Travel
A weekend drive along the northern coast
The coast road north of Port Ellis is one of the slowest drives in the state, and that is the point. This spring the last washed-out section reopened, so you can finally drive from the harbor towns to the trailheads along the bluffs in a single day.
We drove it end to end over a long weekend, from the first coffee stop outside the city to a late ferry back across the sound.
Let’s Go PlacesNew Cars, Trucks, SUVs & HybridsLearn moreDay one: the coast road and the bluff trail
Leave the city before eight and you reach Cape Rell just after ten, ahead of the tour buses. The trailhead lot fills by eleven on weekends, and the overflow lot is a mile back down the road.
From the trailhead the bluff path runs four miles to the lighthouse. The first mile climbs steadily; after that it's gentle, with benches every half mile and views straight down to the surf.

Nikenike.com · SponsoredLearn moreDay two: the harbor and the islands
Ferries to the outer islands run hourly in summer and every two hours after Labor Day. The crossing takes forty minutes, and the upper deck is the only place with a view.
Lunch at the fish market is the obvious choice and the right one. Get there before noon or expect to wait.
Day three: slow morning, scenic drive home
Check out late, walk the beach at low tide, and take the inland route home. It is forty minutes faster, and you'll be back in the city before dinner.
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