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- Maumee Bay Tourists' Guide
Be a sport-
Fun and games abound in the Maumee Bay area
The Class AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers major league baseball team, the Mud Hens are the single most recognizable minor league team in professional baseball. And t hey are the current back-to-back Governors’ Cup champions of the International League.
Since 2002, the team has been playing at Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo, a $39 million, state-of-the-field named best minor league park by Newsweek. Located in the city’s historic Warehouse District, the ball park has enough to keep the attention of even non-fans, featuring 32 luxury suites, an outfield picnic area, a separate outfield seating area known as The Roost and more.
For those who have always wondered if there really is such a bird as a Mud Hen…the answer is yes. A Mud Hen is a marsh bird with short wings and long legs that inhabits swamps or marshes. Such birds have been known as marsh hens, rails, coots, or Mud Hens. The Toledo baseball club earned its present name, Mud Hens, in 1896 and has kept it ever since. In that year, the team played at Bay View Park in Toledo. The abundance of these strange birds near the park brought about the nickname and the rest, as they say, is history.
With a legacy of history behind them, a state-of-art stadium and a great winning season in its back pocket, is easy to see why the Toledo Mud Hens are a true treasure of Toledo. Visit www.mudhens.com or call 419-725-HENS for schedule and ticket information.
A need for speed
The Toledo Speedway is located at 5639 Benore Rd. off the Alexis Road exit of I-75 near the Ohio-Michigan border.
The ARCA Series has raced at Toledo Speedway since 1963, with its popularity strong in the 1970’s. The track has received a “facelift” in recent years which has quickly made Toledo Speedway regain its famed notoriety of being one of the best short tracks in the country. It is a half-mile semi banked oval with a quarter-mile figure eight in the middle.
This summer, the Toledo Speedway Jam will bring live classic rock, cold beer and good times back to the area July 7. Performers will include Peter Frampton, Edgar Winter, Hunter Brucks and Josh Boyd & the V.I.P. Band. Tickets are $19 for all ages through June 30. Starting July 1, general admission tickets will be $25. VIP tickets are available in limited quantity for $75. Race-Jam package tickets are $30 and include one ticket to the Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Night at Toledo Speedway Friday July 6 with USAC Sprint Car and USAC Midget Car racing, plus one ticket to the concert Saturday July 7.
Tickets are available at the Speedway, by calling 1-800-585-3737 or online at www.toledospeedwayjam.com or www.starticketsplus.com.
Harness the power
Raceway Park,5700 Telegraph Rd. south of Alexis Road in North Toledo, offers live harness racing March into November. The park was originally built in the 1950s as a car track. In the late ‘50s the facility was converted to thoroughbred horse racing, and in 1962 Raceway Park hosted its first harness race.
The Ohio State Racing Commission recently approved the park’s request for 99 live racing dates in 2007. Racing will run through Nov. 11, which is also BuckeyeWolverine Night.
One major change from years past is that there will be live racing Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings, rather than Friday through Sunday as had been done in previous years. Post time will be 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 6 p.m. Sundays and Mondays.
For more info, visit www.racewayparktoledo.com or call 419-476-7751.
All-Star circuit to visit speedway
The New Fremont Speedway, located at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds, corner of Rawson and North Street, Fremont, plays host to exciting open-wheel racing every Saturday night April to September.
Races at “The Track That Action Built” keep fans on the edge of their seats as 410 and 305 sprint cars and trucks battle wheel to wheel, sliding around the third-mile semi-banked clay oval.
For more info, call 419-333-0478, or visit www.fremontohspeedway.com.
Let’s roll
Bowling is one of the most popular pastimes in the Maumee Bay area, and whether you’re a serious bowler or are just looking for a fun way to pass a few hours, there are a number of local bowling alleys to choose from.
Glow bowling (where you play in the dark and the balls glow) and bumper rails (keeps the kids’ minds and balls out of the gutter) are available at many locations. Prices vary, but bowling is generally an affordable sport. Here are some area bowling lanes:
Bay Center Recreation, 3316 Navarre Ave. (St. Rt. 2) in Oregon Shopping District. Phone: 419-691-3593.
Eastern Freeway Lanes, 3511 Woodville Rd. at I-280, Northwood. Phone: 419-691-8551.
Toledo Sports Center, 1516 Starr Ave., Toledo. Phone: 419-693-0687.
Tri County Bowling Lanes, 512 Lime St., Woodville. Phone: 419-849-3400
20 th Century Lanes, 1284 S. SR 19, Oak Harbor. Phone: 419-898-8701.
A workout place and much more
The Eastern Community YMCA in Oregon offers a wide variety of recreational activities and programs. Among the other activities available: indoor (and outdoor in the summer) swimming, volleyball, tennis, racquetball, jogging, exercise equipment, childcare, gym, sauna, steam room, and meeting rooms for YMCA members.
To get there, take SR 2 to Wheeling Street going south. Turn left on Pickle Road and go just past the I-280 expressway. Phone: 419-691-3523.
Beach bums
The Beach at International Park, located on the eastern banks of the Maumee River, is a tournament-class sand volleyball court used for recreational and tournament games. Visit www.internationalpark.org for more info.
Hitting the (Fun) spot
Fun Spot Arena is an old-fashioned roller skating rink located at 525 Earlwood Ave. near Starr Avenue and I-280 in Oregon.
In-line skates are welcome and skate rental is available. Birthday and private parties can be arranged. For hours or other information, call 419-693-1421.
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