A Girlfriend Getaway to Port Clinton, Ohio

Sponsored Content Disclosure: Content on our website may be sponsored or contain affiliate links (which means we could earn a commission when you click a link on our website and buy something). To read our full sponsored content disclosure, please click here. 

Sometimes we all just need to get away—and getting away is even better when you can do it with a great friend in one of western Lake Erie’s adorable coastal towns!

For this particular little “staycation” I invite Sandra, one of my closest friends, for a girlfriend getaway. We decide on a night in Port Clinton, Ohio.

We love Port Clinton’s small-town charm and access to Lake Erie, as well as its central location near Catawba and Marblehead, which offers us a wide variety of opportunities for dining and entertainment. We also like that it’s about an hour away from our home base in Toledo, making it the perfect distance to feel like you are getting away while also being an easy drive.

Like many of the Lake Erie coastal towns, the Port Clinton area is known as a summer tourist destination. The Jet Express to Lake Erie’s islands is located right downtown and the well-known resort village of Lakeside Chautauqua is a huge summertime draw. We were a little hesitant to visit during the “off-season,” but we found it was actually a great time for our girlfriend’s trip. The weather was pleasant, autumn touches were everywhere, the city was quiet, and we felt like we had the whole town to ourselves. The noticeable lack of crowds was also certainly due to our visit during the week, and we enjoyed being catered to everywhere we went!

We would like to thank Shores & Islands Ohio for sponsoring this getaway by helping us plan and covering the costs of our travel, lodging, Liberty Aviation tickets, and lunch at Orchard Farm Stand. Thank you so much!

Sandra and I arrive in Port Clinton around 10:30 am on a Monday. Our first stop is to take a fun touristy photo at the “Greetings from Port Clinton” mural, which is located on the west-facing wall of the Clinton House Restaurant in downtown Port Clinton. We did not have time to eat at the Clinton House during this trip, but it will definitely be on our to-do list next time. It’s so lovely!

Next, we head to the Shores and Islands Welcome Center to gather more information about the area and pick up brochures. We have already done some trip planning, but we are pleasantly surprised by the plethora of information offered here, the friendly staff, and the educational area with displays covering different sections of the Shores and Islands coverage area.

The staff is helpful in suggesting a few local attractions, and after checking out the displays a little, I grab a stack of brochures for planning a future trip!

Our next stop of the morning is Liberty Aviation Museum, which is conveniently located right around the corner from the welcome center. On first glance, this doesn’t seem very “girly” for our girlfriend getaway, but we both enjoy history and have a great time taking a trip into the past for a while as we explore.

The museum is chock-full of aviation memorabilia as well as working aircraft. A highlight is their 53-foot WWII B-25 Mitchell bomber named “Georgie’s Gal.” We get a kick out of the devil/angel illustrations on either side of the aircraft.  

We take a look at their Lake Erie Warbirds’ TBM Avenger and also get a peek at the Island Airlines Ford Tri-Motor restoration. One of the gentlemen working on the restoration explained how the Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation has been working to build this craft since 2004.

We also enjoy seeing their collection of vintage cars and camper, as well as the vintage airline uniforms and advertisements.

While we are there, we take a tour of the Tin Goose Diner as well. It’s a fully restored and operational 1950’s vintage diner that was moved to the museum site. All proceeds from the diner support the museum. We were disappointed that it was not open for business the day of our visit, but we are happy to get a quick tour, and we are adding yet another option to our list for future trips!

After touring the museum, we are both getting hungry and the weather is nice, so we head about 8 minutes north to Orchard Farm Stand for an outdoor lunch at their cafe.

This is the quick service alternative to their ritzier Orchard Bar & Table, which is only open for dinner and Sunday brunch (another item to add to our Port Clinton bucket list!). After taking in the view of the gardens a bit, we pick a nicely shaded table around the back of the cafe. Sandra and I split an Orchard Cobb salad, the coconut shrimp appetizer, and the Ham and Hot Peach sandwich with truffle fries. We devour everything, especially the sandwich and fries! It is all delicious and pairs nicely with our seasonal drinks—an Apple Smash for Sandra and a Harvest Peach for me.

After lunch, we take some time to peruse the landscaped grounds and stop into the gift shop. The gardens and water features are picturesque. We also enjoy all the fall details and products they have on display in the shop.

After lunch, we drive back toward downtown and stop at Cheesehaven to pick up a few treats for later that evening. This is a favorite stop whenever we drive through the area to camp at East Harbor or visit one of the islands. We love the huge selection of specialty cheeses. We decide on a few wedges of cheese, pretzels, and some salami.

We also make a quick stop at Bergman Orchards for some fresh fruit, apple cider, and pizza bread to add to our charcuterie tray later that evening.  

The next stop on our itinerary is Spa Catawba, where we look forward to indulging our girly sides. We have booked 60-minute relaxation massages for the afternoon, but we have a little time before they begin, so we decide to head over to Lakelynn Design Boutique, as we know they won’t be open the next day when we plan to go shopping. The boutique is so cute and full of fun jewelry, unique clothes, and more. I find some beautiful floral corduroy blouses and purchase a sweet gummy bear necklace to give as a gift.

Next up, massages! Spa Catawba is lovely, and the quintessential stop for a relaxing girlfriend getaway. We cozy up in our fluffy robes and slippers in their relaxation room and enjoy complimentary fruit-infused water and oatmeal bites. The massages are just what we need after a busy day.

After our massages, we stop by our hotel, OurGuest Inn and Suites, to check in and unpack for the night. Then we decide to grab a quick snack instead of a full meal. We head down the street to Jolly Rogers Seafood House for a light dinner by the lake. I enjoy fried clams and Sandra indulges in onion rings while we chat on the patio overlooking Lake Erie.

Next up, we stop by The Gristmill for a few drinks. We love the atmosphere here—the open concept bar area, relaxing upstairs deck, and the laid-back neighborhood vibe. We order a margarita flight to share, including the Tropical Color Changing Rita, which is our favorite. We also try the Gristmill Lemonade. It is delicious and refreshing.

We relax on Gristmill’s patio sipping on our colorful drinks as the sun starts to set, then we decide to head over to Waterworks Park, conveniently located right across the street from our hotel, to finish watching the sun set.

The Port Clinton Lighthouse is located at this park, and we think it looks striking against the glowing sky. We also check out the giant Lake Erie Love sign while we are here.

We spend some time taking photos, wading on the beach, and enjoying the final minutes of twilight. Then we decide to bust out our Bergman’s and Cheese Haven treats and enjoy them by our hotel’s heated pool. We spend the rest of the evening with the pool to ourselves!

The next day we are heading back home, but we still have some time to enjoy a few more activities in Port Clinton. First, we pack up and head over to the Ala Carte Cafe for a late breakfast. I enjoy a fried egg, bacon, home fries, and toast while Sandra opts for a biscuit and sausage gravy.

Once we are finished with our breakfast, we head right out the door of the café to enjoy a little downtown shopping. First, we head into Unique to browse antiques and other gifts. Sandra finds an adorable vintage tea set similar to one she owned as a child, and I am excited to spot an old syrup tin, like one I remember from my own family’s memorabilia collection.

After browsing the antiques, we head down the street to Northern Exposure Gallery and Candle Co. We love the huge selection of pirate-themed gifts stocked here from a recent event the store took part in, and we also enjoy the camping décor. Another cute find is their Lake Erie themed travel cups.

 Our last stop of the trip is Great Lakes Popcorn Co. They boast more than 30 flavors of gourmet popcorn, and we think this is the perfect treat to take home from our trip. The store offers numerous sizes of bags and tins, but be sure to ask about a sampler box for the best variety of flavors. My favorite flavor is the Creamy Dill, though I enjoy all of the varieties I end up choosing for my six-flavor sampler box: Creamy Dill, Vanilla Butternut, Spicy Buffalo, White Cheddar, English Toffee, and Jalapeno Cheddar.

Optional Day Two:

We really enjoyed our quick girlfriend getaway to Port Clinton, and we would definitely do this again! If you have the chance to stay a second night in the area, or if you need additional entertainment ideas, here are some other attractions we recommend for your own getaway:

• Marblehead Lighthouse (tours are only given in the summer season, but the lighthouse and its grounds are classic and beautiful all year round)
• East Harbor State Park
• Twin Oast BreweryGideon Owen Wine Company
• Kayaking down the Portage River with Portage River Paddling Co. 

Tips:

A lot of the small towns in Northwest Ohio are summer tourist destinations, so their busy seasons run Memorial Day through Labor Day. During the off-season, hours will be reduced and many things may close down for the winter, so it’s always best to check hours ahead of time.

Also, Mondays and Tuesdays are popular days for restaurants and stores to close so they can stay open over the busier weekends. We found that most stores in the downtown Port Clinton area were closed on Mondays, so we decided to shop on Tuesday.