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Ontario/Michigan/Illinois

Voyage to The Great Lakes: A Small Ship Adventure

Program No. 21866RJ
Explore the pristine beauty of the Great Lakes aboard a small ship, delving deep into the region’s heritage, history and natural wonders.
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Small ShipAdventures Afloat Study Cruise
Length
11 days
Rating (4.9)
Activity Level
Starts at
8,999

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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
11 days
10 nights
What's Included
29 meals ( 10B, 9L, 10D )
6 expert-led lectures
10 expert-led field trips
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
10 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. If you arrive early, you may leave your luggage with the hotel concierge and go out to explore the surrounding area; maps will be available
Afternoon:
Program Registration: After you check in with the hotel, visit the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with program staff and learn where Orientation will occur.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. “Free Time” and “At Leisure” indicate when you can choose to do what you like so your experience as rewarding as possible. The Group Leader is happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for understanding. Aboard the ship, enjoy a variety of dining options in the main dining room or one of the smaller dining venues. For each meal, the dining hall offers a plated, 3-course meal featuring locally inspired cuisine. The grille offers a buffet for breakfast and lunch with rotating daily specials. Beverages available at all meals include juices, soft drinks, coffee, tea, water, beer, wine. Continue to get to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking approximately 1 mile. All routes, field trips, and excursions are subject to change with weather and lake conditions. Lake conditions could effect the progress of the ship, causing it run late and sometimes miss ports because it is not safe to dock. The cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. The operators reserve the right to change the content of field trips and excursions without prior notice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel, buffet in a private room.
Morning:
Take in Chicago's amazing skyline during an architectural boat ride along the Chicago River with a local expert.
Lunch:
Vouchers provided at the museum.
Afternoon:
This afternoon we’ll have an expert-led exploration of The Field Museum. Since 1894, The Field Museum provides visitors with an in depth look at natural history and an extensive collection of cultural and anthropological artifacts. The museum is currently home to nearly 40 million specimens and artifacts. After our docent introduces us to some of the museum highlights, there is time for independent exploration. Following our field trip, we transfer via motorcoach to the pier for embarkation. After completing embarkation procedures and boarding the ship, settle in to your cabin and take some time to freshen up before we participate in the ship’s required safety drill.
Dinner:
In the main dining room, enjoy a 3-course plated and served meal featuring local cuisine plus juices, soft drinks, coffee, tea, water, beer, and wine.
Evening:
At leisure. Leisure time aboard ship offers an opportunity to create the kind of experience that is most personally meaningful and memorable. You might also enjoy spending time and making new friends with your fellow Road Scholars. Each evening, a copy of the ship’s daily schedule for the following day will be delivered to your cabin.
Activity Note
Full day aboard the ship.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship, enjoy a 3-course plated and served meal in the main dining room or the grille’s breakfast buffet.
Morning:
Locals refer to Lake Michigan as America’s “third coast” for its size—fifth largest lake in the world—and the fact that it is the only one of the Great Lakes lying entirely within the U.S. Without a doubt, it is one of the most scenic places in the country. We will learn more during an expert presentation.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Presentation on topics related to the program theme.
Dinner:
Dinner aboard ship.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and standing for up to an hour during field trips.
Breakfast:
Onboard ship.
Morning:
This morning we will arrive in Escanaba, located on the Little Bay de Noc in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. French missionaries originally recorded Native American villages here in 1659 and this area was later home to members of the Ojibwa, Ottawa and Pottawatomi tribes. European settlers made their way to Escanaba by 1830. During an expert-led lecture we will learn more about the history of this area.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Board the motorcoach and travel into Escanaba for a field trip, including a cultural experience with a Native American Tribal dance performance.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off horse-drawn carriages. Travel on the island is only by carriage or walking. Expect uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. We will dock on Mackinac Island and begin our day with an expert-led carriage ride around the island. Other than walking, the only mode of transportation permitted on the island is horse-drawn carriage. During our ride we will visit Fort Mackinac. Originally a French outpost, it was subsequently taken by the British and massively reconstructed during the American Revolutionary War, relinquished to the U.S. in 1780, taken again by the British at the beginning of the War of 1812, and eventually reoccupied by American forces in 1815. We will visit the Grand Hotel, a National Historic Landmark and one of the most romantic vestiges of the Victorian era. The hotel opened in 1887 as a summer retreat for vacationers and boasts the longest porch in the world.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free Time. Take this opportunity for independent exploration of Mackinac Island until we return to the ship. The Group Leader is happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
We will travel by motorcoach 30 minutes to cross over the bridge that connects Canada to the USA. Passport required for passage between USA and Canada. Walking up to one hour on an uneven, dirt path.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
Transit the Soo Locks from Lake Huron to Lake Superior at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Before the first lock was built, boats and cargo were portaged around rapids that fell 21 feet. The first primitive lock, built in 1797, was destroyed during the War of 1812. The four present locks were built in 1855. Control passed to the U.S. government in the late 1800s and the locks are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. During an expert-led lecture, we will learn about their history, their use, and why they are regarded as “a wonder of engineering and human ingenuity” passing an average of 10,000 ships a year.
Lunch:
Aboard ship before we depart for the field trip.
Afternoon:
We will board our motorcoach and travel to the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center for a docent-led field trip of the museum. During our visit we will learn about the history of bushplanes and firefighting in Ontario.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Full day aboard the ship.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
Presentation on topics related to the program theme.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free Time. Enjoy the ship’s amenities, spend time with your fellow Road Scholars, or just relax as we sail on.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking according to comfort level at the Henry Ford Museum.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship
Morning:
We will board our motorcoach and travel to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, just outside Detroit. The vast museum is designed to document not only the achievements of Henry Ford himself but “the genius of the American people.” It also contains historic artifacts such as the chair President Abraham Lincoln was seated in when he was shot on April 14, 1865 at the Ford's Theater, the bus Rosa Parks rode in on December 1, 1955, when she was arrested for violating the segregation laws of Montgomery, Alabama, and the Presidential limousine that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in on November 22, 1963 in Dallas.
Lunch:
Lunch aboard the ship.
Afternoon:
After lunch we will enjoy a lecture. Then we will board a motor coach for an expert led field trip of Detroit.
Dinner:
Aboard ship
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a trolley. Walking according to comfort level at museums.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
We will board a motorcoach to the Cleveland Museum of Art where we will join an expert for a highlights tour. The rest of the afternoon is designated for free time to explore the museum.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board a motorcoach with a local expert providing in-depth historical and colorful commentary in Cleveland. There will be a stop at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame where you can dive into the history and memorabilia of the musicians, producers and notable figures who helped shape the genre.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking approximately 1 mile on fairly even sidewalks and pathways, but an incline when exiting boat cruise. Boat cruise is approximately 30 minutes. Exact timing of the day depends on ships transit time through the canal.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship
Morning:
After a leisurely morning onboard, we will disembark at Port Colborne on the Western end of the Welland Canal. When the original section of the Welland Canal opened in 1829, it was a improved both navigation and the local water supply. The section at Port Colborne that opened in 1932 extended the canal’s value and benefits with eight additional locks. Ships wait in line to transit the locks, providing an opportunity to set out on a field trip driving through the scenic Niagara Wine Region to Niagara Falls. Once at the Falls we will board a state-of-the-art, 700-passenger catamaran for an unparalleled, close-up experience, entering as close as safely possible to world-famous Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will continue our field trip before returning to the ship. The ship sails to Toronto for disembarkation.
Dinner:
Aboard ship
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship
Morning:
Disembark the ship and transfer to the airport for flights returning to the U.S.
Please Note: This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Sep 24, 2025 - Oct 04, 2025 (Chicago, IL to Toronto, ON)
Jul 16, 2025 - Jul 26, 2025 (Chicago, IL to Toronto, ON)
Aug 01, 2025 - Aug 11, 2025 (Chicago, IL to Toronto, ON)
Sep 06, 2025 - Sep 16, 2025 (Chicago, IL to Toronto, ON)
Sep 08, 2025 - Sep 18, 2025 (Chicago, IL to Toronto, ON)
Sep 24, 2025 - Oct 04, 2025 (Chicago, IL to Toronto, ON)
Sep 24 - Oct 4, 2025 Itinerary Differences: This departure sails on the Victory II ship.





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