The islands first tasted prosperity in the 1860s, when a boom in wine production meant that nearly every available acre was planted with grapes. Tourism arrived almost simultaneously, as steamboats brought wealthy visitors to spend their summers in the grand hotels. However, the economy was hit hard by Prohibition and the emergence of the California wineries, as well as by the advent of car travel. In the 1970s, Lake Erie's appalling pollution was the final straw for many inhabitants, who undertook a huge cleanup, both literally, of the lake, and figuratively, of the islands' image. Their plan has worked; today the islands are heavily visited, especially in summer, with fishing, swimming and partying the main attractions. Those mainland towns, like Sandusky , that act as jump-off points for the islands are destinations in themselves.
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