zAmerica’s Great Lakes in Autumn Splendor

We’ve arranged for your private limousine transfer from either Midway or O’Hare Airport to downtown Chicago. Check in to the luxury Ritz Carlton Hotel, perfectly situated next to Water Tower Place just steps away from the Magnificent Mile. Exclusively for A+R guests, the rest of this day is yours to enjoy as you wish.

After an included breakfast at the Ritz, this morning is yours to enjoy as you wish. Take a stroll along Michigan Avenue, Chicago’s celebrated Magnificent Mile, or explore the shops and boutiques of Water Tower Place right next to our luxury hotel. You even have time to visit the Art Institute or any of Chicago’s other world-class museums. We’ve arranged late-checkout at 2:00pm, so take your time!

After check-out, you’ll be escorted to the pier where the elegant mv Victory I awaits. Settle in to your outside stateroom and then sit down to a congenial dinner with free-flowing wines, house cocktails and beverages as we chart a northward course on Lake Michigan.  Meals B+D

Take in the scenery from the Observation Deck or as you enjoy a cocktail in the Lounge. You can also join enriching talks with our Great Lakes experts.  Meals B+L+D

With no cars allowed on the island, your horse-drawn carriage tour is a great way to experience the Victorian ambience of this National Historic Landmark. Learn about the island’s history and see turn-of-the-century summer homes built by early captains of American industry. High atop a bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac, your tour of Fort Mackinac delves into its strategic importance during the War of 1812.

In early October, we can hope for the island’s forested hills and bluffs to still be ablaze with the deep and brilliant hues of a Michigan autumn. Take in these views from the Grand Hotel’s verandah, the longest in the world, and enjoy the hotel’s Grand Luncheon Buffet. Back in town, you’ll have time to browse through galleries and boutiques. Before our ship sets sail this evening, the Grand Hotel’s resident historian Bob Tagatz will come onboard for a colorful talk on the history of Mackinac Island and its world-famous hotel.  Meals B+L+D

You might wish to arise early this morning as the mv Victory I transits 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! After traveling upward through the locks into Lake Superior, we’ll return downward to dock on the northeastern banks of the St Mary’s River at Roberta Bondar Place – named for Canada’s first female astronaut.

This afternoon, you can tailor your sightseeing with the included guided tour of your choice – showcasing either the Canadian or US side of the border:

+ On the Canadian side, guests will visit the Bush Plane Heritage Center to learn about the history and delve into the exciting stories of the country’s bush-plane forest fire protection efforts. At the Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site, you’ll see two of the oldest stone buildings in Canada, both surrounded by period gardens that offer a look into the region’s pioneering days.

+ Guests choosing to visit the American side of Sault Ste. Marie will tour the Valley Camp Museum, set inside the enormous hold of a cargo ship that plied the Great Lakes from 1917 through 1966. You’ll be able to explore nearly every inch of the ship, including fascinating exhibits that trace the rich maritime history of the Great Lakes. Among the informative and sometimes moving artifacts are two lifeboats that were torn away from the Edmund Fitzgerald before she sank. Before returning to ship, this tour also includes a viewpoint over the Soo Locks.

Both sightseeing tours will return to ship in time for our guests to refresh and relax before another sumptuous dinner accompanied by the fine wines, beverages and the house spirits of your choice.  Meals B+L+D

Early this morning finds our ship navigating through the waters and islands that lead into beautiful Georgian Bay, sheltered by the rocky shores and forested hills of Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. 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. Back in Little Current, you can return to ship or linger in town to explore at your own pace.  Meals B+L+D

Indulge in another delightful day of cruising aboard the mv Victory I – enhanced by our open bar, wonderful meals with free flowing wine and beer, and enriching talks with our Great Lakes experts.  Meals B+L+D

From Windsor, Ontario, the original home of the Ford Motor Company, we’ll cross the bridge into the United States and visit the Henry Ford Museum. More than just a showcase of the auto industry, this museum explores 300 years of history, culture and innovation. Among the highlights are the limo that transported John F. Kennedy through Dallas on November 22, 1963, the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in December 1955, and the “Exploded Eames Lounge Chair” – a fascinating deconstruction of this classic icon of American furniture design.  Meals B+L+D

Industrial landmarks from its days as a lakeside manufacturing town still stand in testament to Cleveland’s roots. But the city of today is also filled with stately homes, grand architectural landmarks and unique urban spaces like Public Square and the Warehouse District. Setting out today in Cleveland’s famous Trolley Buses, you’ll enjoy a narrated tour along a 20-mile route that traces the city’s history and development.

Of course, Cleveland is also home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Here in a striking structure designed by the world-renowned architect I. M. Pei, you’ll discover more than just a museum of rock and roll memorabilia. With transportation and admission included so you can explore at our own pace, you’ll delve into the evolution of the musical genre that shaped a generation and track its cultural impact.  Meals B+L+D

Opened in 1829, the Welland Canal continues to play a vital role, allowing goods to travel from Great Lakes ports like Cleveland and Detroit to the ocean ports of Montreal and Quebec. As our ship begins its Canal transit, you’ll step off in Port Colborne for a scenic drive into the vineyard-laced landscapes of the Niagara Peninsula. Then a thrilling Hornblower Cruise takes you through the Great Niagara Gorge and past Bridal Veil Falls into the very heart of Horseshoe Falls - where the mighty spray and roar of Niagara virtually envelop you! At the Château des Charmes, founded by a fifth-generation French winegrower, you’ll enjoy a tour, tasting and lunch. You’ll have free time to explore Niagara-on-the-Lake before reboarding the mv Victory I, now docked in Port Weller on Lake Ontario.  Meals B+L+D

Disembark in Toronto where you’ll be chauffeured to the airport.   Meals B