2022 Best of Lake Erie: Photo Ops

Romantic Retreat: The Pier at Painesville Township Park
There’s nothing as dreamy as seeing the warm glow of sunset from the 200-foot-long ADA accessible pier at Painesville Township Park. The Northeast Ohio park, which is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, offers year-round sweeping views of Lake Erie in all its seasonal glory. Portions of the pier are covered, and there are plenty of benches for visitors to sit a spell and enjoy their surroundings.
Painesville Township, Ohio, 440-354-3885, lakemetroparks.com

Time to Relax: Inasphere Estate Winery & Farm Market
The Bosgoed family invites you to “come for the view and stay for the flavours” at Ontario’s Inasphere Winery. The breathtaking setting encompasses 105 combined acres of grapes that produce a diversity of wines — including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio — and fields of cabbage, roma tomatoes, squash, onions, cucumbers and beans. Visitors are invited to visit the “Cabin” to purchase farm produce and bottles of their favorite wines to take home, relax at the tasting bar and kick back on the patio to enjoy the ambiance.
St. Williams, Ontario, 519-410-5930, inaspherewines.ca

See the Light: Eternal Flame Falls
Some visitors are mesmerized by the cascade. Others are spellbound by the grotto that emits an 8-inch-high flame believed to have been lit thousands of years ago by Native Americans or simply the result of a natural gas leak. Either way, Eternal Flame Falls has become a popular New York attraction in Chestnut Ridge Park. The 35-foot waterfall is well worth the 40-minute roundtrip hike along the path that’s clearly marked with signs and a creek bed.
Orchard Park, New York, 716-858-8355, nyfalls.com/waterfalls/eternal-flame-falls