With finals coming up and summer just around the corner, I’m sure we all have summer plans on our minds, even though we know we should be studying. If you’re from the Northeast Ohio area, or are planning on or near throughout the summer, you might know that there are plenty of places you can spend a weekend without even realizing that you haven’t left the state.

1.Kelley’s Island

Kelley’s Island is a village/island on Lake Erie. Several ferries can transport travelers from the Sandusky area to the island. There are several public beaches, parks, marinas, and campgrounds, including Camp Patmos, a youth camp on the northeast side of the island. It’s the largest of the American Lake Erie Islands. It is also home to the Kelley’s Island Wine Company, originally one of the largest wineries in the U.S.1.

2. Geneva-on-the-Lake

Geneva-on-the-Lake is a village in Ashtabula County. Its central attraction known as “the Strip,” a section of State Route 531, has been a tourist attraction for years. Eddie’s Grill, an icon of “the Strip” has been catering to visitors since 1950, and through the years has stayed true to its classic 1950s-style environment. In 2004, the Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva State Park opened on the lakefront, allowing visitors an upscale, year-round place to stay, imbibe in wine-tasting, and view Lake Erie from an outdoor or indoor pool.

3. Ohio Caverns

Ohio Caverns is one of Ohio’s most popular tourist attractions, open year-round, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It is a show cave located about 30 miles from Dayton, Ohio, near West Liberty, in Salem Township. It is the largest of all the cave systems in Ohio, and contains many crystal formations. About 90% of stalactite and stalagmite formations are still active. The cavern system was originally an aquifer, holding an underground river of melted glacier water. This river eventually receded to lower levels of the ground and is now unseen.

4. Seneca Caverns

Seneca Caverns is a show cave located in northeastern Seneca County, just outside Flat Rock. The cave is designated as a Registered Natural Landmark by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.It was discovered in June 1872, when two boys were hunting rabbits with their dog. There are 7 levels that are open to the public, with the 7^th level going about 110 feet underground. There are also lower levels that have only been explored during severe droughts. Level 12, which is about 220 feet underground, is the deepest any person has ever gone. It’s unclear just how deep it actually goes.

5. Port Clinton

Nicknamed the “Walleye Capital of the World,” Port Clinton is located about 44 miles east of Toledo. The city is known for its annual Walleye Drop, commemorating the new year as well as its fishing and boating industries, the annual National Rifle Matches at neighboring Camp Perry, and its proximity to a variety of vacation destinations, such as Lake Erie islands, Cedar Point, Marblehead Lighthouse, and a number of local wineries. Port Clinton is part of the area that is referred to regionally as Vacationland, which includes Sandusky and the Lake Erie islands, due to the large number of tourists that flock to the area in the summer months.