For 150 years, people have come to rest, relax, and recharge in the area from Vermilion to Port Clinton, south to Milan, Bellevue, and Fremont, and north to Sandusky, Cedar Point, the Marblehead Peninsula, and the Lake Erie Islands. Lake Erie is the constant in this fascinating story, the natural resource that gives the region its character and charm. Quaint wineries, world-class roller coasters, amusement parks, water toboggans, indoor and outdoor water parks, lake steamers and jet boats, cottage communities, sportfishing, swimming, sailing, boating, camping, historical sites, caverns, museums, beaches, Civil War history, resort hotels, religious retreats, and natural wonders—Lake Erie's shores and islands have a rich tourism and recreation history.
Authors John and Marie Hildebrandt are uniquely qualified to tell the story of the shores and islands. John is a retired vice president and general manager of Cedar Point, the Sandusky amusement park and resort that first opened in 1870. He has spent 40 years in the tourism industry. Marie is a former news reporter for the Sandusky Register and a retired public official. For five years, she wrote the region's leading tourism publication.