Put-in-Bay

Oliver Hazard Perry's squadron defeated a British force on Lake Erie in September 1813, securing the lake and the north-west for the United States, and Perry's message afterwards - that he had met the enemy and they were his - became the phrase the battle is remembered by. The memorial column on South Bass Island is a hundred and seven metres of Doric granite, built between 1912 and 1915 to mark both the battle and the century of peace with Britain and Canada that followed; an observation deck at the top looks over the lake and, on a clear day, to Canada. The village below is a summer resort with golf carts as the main transport and a well-established drinking scene.

What you actually see

• A 107-metre granite column - marking the 1813 battle and the peace after.
• An observation deck - looking over the lake towards Canada.
• Golf carts as transport - the standard way around the island.
• Glacial grooves and caves - elsewhere on the island.

When to go

May to September; the island largely closes in winter. A full day.

Honest expectations

The village is a drinking destination in summer and loud accordingly. Ferries stop when the lake ices over. Golf cart hire is expensive and roads get busy. Accommodation books out at weekends.

Nearby

Kelleys Island is east; Cedar Point is on the mainland south-east.