IN FOCUS: Take a 90-minute drive to nostalgic resort on Lake Erie

By WILLIAM D. LEWIS

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE

For more than a century, Geneva-on-the-Lake has been a favorite getaway for Mahoning Valley residents.

Located on the shore of Lake Erie between Cleveland and Erie, Pa., the popular resort is a 90-minute drive from Youngstown. Some folks make a day trip to Geneva; others stay at the wide array of lodging available. Many Valley residents own cottages or summer homes at the lakeside resort.

According to visitgenevaonthelake.com, the resort got its start in the early 1900s when three prominent industrialists — John D. Rockefeller, Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford — visited the area during camping and fishing trips.

In the years that followed, the resort became home to dance halls, amusement parks, restaurants, cottages and summer homes.

As the industrialized region between Cleveland and Pittsburgh grew, so did the popularity of GOTL as a nearby resort for the expanding population. More recent additions include The Lodge at Geneva, an upscale resort adjacent to Geneva State Park; and the Adventure Zone, which features a 50-foot climbing wall, bumper boats and batting cages.

A section of state Route 531 in GOTL known by locals as “the strip” is the resort’s most visible landmark. Shops, eateries, arcades, wineries and nightspots line the strip, where on summer nights traffic slows to a crawl and pedestrians line the sidewalks.

Georgette Allison, 80, a former mayor of GOTL who owns a miniature golf course on the strip, says it’s “a summer resort where families can come and enjoy themselves on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie.”

She adds that it’s a friendly place that’s reasonably priced. “It doesn’t cost you a fortune if you don’t want to spend a fortune,” she said.

A fixture on the strip for 61 years, Eddie’s Grill is known for its food and nostalgic 1950s atmosphere. Owner Eddie Sezon, 78, who started the place when he was 17, often can be seen behind the counter supervising a crew of young workers serving up footlong hot dogs, fries and root beer.

Lou Daus of Canfield, a regular at Eddie’s, has been coming to GOTL since 1967.

“I’m here at least once a week,” he said.

Read the full story with photographs Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com. View an accompanying video with this story on Vindy.com as well.