zLake Superior Explorer Cruise - Thunder Bay to Detroit

On arrival at the airport, our chauffeured transfer takes you to the pier where the elegant mv Victory II awaits. Settle in to your outside stateroom before joining your fellow passengers for dinner with free-flowing house wines, cocktails and beverages.  Meals D

The Sioux and Chippewa were the first to settle in the scenic hills that overlook the far western shores of Lake Superior. By the mid 1600’s, it was a fur trading outpost that was then claimed for France by Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Lhut, the French soldier and explorer for whom the city is now named. Stepping off ship today, your guided exploration begins with the Aerial Lift Bridge which stands guard over the harbor and then continues along the North Shore Scenic Driver, from where you’ll have commanding views over the city and its picturesque setting on Lake Superior. You’ll ascend to Hawk Ridge to learn about the unique natural phenomenon that occurs here annually as raptors migrating from the Arctic crest the ridge and seemingly come to a halt in mid-air as they encounter the vast expanse of Lake Superior below. Back in town, enjoy a guided walk along the waterfront to Leif Erikson Park to see an amazing replica of a Viking ship and then tour the Duluth Depot, which houses the unique collection of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore more of Duluth’s vibrant waterfront at your own pace.  Meals B+L+D

Comprised of natural lakes and waterways as well as artificial canals that were dredged in the 1860’s, the Keweenaw Waterway traverses the Keweenaw Peninsula and provides a shortcut for freighters hauling ore from the rich copper mines of the Peninsula to larger cities along Lake Superior. Today you’ll off ship in the village of Houghton, situated midway through the Keweenaw Waterway, for a tour of the famous Quincy Copper Mine. The mine operated for nearly a century, right up through World War II, and offers the rare chance for visitors to actually enter the mine itself! After lunch, you’ll visit the Houghton Lake Historic Village to see a restored vintage homestead and tour the Fireman’s Memorial Museum.  Meals B+L+D

Set on the northern shores of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the lands around Marquette were well known by French missionaries as far back as the 1600’s and in later centuries by intrepid fur trappers. With the discovery of iron deposits in the mid-19^th century, the town of Marquette began to grow and prosper and by the late 1800’s steamships were also bringing summer visitors to fill the city’s hotels and resorts. Stepping ashore today in this historic town, your sightseeing will include the Michigan Iron Industry Museum and the still-operational Famous Eagle Mine site. At the Baumer Heritage Center, informative and entertaining exhibits will offer further insight into Marquette’s development from furs and mining to modern-day tourism.  Meals B+L+D

A delightful day of cruising is enriched by engaging talks with our onboard Great Lakes experts. Elegant dining in two distinctive venues, our ship’s Open Bar with house wine, spirits and beer, and convivial conversation with your fellow travelers add to the experience. Today our ship will transit through the historic Soo Locks, where freighters, barges and tugboats traverse the 21-foot drop of the St. Mary’s River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The first lock here was built in 1855 and the canal was navigated by 27 vessels during its first year of operation. Today, more than 10,000 ships hauling 86 million tons of cargo pass through these historic parallel locks each year, even though they’re closed during the winter when ice shuts down shipping on the upper Great Lakes! As we navigate from Lake Superior downward through the locks, our experts will be on-hand to offer colorful historical insights. Once we reach Lake Superior, we’ll continue our voyage toward Mackinac Island.  Meals B+L+D

This morning, the mv Victory II will dock in St. Ignace where you’ll board the Star Line Ferry to Mackinac Island. From the Mackinac waterfront, a horse-drawn carriage tour is a great way to experience the Victoria-era ambience of this National Historic Landmark. Learn about the island’s history and see turn-of-the-century homes built by early captains of American industry. Then hop off at the Grand Hotel and take in the views from its famous verandah, the longest in the world! In the elegant main dining room, you’ll enjoy the hotel’s lavish Grand Buffet Luncheon.
 
Also today, you’ll tour Fort Mackinac - set high on a bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. Built by the British in 1780, taken by the Americans in 1796, and reclaimed by the British at the start of the War of 1812, your guided visit offers rich insight into colorful chapters of American history. Then return to the waterfront where the ferry will take you back to St. Ignace to reboard the mv Victory II.  Meals B+L+D

After breakfast, you’ll step ashore in Little Current, Ontario. This charming town is the gateway to Manitoulin, the largest freshwater island in the world. Learn about the island’s nautical heritage and its natural history as you make the scenic 30-minute drive to the Immaculate Conception Church. With a unique in-the-round architectural style that evokes a teepee and the circle of life, this church is the spiritual focal point of the local community and brings together the beliefs and customs of the native Ojibwe culture and the Catholic Church. Later at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, you’ll enjoy a guided tour through the art galleries and enlightening state-of-the-art exhibits of this heritage museum. If you wish, you can browse in the Foundation’s artisan shop and participate in a smudging ceremony, an ancient purifying ritual that uses the smoke from cedar, sage, sweet grass and other plants that are regarded for their healing powers. A narrated drum and dance performance offers further insight into Ojibwe cultural traditions. We’ll return to the mv Victory II for lunch. In the afternoon, you can relax onboard or step off to explore the charming town of Little Current at your own pace.  Meals B+L+D

Today we’ll be docked in the town of Parry Sound, tucked along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay and surrounded by pristine waters, deep forests and the rugged terrain of the Laurentian Plateau. To fully appreciate the grandeur of the region, we’ve arranged two special excursions for the day. In Killbear Provincial Park, an expert team of wildlife naturalists and geologists will guide your exploration of the region’s diverse terrain - which encompasses rocky shores, sandy beaches, and the pine-forested ridges of the Plateau. Enjoy breathtaking views of Georgian Bay and learn about the unique flora and fauna of the park. For a different perspective, we’ve also arranged for an excursion aboard the mv Chippewa III. With insights from an expert local resident, this guided cruise through Georgian Bay’s 30,000 Islands region promises an experience that is both enlightening and fun.
 
Travelers with a taste for even greater excitement can join an available Flightseeing Adventure in modern 3-passenger aircrafts that will take you soaring above the blue waters, rugged shores and forests of the 30,000 Islands.  Meals B+L+D

Delight in this day of cruising aboard the casually elegant mv Victory II. Today finds our intimate ship navigating the second largest of America’s Great Lakes. If you count Huron’s 30,000 islands, the lake actually has the longest shoreline of any of the Great Lakes. Enjoy convivial conversation with your fellow passengers or join an engaging discussion with our shipboard experts; they’re well-versed in the history, peoples and natural wonders of the Great Lakes region. Elegant dining in two distinctive venues with free-flowing wine and beer and our ship’s Open Bar enhance your day.  Meals B+L+D

After breakfast and disembarkation here in Detroit, you’ll be escorted to the airport for your homeward flight.  Meals B