This post was part of an invitational trip. Photos and opinions are our own.
Ashtabula County, located along Lake Erie in Northeast Ohio, offers a delightful mix of activities for families, groups of adults, friends’ getaways, or couples’ getaways. We got to spend a weekend there this summer as a family and it was pretty easy to come up with a list of our 10 favorite things to do in Ashtabula County!
The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake is one of the best hotels in the region for any visit. The beautiful property overlooks Lake Erie, features indoor restaurants and bars, and hosts event spaces. Located next to Lake Erie Canopy Tours, it offers golf cart rentals and free bicycles. You can easily grab a bike or stroller and follow the trails to Breakwater Beach or downtown Geneva on the Lake.
We found the accommodation very comfortable and The Lodge served as a perfect base for exploring the region. We saw numerous buses transporting groups to and from the many wineries in the area.
Of course, you may find that you just want to relax in The Lodge itself! It features multiple outdoor pools with expansive patios and a full outdoor bar so you can relax with drinks. Later, you can wind down the day by hanging out around the fire pit and roasting the perfect s’more.
It’s super convenient that The Lodge offers free bike rentals! You can hop on a few bikes to get around town, but one of the best destinations is Breakwater Beach just west of The Lodge. It is part of Geneva State Park and has public facilities, plenty of space to spread out and designated swimming areas.
We swam during the day and caught a beautiful sunset one evening. And during the day there was a cart there that rented kayaks by the hour!
Lake Erie Canopy Tours is open seasonally and located next to The Lodge in Geneva on the Lake! It makes for an exciting outdoor adventure that’s great for all ages.
You can float above the treetops with views of Lake Erie on their zipline course or try one of their adventure courses for different ages. We loved that the different zip lines cover different lengths and that some let you race side by side!
One of our favorite activities was exploring downtown Geneva on the lake. The main venue has a huge collection of food stalls, bars, restaurants and live music venues. It’s easy to grab a golf cart and drive up and down looking for fun stuff.
One of our favorite stops was for burgers and fries at Eddie’s Grill. Eddie’s has been serving Geneva on the Lake since 1950. You go to the window, place your order, wait for your number to be called, then find a seat inside or on the huge back patio. We loved our taste of classic cheeseburgers, crispy fries, cold root beer and fried fish.
There are many more things to do in Geneva on the Lake. You can pick up sweets at the Pucker Up Candy Shoppe, where you can even spin your own ball of cotton candy.
And we spent a lot of time in the Adventure Zone, a large complex of arcade games, go-karts, boats, climbing walls, batting cages, a zip line and much more!
You better believe I’m going to recommend a local breakfast to start your day! Throughout Ashtabula County, you’ll find everything from relaxed home cooking to elegant brunches.
Judging by the crowds waiting patiently outside the door, Mary’s Kitchen in Geneva on the Lake is a popular spot for a morning meal. They whip up colorful breakfasts like avocado toast with eggs, cinnamon rolls, fruit-topped pancakes, breakfast burritos, biscuits and gravy, and more.
Becker’s Restaurant in Ashtabula is known for its home cooking. Its weekend brunch buffet is especially popular!
Yes, Madsen Donuts deserves its own spot on our list! The beloved donut shop has been serving visitors to Lake Geneva since 1938. From their small storefront, they make everything from scratch daily, and customers line up for long johns, glazed cake donuts and glazed yeast doughnuts.
On our visit, owner Keith Beery showed us around the store and actually let us help frost a few donuts! Keith’s parents bought the store when he was very young, so he grew up making donuts and interacting with seasonal customers in Geneva on the Lake.
Madsen Donuts is open every day during the season and they are reducing their hours to weekends for the rest of the year. (Pssst…there are also two franchises in western Pennsylvania.)
Ashtabula County is home to 32 wineries, from large scale operations to small tasting rooms! It’s a popular draw for visitors to explore the options throughout the county and bring home a case of the good stuff from Ohio’s wine country.
Check out the full list of wineries on the Ashtabula County Visitors Bureau website!
Old Firehouse Winery in Geneva on the Lake makes the most of its lake views. The winery features a large patio where guests can relax with comfort food like burgers, fries, and nachos while sipping mulled wine and listening to live music.
The winery also has an old Ferris wheel with a great view of the lake – and you can still ride it!
Meanwhile, Debonne Vineyards in Madison is the largest winery in Ohio, spanning 175 acres in the Grand River Valley. The family-owned winery spans a beautiful property with expansive patios, a food bar, a live music stage – they even have their own brewery, Double Wing Brewing Company!
Ashtabula County has no shortage of great coffee shops, and Scribblers Coffee offers a full espresso bar, pastries, light breakfast and lunch. Love your coffee? Grab a few kilos of beans on your way out!
Ashtabula’s annual Beach Glass Festival fills Bridge Street and lines it with tents selling jewelry, artwork, clothing and other items made from colorful beach glass. The festival usually lands towards the end of June and is a fun way to check out the beautiful wares while hanging out in downtown Ashtabula, visiting the shops and enjoying views of the river and lift bridge.
While visiting the festival, you can check out local shops and restaurants, such as Briquettes Smokehouse in a beautifully restored two-story historic building with a huge patio.
You can also get unique views of the river, coast, and Lake Erie by renting kayaks, paddleboards, and paddleboards from Harbor Yak. They are located just across the river from the Beach Glass Festival site, in a former Coast Guard station.
We hopped on a few jet skis and bobbed around the riverbank for a while, admiring some of the old industrial works and the bridge itself.
There are many more things to do in Ashtabula County! To learn more about places to stay, wineries to visit, parks to explore, restaurants to try, historic sites, arts and culture, and much more, visit the Ashtabula County Visitors Bureau!
This post was part of an invitational trip. Photos and opinions are our own.