Greg ate the perch sandwich in about four bites, looked out at the harbor and said, "We should have done this 20 years ago." Then he ate half of mine.
We went to Put-in-Bay, on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, for three days last weekend. We had talked about it for years. It was always too far, too expensive, or one of the kids had something. This summer none of those were true, so we set a budget of $600 and went.
We came in at $598. Here is how.
Getting there
From Franklin it is about three hours north to the ferry dock near Port Clinton, mostly on I-75 to Toledo and then east. We took Greg's F-150 because the car needs tires. The truck gets about 18 miles per gallon on the highway, and it was about 380 miles round trip including the drive on the island side. Gas came to $73.
We did not take the truck on the island. You do not need a car there. We parked at the ferry lot for three days at $15 a day, $45, and walked onto the passenger ferry, $11.50 each way per person, $46 for both of us round trip. The ride is about 20 minutes. Greg stood at the rail the whole time like a man in a cruise ship ad.
Getting there and back, all in: $164.
The inn
We stayed two nights, Friday and Saturday, at a small inn a few blocks back from the downtown strip. I booked it in March, which mattered. By June, the rooms at the same place were going for $60 more a night.
It was $119 a night, with taxes $256 for both nights. The room was small, the floor sloped a bit, and the shower was barely big enough for Greg. It was also quiet, clean, and included a decent breakfast with real coffee. On an island known for loud bars on weekend nights, quiet was worth a lot.
Golf cart, food and the rest
On Saturday we rented a golf cart for a half day, four hours for $55, which is how almost everyone gets around. We drove the whole island, stopped at the state park, saw the monument from the outside and found a quiet spot on the west side to watch the sun go down. Greg drove. I held the map and gripped the side bar on every turn.
Friday and Sunday we walked. The downtown is small and flat, and Greg's knee did fine.
- Golf cart for Saturday: $55.
- Two dinners out, both modest: $58.
- Lunches, including the perch sandwiches: $38.
- Ice cream, twice, and a bag of fudge for Mom: $27.
Breakfast came with the room, which saved real money. We packed snacks and water in a cooler from home, which I would recommend to anyone doing this on a budget. A bottle of water on the island was $3.
The total
Travel $164, inn $256, golf cart $55, food $96, treats $27. That is $598, two dollars under the line, which Greg has mentioned to three people so far.
Dinner is where we saved the most. We ate our big meal at lunch both days, when the same perch plate was $5 cheaper, and had something light at night. We split a dessert once. Nobody went hungry.
Where would I spend more next time? The golf cart. Four hours felt rushed, and a full day was only $30 more. If you are planning a trip like this, I would budget $650 for two people and three days and not feel bad about it.
How we paid for it
Since the mortgage ended in March, the old $893 payment gets split every month, $500 into savings and $393 toward Greg's IRA and the roof fund. The trip came out of the savings side. It is the first time in years we have taken a trip just for the two of us that did not go on a credit card.
Mom turns 80 next week. I brought her the fudge. She ate three pieces and said it was too sweet. She will finish it by Thursday, just in time for her card game.
