Great Inn Getaways from Cleveland

Excerpts from

Hotel Lakeside

Lakeside . . . The Chautauqua on Lake Erie

Summer visitors have been finding their way to the Hotel Lakeside, a grand old hotel situated on the Marblehead Peninsula, since 1875. Built to accommodate those who came to the early Methodist camp meetings at Lakeside, the hotel offers a wraparound screened porch with a spectacular view of Lake Erie. The porch, lined with rocking chairs and baskets of ferns, is the perfect place to read on a sultry summer afternoon or to linger in the evening to watch the sunset on the lake.

Filled with antiques and groupings of white wicker, the hotel's lobby introduces the authentic lodging experience that awaits. Victorian gems like a walnut hall tree, a Victrola, marble-top tables, and a parlor organ are some of the items given by the Friends of the Hotel Lakeside. Lace curtains at the windows, hanging flower baskets, and carpet in a fruit motif with a burgundy and green background continue the Victorian ambience. I learned as I was registering that the marble counter and the office desk are original to the hotel.

Guest rooms with a lake view are the first to be taken, so reservations are a good idea. A spacious corner room on the third floor looks out to Lake Erie. Furnished with two walnut double beds and matching chest, the room is papered in an exotic bird pattern with a floral background and a border of anaglypta lincrusta. The Friends of the Hotel Lakeside also provided an eye-catching item in this room: a glass-fronted curio cabinet housing a collection of decorative elephants. Another oft-requested room features a burl walnut bedroom set with a beautifully detailed headboard, two marble-top chests, and a pier mirror. Recently renovated rooms boast Laura Ashley wallpaper, pristine white woodwork, and private baths. Ceiling fans and high windows with original wood shutters at the top and sheers at the bottom are staples throughout the guest rooms. It may confuse first-time guests to be given a key for a room on the third floor numbered in the 600s. The clerk explained that the other Lakeside Association hotel, the Fountain Inn, uses the 100 to 300 numbering system; thus the historic accommodation gets the 300 to 600 numbers.

A continental breakfast is available Monday through Saturday in the lobby for hotel guests. If your visit includes a Sunday, don't miss the brunch served in the historic Marine Dining Room. You're treated to yet another view of Lake Erie, perhaps seated on a cane-bottom chair at one of the long tables for eight that have been part of the hotel furnishings since it opened in 1875. Dinner buffets are available on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Things to Do:

Lakeside, established in 1873 by the Lakeside Company and Methodist Church Camp leaders, continues in the Chautauquan tradition of providing lectures, concerts, religious programs, classes, and a variety of recreational activities. Today it's known as the Chautauqua on Lake Erie, and you realize upon entering the grounds that it's a multigenerational place. Young families with strollers are joined by walkers and joggers traversing the historic pathways past Lakeside's cottages. A parade of cyclists of all ages bring their own bikes or rent them from Sypherd Cycles on the grounds. On an exploratory walk, I came upon tennis courts, playgrounds, and a miniature golf course set under sheltering trees by the lake. Shuffleboard courts are a popular venue in this retreat community, which is home to the Ohio Shuffleboard Hall of Fame and host of the National Shuffleboard Tournament. There's swimming by the dock, where the younger set find their own pool. The pavilion, with open porches on either side of the tower, offers another spot to relax in Adirondack chairs.

In the heart of Lakeside, Green Gables, a charming Gothic dwelling, is home to the Lakeside Women's Club. Weekly programs, book reviews, children's story hour, and bridge are a few of the activities offered.

In this village of Victorian cottages it's no surprise to find a longtime favorite dining spot, the Abigail Tea Room, made up of two cottages. You can dine on the screened porch sheltered by wild grapevines or in one of the dining rooms with geranium wallpaper, wood floors, and paprika red tables. Photos of luminaries who have taken a meal at the Abigail include Glenn Miller, Bill Monroe, and the Kingston Trio. The meals are home-cooked, the prices reasonable, and the wait staff made up of college girls, which seems to be a tradition at Lakeside. Menus change daily, with entrees like ham loaf, Lake Erie perch, and Swiss steak appearing on weeknights, while the Sunday menu brings in folks from outside the gate as well as Lakesiders for leg of lamb and fried chicken. Hostess Elva Thomas comes in early to bake the pies and will know your name after you stop for a few meals. All the fruit pies are popular, but rhubarb may top the list, as it was sold out by the time we ordered our evening meal.

Stop at the Heritage Hall Museum for a look at Lakeside's history. The Lakeside Heritage Society offers walking tours of the town's central area during the summer season. Every summer resort seems to be known for a special food item, and at Lakeside it's freshly baked donuts, which folks line up for early in the morning at the Patio Restaurant. In the evening, they stop for ice cream cones after a film or concert. Shopping runs the gamut from balloons at the Silly Goose to Joseph Wise Fine Clocks with a master clockmaker on staff. Women love to stop at Miss Mercedes, a small space crammed with colorful garments. The kids have a favorite store—Marilyn's, where they find their favorite candy and are trusted to make their own change.

Directions: I-80/90 to SR 2 West; right on SR 269; right on SR 163 for 3 miles; left on North Shore Blvd. to entrance for Lakeside.

Nearby attractions: Cedar Point, Put-In-Bay, Kelleys Island, Marblehead Lighthouse