Ashley Grant

Travelers find great fishing, a lively party scene, bird watching, photography opportunities, gourmet dining, and natural beauty on Ohio’s northern border.

Boating and fishing are two of Ohio’s most exciting and popular activities, and nowhere in the state are there more opportunities to enjoy them than at Lake Erie. Places to launch boats of all types are easy to access, and there is a wide selection of fishing charters from which to choose. Lake Erie is best known as The Walleye Capital of the World, but perch, catfish, and bass are also plentiful and popular with anglers.

Proprietors of bait shops and marinas are friendly, helpful, and always happy to assist visitors with information about the best places to fish and the best tackle to use. Fishing off the rocks near Marblehead Lighthouse yields white bass, catfish, and more. Anglers fish in the shadow of the picturesque lighthouse while standing in shallow waves that wash over the rocks. They can purchase the most popular local rig for this kind of fishing, a large weighted bobber with a tiny tube lure on a three-foot dropper, from most local bait shops.

For party fun, visit Put-in-Bay

For the liveliest party scene in the area, visitors will want to make the rounds at Put-in-Bay. Gift shops, restaurants, bars, music, and a fun seaside ambiance make this a great stop for people who want to see and be seen, meet new friends, and enjoy a drink or two. Golf carts and bicycles are available for rent, so it’s easy to leave cars behind on the mainland, cross to the island on a ferry, and still have transportation to all the island’s attractions.

Wineries provide a more relaxed environment for drinkers and diners. Surprisingly good and affordable local wines are available for tasting. Of course, wine lovers will want to purchase a few bottles to enjoy at home.

Sample local walleye and perch

For the most mouth-watering Lake Erie dinner, a visit to Mon Ami Restaurant and Historic Winery back on the mainland in Port Clinton for the fried walleye dinner is in order. After dinner, diners will be sure to enjoy browsing in the wine and gift shop.

For those who prefer to catch their own, the area offers fish cleaning services. Anglers can fish beautiful Lake Erie, have their catch professionally filleted, and then retire to one of the local campgrounds for a fish dinner cooked over a campfire.

Bird watchers and photographers find plenty of interesting sights

Bird watchers can see gulls, herons, ibis, cormorants, ducks, geese, and more in the area. Bald eagles have even been spotted nesting not far from Port Clinton. In addition to birds, photographers will find interesting subjects, including boats, lighthouses, and spectacular sunrises and sunsets on the water. Lake weather creates cloud formations and lighting conditions that result in spectacular photographic opportunities.

Visitors to Kellys Island can view the fascinating glacial grooves, a natural formation where bedrock has been sculpted by Pleistocene glaciers to create a remarkable record of ice scouring the earth’s surface. Eighteen different kinds of fossils are identified along the walkway around the glacial grooves.

Lodging to fit every budget

Comfortable lodging of all sorts is available along the Lake Erie coast, including bed & breakfasts, budget hotels, campgrounds, and cabins. The lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake offers luxurious accommodations, including wine country tours and a variety of packages for seasonal visits and romantic, wine-country getaways.

Niagara Falls is a natural wonder that everyone should behold at least once in their lifetime. Located on the American-Canadian border, it is one of the world’s most famous marvels. Traveling to Niagara, New York, then across the American border to Canada, you will find the most beautiful of views and many great families, and budget-friendly attractions.

Maid of the Mist

Perhaps one of the most famous attractions at the falls, the Maid of the Mist is an engine-powered boat that takes you on a half-hour ride beneath the falls. It is kid-friendly, and the prices are fairly low, so a family of four could take this trip for around forty dollars.

Casino’s

Whether you are visiting the Casino Niagara or Seneca Niagara, gamblers are afforded plenty of locations to play the slots. Providing, of course, that you are over the age of 19, you can partake in over 3000 slot machines, over 78 blackjack tables, and 17 roulette tables.

Fallsview waterpark

The waterpark is indoors and offers over 16 waterslides and an indoor wave pool. Located across from the falls, this is a great getaway for those with kids, as children will love the fun and adventure in safer water than the falls they just witnessed.

Bird Aviary

Feeding exotic birds and watching lizards scamper through the wild while hosting a giant Macaw on one arm is an interesting day indeed. These are a few of the things that you can expect from the Bird aviary on the Canadian side of the falls.

Butterfly conservatory

Where else can you see butterflies drink the sweet nectar from thousands of blooming flowers? Here you can travel along paths that will grant you access to unlimited species of beautiful, fluttery butterflies, all unique in their own way.

Cave of the Winds

The Cave of the Winds leads you deep into a gorge where you can ascend stairs that lead you to Hurricane Deck. Here, you stand twenty feet away from the falls themselves and are confronted with a torrent of water from the falls.

Skylon Tower

With a rotating restaurant, you can not overlook this overlooking view of the Falls. The Skylon Tower is 520 feet high and awards you with a view of all of Niagara Falls. It takes one hour for one full rotation, so you can take your time and take plenty of pictures.

Niagara Helicopters

Still can’t get enough of the beautiful falls? Take a helicopter ride that will reward you with every sight possible. Of course, these are not likely to be cheap rides, but the experience might very well be worth it. Not everyone can say that they had a personal, private tour of Niagara Falls in a helicopter, now can they?

Journey behind the Falls

If you haven’t had your fill of a front view of the cascading falls, how about taking a little sneak peek from behind them? Made up of tunnels and elevators, the journey behind the falls takes you as close as 150 feet away from the back of the falls.

Whirlpool jet-boat

It’s like white water rafting, but safer and tons more fun. A jetboat takes you to ‘Devil’s Hole’ and through several rapids spraying water in your face while you get shocking views of the falls above you.

A trip to Niagara Falls has something for everyone! Visitors from all over the world travel to Niagara to take in the sights, visit the falls, and partake in the splendor that Canada and America provide for all to see. A word to the wise, though, for anyone traveling across either border from anywhere, a passport is now needed, so make sure you plan your trip accordingly. Also, since Niagara is such a popular hot spot, you might want to make reservations for all of these attractions in advance.

Breathtaking, inspiring, and jaw-dropping are some of the commonly used words that tourists use to describe Niagara Falls. Three massive waterfalls make up the water network collectively known as Niagara Falls, and they lie on the boundary of Canada and the United States.

This extraordinary gift of nature is always awesome to see in person, no matter how many times you may have visited before. Additionally, colored lights make the falls even more dramatically vivid at night, lighting up the rushing water in visual splendor, which gives the falls a distinctively different look.

Lodging in every price range surrounds the falls, making this a great get-away for families, honeymooners, or travelers passing through to another Canadian destination.

From prime hotels that are dozens of stories tall to smaller motels within a ten-minute walk of the falls, a spectacular view of this natural wonder is assured. Campgrounds are also located nearby. In fact, lodging is plentiful on both sides of the Niagara River and in both sister towns, Niagara, Ontario, and Niagara, New York.

Three immense waterfalls collectively make up the Niagara Falls, which take the world record in water flow rate gushing over the edge per minute. Highlighting natural splendor at its showiest best, these falls remain largely unspoiled thanks to the efforts of the stewards who protect them from development.

This has been a concern for two centuries due to the huge amount of power that the falls create. There is a hydroelectric power company at the north end of the falls, but visitors enjoy the focal region in its near-pristine condition.

Amazingly, Niagara Falls was created during the conclusion of the Ice Age, approximately 9,000 years ago. As glaciers were retreating and the Great Lakes were formed, water was coursing its way towards the Atlantic Ocean. This created the Niagara River, which fills Lake Ontario with water coming out of Lake Erie.

Located between Buffalo, New York, and Toronto, Canada, the falls lie along the borderline separating the United States and Canada. Due to continual erosion, the precise boundary line has been subject to some debate.

On the New York side and flanking the falls is Niagara State Park, which is chock-full of hiking trails and exhibits. Additionally, both parts of Niagara, the Canadian side and the one in the United States, are jam-packed with delectable cafes and restaurants that cater to travelers.

However, by roaming just a few blocks off the beaten path, there are local establishments that are quite economical and serve fabulous food. Visitors find many thrilling activities to take part in, like riding a boat that takes passengers behind the falls.

Niagara Falls is by and large a tourist town, which sports many common attractions such as a wax museum and A Ripley’s Believe It or Not Center. However, there are many unique spots as well, like the Butterfly Conservatory and Queen Victoria Park.

Additionally, an indoor water park, Dinosaur Golf, bird sanctuary, and gigantic Ferris wheel are all nearby to round out your stay. Niagara Falls is a great way to appease the entire family with adventures they will always remember.

The British magazine The Economist rated Pittsburgh as the best U.S. city to live in and the 29-best city in the world to live in. Pittsburgh was host to the G-20 summit, becoming the public face of the United States to the other nineteen attending nations.

As both the most livable city in the U.S. and the city chosen to showcase the U.S., Pittsburgh seems like a perfect tourism location. Surprisingly, despite a few highlights, especially in arts and dining, many of the famous or entertainment-oriented locations in Pittsburgh should be avoided by the average tourist.

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

For local residents, this animal habitat is a fine location for a pleasant day with family. But, a tourist location, this zoo is not. The zoo and aquarium are both on the small side, and there is not a single animal that can’t be found elsewhere. At a very leisurely pace, a full tour of the exhibit may take three hours, but on average, it will take slightly less than two, and there are very few exciting animals.

The Central Park Zoo in New York City has nearly the same quality of animals while being easier to navigate. The zoos in both Philadelphia and San Diego are much more impressive, with a significantly wider range of animals and higher quantity as well. Visiting a zoo that is likely to be no better than a local option is a poor choice for any tourist.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Despite its name, this museum actually showcases both natural history and fine art. The entry fee is rather inexpensive, especially for students and children, but that is the only real perk of this tourist spot. The natural history side of the museum has absolutely no unique exhibits, and children will likely be disappointed at the small size of the dinosaur exhibit.

The fine arts side of the museum is even more disappointing, having very little in the way of art from major artists of the past, with the exception of some Warhol paintings. There are much better museums in D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City, on just the East Coast alone. For most tourists, this will just be simply disappointing.

Strip District

Touted as the “historic” Strip District, this Pittsburgh neighborhood, just east of downtown Pittsburgh, is supposed to be one of the things Pittsburgh is famous for. Whatever history it does or doesn’t have, the majority of the Strip District is now run-down warehouses. There are a few unique and intimate shops and restaurants in the neighborhood, but only locals truly know where to find them, and parking is terrible.

During the day, the neighborhood is relatively safe, but at night, police patrol it regularly, and crime is still incredibly common in the area. This shouldn’t be too problematic for a tourist, though, since the nightlife in the area is primarily clubs and bars that are only really exciting for locals.

South Side

Known for having some of the best local food in Pittsburgh and a modicum of shopping opportunities, the South Side district of Pittsburgh is nearly as famous as the Strip District. Parking is easier on the South Side, but the neighborhood is even more run down. The main road, Carson Street, is rather clean and safe, but one block in either direction, the neighborhood quickly goes downhill.

Unfortunately, these side streets are where most of the parking is, and cars parked in the area are very likely to be stolen or burglarized. To get some of the best food in Pittsburgh, it may be worth taking a taxi to the South Side, eating, and then leaving in another taxi, but the neighborhood simply isn’t safe or friendly enough to be worth an extended visit.

Residents of Pittsburgh tend to have a lot of pride in their city. Often this pride is expressed negatively as disdain for non-locals, and the insular attitude can make Pittsburgh a difficult city to be enjoyed by tourists. Despite this, Pittsburgh was chosen as the site of G-20 for a number of good reasons, including some impressive local attractions, including Pamela’s, the National Aviary, Mt. Washington Incline, and the Carnegie Science Center.

By avoiding the previously identified locales that generally cater more to locals than to visitors, a tourist can enjoy a pleasant weekend in the city of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods – each has a unique personality and set of characteristics. It is full of culture, history, and most importantly, great people. Call me biased, but it’s an awesome place to visit and live.

I decided to make a list of locations every visitor should see when they stop in Pittsburgh. It’s far from complete; that list would be way too long! So the next time you’re considering a small trip, consider visiting a former steel city on three rivers.

Places to See

Andy Warhol Museum

A museum devoted to the work of one of Pittsburgh’s most famous residents. Great collection with events throughout the year. Last time I was there a film series was showcased.

Carnegie Museum of Art & Natural History

One of my favorite places. My favorite spots include the Hall of Architecture, North America, and the Egyptian exhibits. Known for its large dinosaur exhibit, which recently reopened after months of renovation.

Mattress Factory

Known for full room art exhibits by in house artists. I’ve actually never gone there, but I’ve always heard great things.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

A few blocks from the Carnegie museums. Has different plant displays throughout the seasons. Within walking distance of the Carnegie museums and library.

Heinz History Museum

Focuses on Pennsylvania history; also includes a Pennsylvania Sports Museum, lots of photography, and Native American exhibits.

Duquesne Incline

In operation since 1877 – takes trips up to Mount Washington where there’s a great view of Pittsburgh from the south end of town.

Allegheny Cemetery

Instituted in 1844, this 300 acre cemetery is a good place for a walk. Stephen Foster is buried there!

National Aviary

America’s only independent indoor nonprofit bird zoo (I didn’t know that!). Located on the North Side of town, and has more than 200 species.

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Take a great walking tour throughout the zoo. The steep escalator visitors take up to the zoo upon entering is practically a ride in of itself!

Heinz Field

The home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This stadium is a few years old, and can hold 65,000 fans. It’s always a great place to visit, even if it’s not a game day.

Places to Eat

Hkan

Hookah bar that started out as a class project by CMU students. Serves food as well as a full bar. My friends and I enjoy the fruity hookah flavors, like mango or strawberry, but you can also mix flavors. Usually crowded on the weekends.

Ali Baba

A small Syrian restaurant tucked in between a used book store and a coffee shop. Be daring and try something you can’t pronounce. The baba ghanoush is the best ever.

Lu Lu’s Noodles

Consistently voted best Chinese in Pittsburgh. The General Tso’s is amazing! Also try Mango Milk Tea – it’s a sweet and creamy drink that you can also get (as an option) with tapioca pearls at the bottom. Within walking distance of the Carnegie museums and library.

Primanti Brothers

A Pittsburgh tradition (unfortunately it turned into a chain, which is blah). Go to the original, and your deli sandwich will include fries and coleslaw piled on whatever you get.

Dave & Andy’s Homemade Ice Cream

A small place off the main street, but definitely worth a look.

Kassab’s Restaurant

On the South Side – great little Middle Eastern place that’s also really inexpensive. My best friend waitressed there for a few months. Great fatoush and awesome gyros.

Beehive Coffeehouse

Great little coffee house on the South Side that has a funky atmosphere.

The Children’s Museum in Pittsburgh is a gem. There are very few places that offer the diversity and value of the museum, and there is certain to be something there that will have every child (and maybe some adults) begging to come back. If you have a child that needs to get out of the house, this is the first place I would go.

The museum is built into two historic buildings. The first is a gorgeous old post office, complete with a gigantic green dome on top, and the second is the adjacent planetarium building. Today, both buildings server to provide educational interactions with children from around the area. In between the buildings is a new section built to house the entrance and a number of great exhibits.

As soon as you walk in, you will see Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood in front of you. Mr. Roger lived in Pittsburgh, so I suppose you were in his neighborhood already, but this area houses an area where kids can recreate their own stories in the Land of Make-Believe.

There is even an area to pretend to record the show, trying on your own cardigan sweater and playing on the piano. You can also watch a selection of his old factory videos. There is also a real-sized trolley to ride in and a Land of Make-Believe puppetry and fun area. Having grown up in Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, I got a kick out of the adult touches and history that is recorded in the room.

For kids who take stuff apart, there is a “Garage” where kids can play with gears, wheels, and whirligigs galore. This allows them to play adults and learn about how the things they see every day really work. The “Attic” room houses animatronic puppets, phosphorescence displays, and the somewhat alarming gravity room.

This is a room built to exploit our perceptions and fool our sense of gravity. Even with a complete understanding of what is going on, it is a bit vertigo-inducing if you aren’t ready, but kids love it. There is room for interactive electronic art. Interactive electronics are a specialty of the local universities and are a subject of continuing study around the world, so this lets you get a feel for how computers see you and how you can make art with motion and projection.

The post office houses studio space for creative play, so if making arts and crafts is your kid’s cup of tea, this is the place.

There is a theater and radio station in the basement of the planetarium, allowing you to see how music is made as well as providing a performance space for various acts. On Saturday mornings, the Saturday Light Brigade broadcasts live from that space, and you can come in and see them and possibly even be on the radio. Finally, there is the water room, a space to play with water by moving it, blocking it, and spraying it. Also, there are always traveling exhibits coming through, so check back frequently.

If your child is the type who likes to have fun, then this is the place. If they aren’t, they are unlike any child I have ever met. Even adults like myself keep coming back because everyone likes to recapture a bit of the wonder of youth, and the Children’s Museum does just that. You can find it on the North Side, just a mile from Downtown on Allegheny Circle.

Each city I have visited contains its own beauty, and so does Pittsburgh. I have yet to explore all of its beauty, but below are some of Pittsburgh’s attractions that I have discovered and would visit again.

Pittsburgh’s skyline is stunning, the city’s cultural and artistic offerings are excellent, and its natural landmarks such as mountains and water create a visually provocative cityscape. The three destinations I have chosen below could be experienced even if you only had one day and evening in Pittsburgh.

Andy Warhol Museum

The Andy Warhol Museum is one of the four distinctive Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and is one of my favorites. It is a fun and educational way to start your day in Pittsburgh. It is more than a museum and my favorite place to visit in Pittsburgh. Visitors are engaged in creative interaction with the art and life of Andy Warhol.

There is always something new going on at the museum with special exhibitions, programs, and events. The permanent collection is stunning as well. You can stay all day at the museum exploring the many floors and exhibits, visiting the Andy Warhol café and store, watching films in the theatre, and participating in workshops. My favorite program at the museum is the Weekend Factory, fashioned after Andy Warhol’s studio, the Silver Factory. The Weekend Factory is an art studio created for visitors to explore the art techniques of Andy Warhol. You may take home what you create, and the fee is included within your museum admission.

Mount Washington

The view from Mount Washington is spectacular at night. It features a sweeping panorama of downtown Pittsburgh and over a dozen bridges below, undulating in twinkling lights. The stunning nighttime view from Mount Washington offers a panoramic vision of Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle – a set of landmark skyscrapers traced along the city skyline, as well as a view to many fine restaurants of Pittsburgh.

Another unique triangle landmark of Pittsburgh is where the Three Rivers nestle together: The Ohio River, Allegheny River, and Monongahela River converge into Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers. It is a unique natural monument considering the convergence of three rivers anywhere around the world is an uncommon occurrence. Be sure to visit the two Mount Washington Inclines: the Duquesne Incline and the Mon Incline, both built in the 1870s and preserving much of their historical integrity.

It is a fun way to glimpse into Pittsburgh’s past and a breathtaking look at its present. Mount Washington has been ranked the second most beautiful place in America by USA Weekend’s Annual Travel Report. Duquesne Incline has been ranked various times as one of America’s most romantic places.

Station Square

To complete a spectacular evening, visit Station Square, located near the Inclines in downtown Pittsburgh, for a sumptuous late-night dinner and more stunning sights and flavors. The colorful lighting, music, and central water fountain make this one of the most beautiful places to visit.

Moreover, the central water fountain, where the colored lights are choreographed to the music, is a gorgeous place to relax and unwind after a long day of sightseeing. Plus, there is an aura of vitality at Station Square, being one of Pittsburgh’s favorite places to dine, dance, and party.

If there is time, take one of the water tours of the Three Rivers, or simply dance the night away at one of the lively venues. There is an array of activities to explore at Station Square, from shopping to train rides or a Just Ducky Water Adventure Tour to a romantic horse and carriage ride. The sky’s the limit along Pittsburgh’s beautiful skyline.

On the US/Canada border, spectacular Niagara Falls attracts wedding couples and daredevils. Maybe something in the water makes them take the plunge.

Buffalo, New York, has several claims to fame. It’s the birthplace of one of the great bar foods of all time-the Buffalo Wing. It has football fans who endured the bitter sting of four straight Super Bowl losses. It has some of the worst winter weather between Moscow, Idaho, and Moscow, Russia. However, life in Buffalo has an upside.

Just a few miles away, on the US/Canada border, one of the awesome sights in the natural world can be seen. (And heard) Niagara Falls is one of the most popular and easily accessible waterfalls in the world.

Niagara Falls

When people think of Niagara Falls, they tend to think of one big, spectacular waterfall. In reality, Niagara Falls is a collection of three smaller waterfalls:

 Horseshoe Falls – The biggest of the 3, Horseshoe Falls is usually thought of as the "Canadian Falls." It is on the western side of Goat Island and has a drop of around 170 feet. The precipice or "brink" of the falls forms the general shape of a horseshoe and measures about a half-mile in total length. About a third of this length is actually on the American side of the border.
 American Falls – Northeast of both Goat Island and Horseshoe Falls, American Falls is located entirely on the US side of the border. American Falls is around 1000 feet wide, and the vertical fall at the base is only around 70 feet. After the water goes over American Falls, it continues to cascade down an enormous pile of boulders for another 100 vertical feet or so, where it reaches the same level as the bottom of Horseshoe Falls.
 Bridal Veil Falls – Often considered to be part of American Falls, Bridal Veil is separated from American Falls by a small island and has a similar 70-foot drop.

The three waterfalls combine for a breathtaking sight, and the noise made by the falling water is louder than a crowd at the Buffalo Bills game. Around 3/4 of a million gallons will go over the falls in a single second, with 80% of this volume going over Horseshoe Falls. Of course, water isn’t the only thing that goes over Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls Daredevils

For reasons known only to themselves, people come to Niagara Falls to risk pain, long-term health, and personal well-being. These people come to Niagara Falls to…..get married. Yep, Niagara Falls weddings are big business, and so are the subsequent honeymoons. Niagara Falls calls itself the “Honeymoon Capital of the World,” and every couple who spend their honeymoon here gets a certificate signed by the mayor.

As nice as weddings can be, some people use Niagara Falls for thrills of another kind. For more than a hundred years, people have been going over Niagara Falls in a barrel or other man-made device. Many have survived to tell the tale, and some have not. Here are some notable efforts:

 Bobby Leach – In 1911, Leach went over the falls in a steel barrel and came away with a broken jaw and two broken kneecaps, but otherwise unharmed. Years later, he would die from gangrene after slipping on an orange peel.

 John "Super Dave" Munday – In 1985, the Canadian mechanic survived a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel and did it again in 1993. (Would you let this man work on your brakes?)

 Robert Overcracker – In 1995, Overcracker opted to jump off of his jet-ski, just as it cleared the edge of Horseshoe Falls, and use a parachute to slow his fall. The parachute didn't open, and his body was never found.

These brave and daring escapades may have varying results, but there is a lesson to be learned: Brides….after your wedding at Niagara Falls, be careful where you toss that bouquet.