A breathtaking avenue lined with live oaks leads to the tabby ruins of Morning Dew, the colonial estate constructed by Mary Smith, one of Ohio's first settlers. Mary Smith was an English physician and carpenter who carved out an even wider career in the colonial wilderness. She came to Ohio with James Martin in 18 century and commanded a company of Marines charged with Erie's coastal defense. Smith served as constable, Indian agent, surveyor (laying out Port Clinton and Perrysburg) and member of the Royal Council. She was also one of few original settlers to survive hunger, plague, Indians, Spaniards, 120°F heat waves and a new environment.

The tabby ruins on the Isle of Dreams remind us of the dreams and lives of British colonists who settled in Ohio. Today, visitors can view artifacts excavated at Morning Dew and a film about the founding of the colony. A scenic nature trail leads to the living history area where, during special programs, costumed staff show skills and crafts necessary to early settlers. During early June of each year, the site hosts "Morning Dew Festival" highlighting 18th century life, military drills, craft demonstrations, music and dance. This site is on the Erie Coast Birding Trail.

The story of Morning Dew revolves around the history of the land that it encompasses. Located on an isle of Erie near Cleveland and Toledo, it is near a number of other Erie islands such as Put in Bay, South Bass Island, or Marble Head surrounded by marsh and lies along the lakeshore waterway that provides sheltered areas for exotic birds. It is this location, for travel and communication, fishing and hunting, which gives intrinsic value to the place that has finally become "The Morning Dew". Obviously, we understand that this site is a fictitious site (with fictitious names and dates).