Pablo_Kielbasa's Mombasa

Remember the good ol' summer road trip fever days? Back in the golden era of August summer auto excursions, families packed up the woodie station wagon or some meager equivalent and went driving into the sunset. East, west, didn't matter, as long as it was far, far away from home. Nowadays, kids just cluster around video games or the internet. Saves on priceless gas, and nerves.

Located just 8 miles south from Sandusky and Cedar Point, the Blue Hole was a highly typical, charmingly sappy fascination retro-americanski for road bound tourists, perhaps second only to the Grand Canyon, or mebbe Carhenge. Open to the public from 1920-1992, the Blue Hole, was carved by underground rivers that continuously pump out 450,000 gallons of water per hour, every hour, every day, since long before recorded history. That's enough water to meet the water supply demands of nearly the entire present day population of Erie County.

The water in the Blue Hole is anaerobic (devoid of oyxgen), so no fish or plants can grow in it, giving it its crystal blue appearance. Legends abound that the hole was so deep that divers descended over 300 feet and still could not find the bottom, or that a can of beans lowered on a string would get flattened by the intense water pressure.  (In reality the Blue Hole is just over 50 feet deep). The peculiar attraction is now closed to the public, converted to a fish hatchery.  I visited the Blue Hole in the 80's, and recall an 'Honor Honey Stand", with a sign that read "Take Honey, Leave Money"...and people really did.

Imagine that.