Great Lakes Grand DiscoveryA voyage to the five inland seas

Itinerary

August 8 - Lake Superior - Duluth, Minnesota, Embark
Fly to Duluth and transfer to the pier to embark Yorktown.

August 9 - Houghton, Keweenaw Peninsula
Today Yorktown will navigate through the Portage Waterway, the narrow channel that separates Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula from the mainland, to call at quaint Houghton, built on a bluff facing the channel. Keweenaw witnessed the country’s first mineral rush, when vast deposits of copper were discovered in 1840. By the time the rush was over early in the 20th century, copper had generated enormous wealth, estimated to be ten times more than the money generated by the California Gold Rush. The legacy of the copper rush is still evident today in the abandoned mines, deserted settlements nestled in the forest, and the opulent buildings in the region’s towns. We will explore this historic region, including a visit to a copper mine.

August 10 – Marquette, Pictured Rocks
This morning Yorktown calls in Marquette, a picturesque city on Lake Superior where our sightseeing includes the Marquette Maritime Museum and Lighthouse. The ship then sails to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a 40-mile stretch of pristine natural wonders along Lake Superior’s southern coast. The colorful sandstone cliffs are of particular interest, having created beautiful arches, caves, and other formations over time.

August 11 - Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Agawa Canyon, Ontario, Canada,
Yorktown transits the Soo Locks, known as the busiest in the world, where some 12,000 ships pass annually. Dock at Sault Ste. Marie where you have a choice of excursions. In Sault Ste. Marie you'll see the Soo Locks from the viewing platform in town and visit a 1917 Great Lakes freighter, now a museum. Alternatively, a full-day tour by train travels inland through the magnificent scenery of the Agawa Canyon.

August 12 - Lake Michigan - Manistique
Sail into Lake Michigan to call at Manistique, a small town on the bucolic Garden Peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. Explore this scenic and peaceful area, including the Big Spring, in Palms Book State Park, with its crystal clear waters stretching 200 feet across. You'll also visit Fayette, the center of a large smelting operation in the 19th century, now one of the country’s most evocative industrial ghost towns, protected as a state park site.

August 13 - Mackinac Island
Arrive in beautiful Mackinac Island, a Victorian-era haven where cars are forbidden and bicycles share the road with horse-drawn carriages. Explore this idyllic island where you'll see the ancient limestone formations that were considered sacred by the Straits Indians; the impressive Fort Mackinac, built atop a high cliff by the British in 1780; and the landmark Victorian Grand Hotel. Also enjoy free time to stroll along streets lined with Victorian buildings and browse in the charming shops.

August 14 – Lake Huron - Alpena, Presque Isle, Michigan
Arrive in Thunder Bay to call at the lovely town of Alpena, home to an outstanding maritime museum with displays on Great Lakes maritime history. There is also the opportunity to travel north to the small peninsula of Presque Isle, an untouched place of great beauty with two historic lighthouses. Pristine forests, numerous inland lakes, and 72 miles of Lake Huron shoreline on the central flyway make Presque Isle a birder’s paradise. Spend the afternoon cruising Lake Huron.

August 15 - Detroit
Arrive in Detroit, with its beautifully renovated International Riverfront, attractive waterfront parks, and the Renaissance Center, home of General Motors world headquarters. Tour the Henry Ford Museum and explore Greenfield Village, an indoor/outdoor history museum complex housing a wide array of historical buildings, machinery, exhibits, and Americana. In the afternoon, visit the Ford Rouge Factory to see how environmental innovation meets industrial production at this state-of-the-art facility.

August 16 - Cruising Lake Erie
Enjoy a day of cruising as Yorktown navigates through Lake Erie.

August 17 - Lake Erie, Welland Canal, Niagara Falls, Lake Ontario
Arrive this morning at Port Colborne, from where Yorktown begins the dramatic passage from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario via the Welland Canal. A series of seven locks designed as a continuous flight of “stairs” lowers Yorktown 324 feet over a distance of 27 miles. From the decks of the ship witness the mechanics of this engineering marvel, which took over 100 years to complete. Stay on board for the entire transit or disembark for an excursion to Niagara Falls, one of North America’s most spectacular natural wonders, where we’ll see both the American Falls and Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls.

August 18 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Disembark
Disembark in Toronto and transfer to the airport for return flights home.