One needn’t venture far from home to experience the allure of small-ship sailing and the authentic way this style of travel immerses you in the nuances of a destination. One of our favorite luxury cruise companies is embarking on a closer-to-home destination this year, and we’re loving it. Viking is offering a new Great Lakes voyage that not only has an eye toward eco-friendly sailing but unveils the wonders of some of North America's mightiest waterways, from Duluth, Minnesota, to Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Why the Great Lakes?
At the United States-Canada border, the five Great Lakes - Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior - offer a unique cruising opportunity. Enveloped in pristine nature, you can learn about the region’s ecology with onboard scientists, venture out on kayaks or light hikes to meet the local wildlife, and birdwatch for hours in a prime avian migratory path. With culturally rich urban centers, granite islands, sheltered Georgian Bay, the famous Soo Locks and more, these majestic lakes are a study in North American natural history.
What Is a Great Lakes Cruise Like?
Your Viking Great Lakes cruise may start in Duluth, Minnesota, named for French explorer Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut. Go back in time - but firmly ensconced in modern-day luxury - to the late 17th-century when Greysolon first explored the St. Louis River. In the early to mid-19th century, after John Jacob Aster established the American Fur Company, industry roared into the region, prompting the construction of channels and locks that allowed in larger ships.
Move on to Thunder Bay, Ontario, known as the country’s Gateway to the West. This vibrant metropolis will engage you with its art and culture, especially in the lively Waterfront District - from here, you can see the Sleeping Giant, a collection of mesas across the bay that resemble a giant lying in repose. While you’re here, hike in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, visit Fort William, or savor the region’s tantalizing culinary scene as you visit a dairy farm and brewery, and take a cooking class with an accomplished local chef.
Sail into Lake Superior, the largest of the five Great Lakes and one of the world’s largest bodies of freshwater. The deep bays, hidden inlets, high cliffs and boreal forests take you far from everyday life, immersing you in some of Mother Nature’s finest work.
Visit Michigan’s oldest city, Sault Sainte Marie, founded by French missionaries in 1668. This is where you’ll cross the famous Soo Locks between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, Superior to the lower Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The locks first opened in 1855 and today allow ships to safely pass from Sault Sainte Marie to its twin city in Ontario. While you’re here, peek into The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, a fascinating introspective on the more than 200 ships that “took the deep” in eastern Lake Superior, an area known as the “Shipwreck Coast.” Or, trade in your sea legs for the day and trek in the Hiawatha Highlands, where you’ll find the beautiful Crystal Falls, diverse forests, dreeks, lakes, wetlands, flora and fauna.
Mackinac Island is adored for its simplicity and charm. Here in the Straits of Mackinac, where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet, you’ll find Victoria-era architecture lining car-free streets. Get around by horse-drawn carriage on the only US state highway that does not permit motor vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is protected as a state park. Visit the iconic Grand Hotel, built in 1887 and registered as a National Historic Landmark - dine on the world’s longest front porch as you take in the views of the Straits of Mackinac.
Sail into Algoma and along the scenic Door Peninsula in Wisconsin. This limestone peninsula juts out into Lake Michigan, earning its name from its treacherous waters. It’s the westernmost edge of the Niagara Escarpment, a 650-mile prehistoric ridgeline and home to rugged, rocky cliffs and formations, sandy beaches and dense forests. Take a walk along the trails of this geographic marvel, searching for some of the 200 rare plants and animals that live here. Or, perhaps you’ll enjoy savoring Wisconsin’s finest wines and cheeses at two Algoma farms and wineries.
Move down to Michigan’s sparsely populated lower peninsula to Alpena, facing Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay. Architecture buffs, especially, will enjoy the art deco County Courthouse and the late-Victorian IOOF Centennial Building, both on the National Register of Historic Places. Discover the migratory birds and rare flora of the North Point Nature Preserve, or uncover 400-million-year-old fossils at the Rockport State Recreation Area.
Soak up your surroundings in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Georgian Bay, including the shores of Frazer Bay, Killarney and Parry Sounds. Walk peaceful trails, admiring the same natural beauty of the Group of Seven that inspired landscape painters in the 1920s and early 1930s. Learn about the traditional fishing techniques and local plant uses of the Anishinaabe First Nations people. Take a zodiac cruise to experience the endless beaches and towering cliffs of the Thirty Thousand Islands archipelago up close.
Round out your glorious Great Lakes cruise at Niagara Falls, Ontario, North America’s largest and most powerful cascade. Ths mile-long falls straddles the Canadian and US borders and includes three smaller cascades: Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls. Sail on through the Welland Canal and into cosmopolitan Toronto, beloved for its Victorian bay-and-gable, as well as industrial architecture in Rosedale and the Distillery District, the historic Wychwood Park, and a bold culinary scene.
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