One of the more attractive resorts on Ohio’s Lake Erie frontage, Vermilion took its name from the rich red clay that colors the soil. Along with a fine beach backed by dozens of attractive summer homes, the town also holds the Inland Seas Maritime Museum (daily; $6), along the waterfront at 480 Main Street. The museum’s usual array of scale models and paintings of ships is augmented with preserved timbers from Perry’s ship Niagara, and a 62-foot-tall replica of a Lake Erie lighthouse.
A great old-fashioned ice cream and sandwich parlor, Ednamae’s, stands at 5598 Liberty Avenue at the center of town; for a more complete meal, try the comfortable Old Prague Restaurant next door. A reliable place to stay is the Motel Plaza ($50; 440/967-3191), at 4645 Liberty Avenue.
