You’ve never seen Lake Erie waterfront accommodations quite like this. To add a touch of luxury to the quiet shores of Kelleys Island, Ohio, Beth and Tim Hermes chose to build A Water’s Edge Retreat, an upscale Victorian-style B&B that should be classified as a must-visit destination and not just a place to stay when you’re on the island. The truth is, once you get settled, you may venture no farther than the veranda or the beach deck.
Choose from six, antiques-furnished suites, all with private baths and two with Jacuzzis. With 10- to 13-foot ceilings and solid oak baseboards, you’d think this house, although built in 1994, was a surviving gem from a bygone era.
Guests can expect amazing scents wafting from the kitchen as early as 5 a.m. Beth, having honed her culinary arts skills in Paris, prepares fabulous quiches, frittatas or eggs Benedict, as well as her popular yeast rolls. In the evening, beverages and hors d’oeuvres are served on the beach, providing yet another opportunity to listen to the waves crash onto the shore.
When night falls, gather around a beach bonfire. Unobstructed views reveal a spectacular moonrise, upstaged only by the countless stars in the sky.
Those who prefer being on the water can sail the Lake Erie waves with Captain Tim on his 35-foot yacht. Two-hour sails are an almost daily adventure during the summer months.
Best of all, getting to Kelleys Island is part of the fun. Ferry boats run daily from Port Clinton and Marblehead. And once you’re on the island, bicycles and golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation.