The Total Solar Eclipse is approaching fast! To help prepare for your trip to Lakeside for this highly anticipated event, read our list of travel and safety tips.
1. PLAN YOUR MEALS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AND SUPPORT LOCAL EATERIES.
Lakeside businesses have made special arrangements to be open for this celestial event. Stop in to support Lakeside’s restaurants.
- Ooh La La — Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, and 8 a.m.-noon Tuesday (breakfast only). In addition to lunch and breakfast, Ooh La La will have limited dinner offerings on Saturday-Monday. Please check the restaurant’s front door along Walnut Plaza for updated hours.
- The Patio Restaurant — Will serve donuts and coffee through its carry-out window 7-11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday.
- Lakeside Coffee & Cream — Open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday with limited items, including eclipse drinks.
- SmoothieSide: Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Monday (will stay open later if necessary).
- Port Clinton Rotary Club Perch Truck — Will be located at the corner of Walnut Plaza and Third Street and open 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Please note that the wagon will not be open on Monday.
- Lakeside United Methodist Church — Open for lunch 12-3 p.m. Sunday, featuring soups, salad and bratwurst. The church is also serving coffee, tea and water at no charge.
- Bassett’s Market (3994 E Harbor Rd, Port Clinton) — Pre-order catering and party trays or shop for groceries. Download Bassett’s Celebration Menu and Catering Menu. Visit the store, call (419) 734-6506 or log on to bassettsmarket.com to pre-order.
2. PACK YOUR WALKING SHOES OR RENT A GOLF CART OR BIKE.
Shuttles will NOT be offered during the Total Solar Eclipse weekend, so plan to walk or bike the Lakeside grounds. Sypherd’s Cycles & Rental Center rents bikes and golf carts, weather permitting. Sypherd’s is open noon-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday. Call (419) 798-4124. Please obey all traffic signs.
3. LEAVE HOME EARLY.
Traffic might be similar to summer weekend travel. Plus, there’s construction along Route 2 that may delay your trip. Don’t be in a rush. Leave on Thursday to save time. There are many activities in Lakeside starting Friday and going past the end of totality Monday at 3:16 p.m. View the schedule of events.
4. PRE-REGISTER FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
Two activities for the weekend require pre-registration, an Out-of-this-World Puzzle Competition and Fused Glass Art Class, both held on Saturday, April. 6. For the puzzle competition, 20 teams of up to four people will have 120 minutes to complete a 500-piece puzzle. The cost is $40/team. Register now! For the art class, create a beautiful, lasting souvenir of the Total Solar Eclipse. The cost is $47/person (ages 14+). Register now!
5. BRING CASH.
Restaurants like Ooh La La and The Patio Restaurant don’t accept credit cards, so having cash in your wallet will be helpful. Lakeside is also asking for cash donations for the movies being shown in Orchestra Hall over the weekend. There’s a Huntington Bank ATM located in the Fountain Inn (225 Maple Ave.).
6. LEARN ABOUT ENTERING LAKESIDE AND WHERE TO PARK.
Admission and parking for the Total Solar Eclipse Celebration in Lakeside are FREE! Please enter through the South Gate (along Route 163) or the Fifth Street Gate (at the intersection of N. Shore Boulevard and Erie Beach Road). Volunteers will be at these designated gates from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday to welcome guests and distribute a schedule of events and your eclipse safety glasses (first-come, first-served).
Parking is limited in Lakeside. Street parking is allowed in marked spaces only. Please don’t block driveways. Parking is available at:
- South Gate Parking Lot off Route 163
- Grass around the Lakeside Schoolhouse along Seventh Street
- Bradley Temple Parking Lot on Cedar Avenue
- South of Hotel Lakeside
- Around Wesley Lodge
- Hoover Auditorium Parking Lot (south of the building)
- Fifth Street Parking Lot (small lot outside the gate)
Please note that parking is NOT available at the Danbury School Lot, and the Fountain Inn lot is reserved for hotel guests only. During the Total Solar Eclipse weekend, only golf carts are permitted to park in Pavilion Circle.
7. HAVE A QUESTION? VISIT A LAKESIDE HOSPITALITY STATION.
Lakeside has designated the South Gate, Fifth Street Gate, Lakeside Chautauqua Administration Office and the Fountain Inn front desk as Hospitality Stations. At these locations, pick up a schedule of events, a pair of eclipse safety glasses (first-come, first-served) and have your questions answered. Glasses will be available starting on Friday, April 5.
- The South Gate and Fifth Street Gate will be manned with Lakeside Ambassadors from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday.
- The Lakeside Chautauqua Administration Office is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 12:30-4 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday.
- The Fountain Inn front desk is to welcome hotel guests and distribute Scavenger Hunt clues and a prize.
8. PICK UP YOUR GLASSES WHEN YOU ARRIVE STARTING FRIDAY.
In order to see the eclipse before and after totality, you’ll need special safety glasses to protect your eyes. In addition to the South Gate and Fifth Street Gate, you can pick up a pair at the Fountain Inn front desk, Lakeside Chautauqua Administration Office or during one of the Eclipse Learning Corners (6-9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday and Monday) in the Fountain Inn Aigler Room (first-come, first-served). Please take only one pair of glasses as supplies are limited. The glasses conform and meet the Transmission Requirements of ISO 12312-2, Filters for Direct Observation of the Sun. Use as directed.
9. WHERE TO VIEW THE ECLIPSE?
The Total Solar Eclipse can be viewed starting at 3:12 p.m. Monday, April 8 for approximately four minutes. Guests are welcome to watch the event from:
- Beach
- Lakefront path/Ohio’s Most Beautiful Mile
- Bettinger Park
- Chautauqua Park/Memorial Garden
- Williams Tennis Campus
- Various streets and parks across the grounds
Based on communications with our insurance adjusters, Lakeside has concluded that the eclipse will constitute as an adverse weather/safety condition. Therefore, the beach area will be open for viewing, but the rest of the Dock will be closed from 2-4 p.m. Monday, April 8. Please note: pets are not permitted on the Dock. Some streetlights and lights across the grounds may be on due to safety.
10. HELP KEEP LAKESIDE A SAFE PLACE.
To ensure everyone can safely enjoy their stay, we invite you to share the following safety tips with a new friend or young Lakesider:
- Some areas around Lakeside are for pedestrians only, for example, the Dock, Walnut Plaza, the lakefront path and Bettinger Park. NO bikes, skateboards, scooters, skates, golf carts or cars are allowed. The only wheels permitted are wheelchairs, baby strollers and kids’ wagons. NO pets on the Dock.
- Based on communications with our insurance adjusters, Lakeside has concluded that the eclipse will constitute as an adverse weather/safety condition. Therefore, the beach area will be open for viewing, but the rest of the Dock will be closed from 2-4 p.m. Monday, April 8.
- Fire lanes will not be marked, so pay attention to fire hydrants and ask a Lakeside Team member if you’re not sure that you’re parked legally.
- The speed limit in Lakeside is 15 mph. Stop signs mean stop. This goes for ALL forms of transportation, including bikes, skateboards, skates, scooters, golf carts and cars. Also, obey one-way street signs. If you’re walking, watch for traffic.
- Only licensed drivers may drive golf carts. One safety belt per person is required.
- It will be dark during totality, so be aware of your surroundings. Make sure your bike has a light and wear bright clothing. Some streetlights and lights across the grounds may be on due to safety.
- Wear your safety glasses during the Total Solar Eclipse. You can pick up a pair of glasses (first-come, first-served) from the South Gate, Fifth Street Gate, Lakeside Chautauqua Administration Office and Foutain Inn. Hours listed above.
- Consumption of alcohol is permitted only within the lessee’s property in Lakeside.
- Lakeside is a non-smoking community. Smoking of tobacco products and the use of alternative nicotine products is prohibited except within a structure on a lessee’s property.
- In the event of a thunderstorm or tornado, shelters are located at the Fountain Inn, Orchestra Hall, Bettinger Park restrooms and Wesley Lodge.
11. HAVE AN EMERGENCY? KNOW THE SAFETY PROTOCOL.
If you have an emergency during your stay, call 911. Lakeside Safety Services is also on call and can be reached at (419) 635-6030. Local law enforcement is expected to be juggling a higher volume of calls during the eclipse weekend.
Emergency medical care and urgent care facilities are available at Magruder Hospital (615 Fulton St. in Port Clinton), a 15-minute drive west from Lakeside. Call (419) 734-1313 for the hospital and (419) 732-4017 for urgent care. Also available for medical care is Firelands Hospital (1111 Hayes Ave. in Sandusky), a half-hour drive from Lakeside. Call (419) 557-7400. FASTrack Urgent Care is available (135 W. Perry St. in Port Clinton); walk-ins are accepted and there’s no facility fee. Call (419) 732-7800. Urgent care is also available at NOMS Urgent Care (2500 W. Strub Rd. in Sandusky). Call (419) 502-5932.
12. EMBRACE THE ‘LEAVE NO TRACE’ PHILOSOPHY.
Please put trash in the cans provided around Lakeside and leave the location better than you found it. This includes anywhere across the Lakeside grounds, parks, hotel rooms and rented cottages.
13. AVOID TRAFFIC AFTER TOTALITY.
Thousands of visitors are expected to travel to the Marblehead Peninsula and the shores of Lake Erie to experience the eclipse. That means traffic is expected to be very heavy when totality concludes. Plan to stay in Lakeside and off the roads for a couple hours. Play shuffleboard, mini golf, pickleball, tennis, basketball, sand volleyball, cornhole or gaga ball or walk the lakefront path, weather permitting. Talented vocalist and guitarist Spencer Eller will provide music following the eclipse at the Steele Memorial Bandstand from 3:30-5 p.m.
14. FILL UP YOUR TANK OR CHARGE YOUR VEHICLE FOR THE TRIP HOME.
After arriving to Lakeside, fill your car with gas, especially before Monday. Traffic will likely be heavy after the eclipse, so you don’t want to be low on fuel. If you have an electric vehicle, make sure it’s fully charged.
15. PREPARE FOR LIMITED PHONE AND INTERNET SERVICE.
Due to the high volume of people in the area, this may cause disruption with internet and cellphone services.
16. LEARN WHERE THE PUBLIC RESTROOMS ARE LOCATED.
Not all of facilities will be open over the eclipse weekend. Public restrooms available are located in:
- Wesley Lodge
- Wellness Center
- Fountain Inn lobby
- Bettinger Park near the shuffleboard courts
- Pavilion
- Orchestra Hall
- Train Station
- Memorial Garden (port-a-potty)
17. SHOP AND TAKE HOME A SOUVENIR.
Don’t forget to wander through the Lakeside shops and purchase your solar eclipse merchandise. Business hours are as follows:
- Gifts That Give Back — Open 11 a.m-5 p.m. Friday-Monday.
- The Kite Shop — Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 12-6 p.m. Sunday, and 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday.
- Lakeside Heritage Society Archives — Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
- Marilyn’s & Marilyn’s Two — Open 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday-Monday and will have $10 snack bags. Pre-order by calling (419) 798-5747 and pick up bags from Marilyn’s that weekend.
- Miss Mercedes — Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
- The Fine Print Bookstore — Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Tuesday and will have solar eclipse books and T-shirts.
- Wise Woman Boutique — Open 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. daily.
