Friends, flying, and food – Put-In-Bay is a beautiful village on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. I had the privilege of joining sixteen individuals and twelve team members on an outing to explore Put-In-Bay. Echoing Hills of Northern Ohio is participating in the one hundred hours program designed by staff, an adaptation of the one thousand hours program. The program’s goal is to encourage people to spend time outside with the mission of reclaiming childhood and reconnecting families.

Team members and individuals from the Starbuck, Brown, Engram, and Emerson homes met at the Emerson home to spend a day adventuring around the island. My supervisor and I drove to the Northern region and rode with people from the Starbuck home. Echoing Hills used five vans to transport staff and individuals onto Miller’s Ferry to reach Put-In-Bay.

Upon arrival, we stopped at a golf cart rental and hopped onto carts to begin the journey around the island. Individuals were able to ride in an airplane for a tour of Put-In-Bay. Each ride lasted approximately five minutes with four individuals and one staff member per ride. There was an extra seat, so I was able to take a tour of the island on the plane. It was a bright and clear morning, with a view of the sparkling blue water seen from above. This activity was the highlight of the day as individuals who had been to the island previously shared the fun memories they had made. The wind caused challenges for the plane but, a great ride overall.

After the airplane tours, we stopped for lunch at The Boardwalk, a collection of restaurants. This allowed individuals to have a few lunch options to choose from. Seafood is a popular dish on the bay but there are other options for those looking for simple foods. When everyone finished lunch – it was time for dessert! We drove to a local ice cream parlor to finish the busy day.