midst of battle when his flagship was badly damaged.  Perry ultimately prevailed and the Great Lakes was saved from British incursion.  And, yes, the War of 1812 lasted longer than just one year.  Look it up.

The view from the top of the Memorial is breath-taking, providing a gorgeous view of the harbor at Put-In-Bay.  No wonder so many people love spending their summer here.

Here's a view of the landing strip for South Bass Island.  You know they had to have one!

When we emerged from the memorial there were a couple of gentlemen dressed as sailors in 1813.  They gave an interesting talk on the life of a sailor during the War of 1812.

After the memorial we did a little shopping, visited a museum about the area and had a delicious lunch.  However, lots and lots of people had descended on the island so we headed back to the peace and quiet of Middle Bass Island.

Next up:  some historic houses on Middle Bass Island


1 comment:

  1. Wow, this brings back many great times. Sailing to Put In Bay and anchoring in the harbor was one of our favorite summer things to do when we lived in Toledo. Thanks for the memories:)

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