Niagara & Great Lakes Treasures

Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. Toronto is beloved by many as one of Canada’s boldest and most innovative capitals. Hugging the shores of Lake Ontario and facing the picturesque Toronto Islands, it was founded by British loyalists fleeing the American Revolution in 1793. Today the city is a pleasure to explore on foot, whether strolling past the Victorian bay-and-gable homes of Rosedale, or the historic enclave of Wychwood Park, an Ontario Heritage Conservation district. The city’s Distillery District is home to North America’s largest preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture.

The Welland Canal is one of Canada’s greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. Built from 1824 to 1833 to bypass the Niagara River and its mighty falls, the Welland comprises eight locks that lift or lower ships a total of 326 feet between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. This vital canal is the spine of the peninsula’s trade and industry, with numerous docks receiving ships and roadways crossing the water. Viking’s latest expedition vessels are purpose-built to traverse this impressive waterway, allowing ships to dock safely while navigating this important crossing.

Port Colborne proudly proclaims itself the “Gateway to Navigation.” It is also the gateway to North America’s largest and most powerful cascade, Niagara Falls. Epic in its scope and volume, the falls hurl 42 million gallons of water down 20 stories every minute. Its mile-wide length straddles the Canadian and US borders and is split by islands into three smaller cataracts: Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls. Long a storied destination for young honeymooners, today the mighty torrent is a thrill for visitors.

Point Pelee is a pristine area that points into Lake Erie from Ontario, tapering off to a fine point before disappearing into the waters. The peninsula comprises woodlands and the largest freshwater marshes on the Great Lakes. It was proclaimed a national park in 1918 and is further protected by the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty that protects wetlands. Located at the convergence of two major bird migration flyways, about 350 species have been recorded here. Boardwalks deliver visitors into this unique ecosystem of vast, open vistas and wave-kissed shores.

Detroit sits on one of the four straits that link the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence Seaway and has emerged as a city rich in culture. In 2015, it became the first US city to earn designation as a “City of Design” by UNESCO for its creativity in urban development. Detroit was founded as a fort in 1701 and later grew into the epicenter of the US automobile industry. Today the city is beloved as the birthplace of Motown, a portmanteau of “motor” and “town.” Its waterfront reveals remarkable examples of postmodern and art deco skyscrapers.

Alpena is in the northeastern region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The town faces Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay and is home to Alpena Light, a brilliant red steel structure built in 1914. After its founding in 1840, fishing and logging were introduced to bolster its economy; today it is home to one of the largest limestone quarries in the world. Two of its architectural gems are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the art deco County Courthouse and the late-Victorian IOOF Centennial Building, once the city’s courthouse.

Steeped in the charms of simpler times, Mackinac Island is a gem of the Great Lakes. Located in the Straits of Mackinac where Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas are closest and Lakes Huron and Michigan meet, this bucolic haven preserves gilded Victorian-era treasures along car-free streets traversed by horse-drawn carriages. The perimeter road is the only state highway in the US that does not permit motor vehicles. More than 80% of Mackinac is protected as a state park, from its Greek Revival Grand Hotel and British-built Fort Mackinac to its preserved wilderness areas.

Milwaukee was first settled by Europeans in 1818, when French-Canadian fur trader Solomon Juneau arrived. German, Polish and Eastern European immigrants followed, bringing with them a long tradition of beer brewing. For several decades in the 20th century, Milwaukee became the world’s most prolific beer producer. Today, the city is a vibrant center of art, history and culture. The RiverWalk, a pedestrian walkway along the Milwaukee, is a popular spot for enjoying relaxing strolls or viewing public art installations.

Steeped in the charms of simpler times, Mackinac Island is a gem of the Great Lakes. Located in the Straits of Mackinac where Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas are closest and Lakes Huron and Michigan meet, this bucolic haven preserves gilded Victorian-era treasures along car-free streets traversed by horse-drawn carriages. The perimeter road is the only state highway in the US that does not permit motor vehicles. More than 80% of Mackinac is protected as a state park, from its Greek Revival Grand Hotel and British-built Fort Mackinac to its preserved wilderness areas.

Killarney was founded by a French-Canadian fur trader in 1820; he named the post Shebahonaning, or “canoe passage.” Its location on the northern shore of Georgian Bay made it ideal for trading. Nearby, the stunning cliffs of the La Cloche range rise dramatically above the shores of Lake Huron. These remarkable mountains are the pinnacle of Killarney Provincial Park, a vast wilderness of lakes and Eastern mixed forest. This breathtaking expanse of protected land is laced with hiking trails and—true to Killarney’s original name—canoe routes that link the area’s lake system.

Frazer Bay is located off a remote finger of land on the eastern tip of the North Channel in Ontario’s Georgian Bay, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its eponymous hill reaches almost 600 feet, offering sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. The bay lies near Killarney Provincial Park, a vast wilderness of lakes and Eastern mixed forest framed by glacier-sculpted pink granite cliffs. Across the channel lies scenic Manitoulin Island, the world’s largest freshwater lake island and itself home to another 108 freshwater lakes—some with islands of their own.

Fathom Five National Marine Park is nestled between the waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. Its rugged landscapes offer a picturesque backdrop to the blue-tinged waters that are a popular destination for scuba divers to explore an array of sunken shipwrecks. Nearby Flowerpot Island is famed for its rock formations and historic lighthouse, with hiking trails that showcase a wealth of treasures. The Saugeen Ojibway People are collaborating with Parks Canada on an environmental project to protect the freshwater ecosystem, for today and beyond.

A series of pink granite islands known for their natural beauty, the Benjamin Islands lie toward the eastern end of the North Channel. Dramatic landscapes that were sculpted by glaciers provide a picturesque rocky refuge for visitors to its shores. The harbor is formed by two principal islands, the North Benjamin and South Benjamin, which are enveloped by a number of smaller islets. The surrounding waters are tranquil and crystal clear, offering the perfect opportunity to observe a variety of wildlife from the water, including bald eagles and various fish species.

Founded by French missionaries in 1668, Sault Sainte Marie is Michigan’s oldest city and one of the oldest in the US. It is also home to the famous Soo Locks, a series of parallel locks that make river travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron possible, thereby linking Superior to the lower Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Opened in 1855 to allow ships to bypass the St. Marys River’s 21-foot fall over roiling rapids, this innovative lock system was one of the great engineering projects of its day. Today, it guides ships past Sault Sainte Marie and its twin city in Ontario.

Algoma is the gateway to the scenic Door Peninsula, a slender limestone peninsula projecting out into Lake Michigan. It was first explored by French missionaries and fur traders during the 17th century. According to legend, Jean Nicolet believed his encounter with the Menominee Tribe was a meeting with Asians of the Far East. The peninsula is also the westernmost edge of the Niagara Escarpment, a prehistoric ridge that stretches more than 650 miles across the Great Lakes region, and is home to boreal forests, rugged rock formations and sandy beaches.

A cultural hub renowned for its world-class museums, including the Art Institute and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago is an expansive metropolis with a magnificent skyline that stretches along the shores of Lake Michigan. Numerous sandy beaches offer the perfect spot to while away a sunny day. For nature lovers, Rainbow Beach features a dune habitat which provides an important stop for migrating birds; more than 250 species have been recorded here. Jazz and blues, a rich history, and the famed Chicago-style pizza round out this sophisticated Midwestern city.

Milwaukee was first settled by Europeans in 1818, when French-Canadian fur trader Solomon Juneau arrived. German, Polish and Eastern European immigrants followed, bringing with them a long tradition of beer brewing. For several decades in the 20th century, Milwaukee became the world’s most prolific beer producer. Today, the city is a vibrant center of art, history and culture. The RiverWalk, a pedestrian walkway along the Milwaukee, is a popular spot for enjoying relaxing strolls or viewing public art installations.