New Transportation Trail includes local sites

SANDUSKY — The state group celebrating the birthday of the U.S. recently announced a new Transportation Trail for the state that includes many sites in the Sandusky area. America 250-Ohio, a state commission, this week announced the Ohio Transportation Trail, a driving trail that includes more than 80 sites across the state that highlight the role of transportation in the state's history. A map of the trail and information about the sites is available at the commission's website, at america250-ohio.org/ohio-transportation-trail, both as an online map with links and as a downloadable PDF. The portion of the Transportation Trail running from Cleveland to Toledo includes these sites of local interest: • The Maritime Museum of Sandusky, 125 Meigs St., shows off Ohio's history of water transportation and Sandusky's role as a port city. • Liberty Aviation Museum, located at Erie-Ottawa International Airport near Port Clinton, focuses on World War II aircraft but also has an authentic Ford Tri-Motor aircraft that was part of Transcontinental Air Transport, which ran through Ohio and was the first attempt to link the east and west coasts using airplanes. • Mad River NKP Railroad Museum at 253 Southwest St. in Bellevue is a museum recommended to train buffs, which has many pieces of trains on display. More information is available at madrivermuseum.org. • The Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad is a 3-foot, narrow-gauge railroad that uses four working steam locomotives to transport visitors at the Cedar Point amusement park. • The Jet Express, which operates in both Sandusky and Port Clinton, connects the mainland to Put-in-Bay and Kelleys Island. • Miller Boat Line, 5174 E. Water St., Port Clinton, the largest and oldest ferry service on Lake Erie, connects Ottawa County to the islands. • The Lake Erie Islands Historical Society, 443 Catawba Ave., Put-in-Bay, gives the history of the waterfront island community that has relied on boat traffic to remain viable. Of course, there are many other good attractions listed on the Transportation Trail which aren't near Sandusky. Dayton, the home of the Wright Brothers, has numerous aviation attractions, including the National Aviation Hall of Fame, which is co-located with the excellent National Museum of the United States Air Force. Other trails in Ohio created by America 250-Ohio include the: • Ohio Creativity Trail, which includes Sandusky's Merry-Go-Round Museum • Ohio Air & Space Trail, which includes Liberty Aviation Museum • Lake Erie to Ohio River Trail, which includes the Maritime Museum of Sandusky • Ohio Innovation Trail, which includes the Edison Birthplace Museum in Milan All of these trails may be accessed from the America 250-Ohio website. One more trail will be announced later this year.