Ohio's Lake Erie Islands: A Brief History in Words and Pictures by Chad Waffen02/19/2007 10:54:26 PM
Location : Cleveland, OH
Since I gave you a history of Rock and Roll in Cleveland, how about some island history?
Believe it or not, there are some islands in Lake Erie. And the big ones are vacation destinations. I found this book while on a browsing tour of Barnes and Noble.
Contents:
Overview
Kelleys
South Bass
Middle Bass
North Bass
Rattlesnake
Sugar
Mouse
Ballast
Gibraltar
West Sister
Green
Starve
Buckeye
Lost Ballast
Gull
At about 50 pages, Ohio's Lake Erie Islands: A Brief History in Words and Pictures by Chad Waffen, won't tie up too much of your time. However, if you have ever visited any of the islands, wanted a little more history, or needed to know about those "other" islands on your way to Kelleys or South Bass, this is a great primer. And the pictures that Chad includes are pretty spectacular. Looking at them, and reading some history of each, I feel the need to visit one of Lake Erie's islands. He spends more time with the larger, inhabited islands, as there is more to discuss. But I also found the lesser known or the reef islands to be just as interesting. The best picture in the book? I would have to go with Gull Island. It is a reef island, which means that the only time that you would see any land is if the lake level dropped a few feet. The current picture of the island? A red buoy.
As we vacation on South Bass Island every year, I now have a much better appreciation for what I see when I look out at the lake from the top of the Perry Monument. And when we visit Kelleys Island, I hope to be able to visit some other historical sites, other than the usual glacial grooves. Waffen has certainly provided the visitor with some "off the beaten path" ideas. And you may even impress some people with your "island history."
Preparing to visit one of the islands, or if you want to relive past experiences, this is the book to buy. It would also be a great book for those of you not in Ohio, to see a uniquely Ohio destination. This is an exceptional, quick reference on the Lake Erie islands with some stunning photographs. There is one shot that he has included that he did not take. I would love to know the story behind that one (he says that he was "too scared" to take it). I especially enjoyed his little histories about each island, even the ones that I have no chance of ever visiting. I hope that Waffen is preparing his second book on the islands, hopefully looking at the flora and fauna of the islands. I believe that with his photographic skills and editorial comments, that would make another excellent book.
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