Travel back through time as you discover the history of the Great Lakes, portals for the fur trade industry that opened up the area to colonial era explorers. Great Lakes information serves as a history lesson for family vacation. Rent a live aboard boat and float back in time, or watch the sunset on the horizon as you listen to your children’s laughter. Gaze into the dark deep waters, full of ancient shipwrecks lost in battles long ago. Or if you’re really adventurous, look for the legendary “monsters” and “creatures” that inhabit the myths and minds of locals.

Pull into a cove, or stop in a bed and breakfast at any number of small towns that dot the lakeside. Hop a ferry to cross over to Canada to explore a whole other country. Each Lake’s region is dotted with information centers that will help you find the right spot to relax and explore. A Great Lakes vacation is a great chance for families to reconnect, for couples to rekindle that lost spark, and for history buffs, water sports fanatics, sailors and skippers to have a trip of the lifetime.

All the Great Lakes information you need is at your fingertips.

In fact, most gasoline rebate credit cards can save you up to five percent in rebates. This will mean that for every dollar you spend, you’re most likely to save five cents per dollar.

This can add up quite quickly!

Day 1 Arrive Chicago
Transfer to your Chicago hotel and spend the afternoon discovering the Windy City. This city offers excellent cultural and sports activities. This evening try a famous Chicago-style pizza and afterwards check out some of the many famous Chicago Blues and Jazz clubs.
Overnight: Chicago, Illinois

Day 2 Chicago to Madison
196 miles/312 km
Begin your morning with a walking tour of Chicago, noted for its architecture, including the Loop, shopping the “Magnificent Mile” of Michigan Avenue and walking along the Lakefront of Lake Michigan. Take in one of the best views of the city from the top of the John Hancock Observatory. This afternoon drive to Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, with beautiful lakeside views.
Overnight: St. Paul, Minnesota

Day 3 Madison to Minneapolis/St. Paul
270 miles/432 km
Continue your travels across Wisconsin, America’s freshwater playground, to the Twin Cities. Suggested stops along the way include Baraboo to visit the Circus World Museum, and the resort town of the Wisconsin Dells. Here boat and duck tours of the Wisconsin River offer magnificent views of the Sandstone bluffs of the Lower and Upper Dells.
Overnight: St. Paul, Minnesota

Day 4 Minneapolis/St. Paul
Enjoy the city of parks and lakes; this morning, take a tour of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and discover the uniqueness of these two “twins”. This afternoon, “Shop ’til you drop” at the famous Mall of America. With over 500 stores, 14 movie theaters, Knott’s Camp Snoopy, and Underwater World, there will be no shortage of activities.
Overnight: St. Paul, Minnesota

Day 5 Minneapolis/St. Paul to Grand Rapids
173 miles/279 km
Today travel north through the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” to Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Nestled in tall timber on the western edge of the Mesabi Iron Range, Grand Rapids, the birthplace of Judy Garland, is rich with the dual heritage of iron mining and logging.
Overnight: Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Day 6 Grand Rapids to Ashland
175 miles/280 km
Return to Wisconsin to Bayfield, the gateway to the Apostle Island National Lakeshore, a magnificent natural wilderness region. A cruise among the islands of Lake Superior, the largest body of fresh water in the world, will give you a memorable and lasting impression of this unspoiled area. Later today, take a ferry to Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands, to tour the old trading post and Indian burial grounds.
Overnight: Ashland, Wisconsin

Day 7 Ashland to Marquette
185 miles/298 km
Today travel to Michigan and explore the picturesque Keweenaw Peninsula. See historic Fort Wilkens and visit the Delaware Copper Mine before continuing by the L’Anse Indiana Reservation to Marquette.
Overnight: Marquette, Michigan

Day 8 Marquette to St. Ignace
Follow scenic State Road 28 to Munising. Take a cruise into Lake Michigan past the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore to view the sandstone cliffs, caves, arches and columns. Afterwards drive to Tahquamenon Falls State park near Newberry to view two striking waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River before arriving at St. Ignace.
Overnight: St. Ignace, Michigan

Day 9 St. Ignace
Take the ferry to spend the day on Mackinac Island, a timeless resort island of the 19th century where no motor vehicles are allowed. Take a horse-drawn carriage or rent bicycles. Visit Fort Mackinac, perched on a bluff overlooking the harbor. Be sure to stop by the Grand Hotel to enjoy the magnificent view from the veranda. Return back to St. Ignace late afternoon.
Overnight: St. Ignace, Michigan

Day 10 St. Ignace to Detroit
288 miles/461 km
Journey through Michigan to Detroit, home of Motown and Motor City, USA. Stay in nearby Dearborn, home of the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. This living history museum explores the industrial revolution and achievements of famous Americans such as the Wright Brothers and Thomas Edison.
Overnight: Dearborn, Michigan

Day 11 Detroit to Toronto
245 miles/392 km
Today you will leave the United States for Canada as you drive along the shores of Lake Erie through Ontario for the cosmopolitan city of Toronto, located on the shores of Lake Ontario. While in Toronto visit the CN Tower, the Skydome, Parliament Buildings, and shop at Eaton Place for the upscale shops of Bloor Street.
Overnight: Toronto, Ontario

Day 12 Toronto to Niagara Falls
80 miles/130 km
Drive to Niagara Falls through Ontario’s wine growing region and stop at the charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Begin your tour viewing Niagara Falls from the Canadian side and ride on the Maid of the Mist through the thundering waterfalls to the basin of Horseshoe Falls.
Overnight: Niagara Falls, Ontario

Day 13 Niagara Falls to Cleveland
217 miles/347 km
From Niagara Falls, travel back to the United States along the south shore of Lake Erie, stopping at historic Fort Erie and the Welland Canal before arriving in the “New American City”, Cleveland. In Cleveland, visit the famous attraction featuring good ol’ rock and roll music – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. This evening enjoy one of the many restaurants located in the Flats.
Overnight: Cleveland, Ohio

Day 14 Cleveland to South Bend
260 miles/416 km
Today you will drive into Indiana, the “Hoosier State”. Visit the Northern Indiana Amish Community, then continue to South Bend, home of the world famous Notre Dame University, as well as its proud history of one of Amercia’s great industrial legacies, the Studebaker Corporation.
Overnight: South Bend, Indiana

Day 15 South Bend to Chicago
99 miles/158 km
This morning stop at the Indiana Dunes en route to Chicago for your flight home.