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United States/Canada

A Great Lakes Voyage: Chicago to Niagara Falls

Program No. 25498RJ
Explore the pristine beauty of the Great Lakes on this Floating Campus voyage, delving deep into the region’s heritage, history and natural wonders.
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Small ShipAdventures Afloat Study CruiseNewFloating Campus
Length
11 days
Rating
New
Activity Level
Starts at
9,499
Itinerary
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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
11 expert-led field trips
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. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 4:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to meet with program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
Orientation: 6:00 p.m. 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. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Ground transportation will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. 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. Beverages available at all meals include juices, soft drinks, coffee, tea, water, beer, wine. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue to get to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead. Prepare for check-out and embarkation tomorrow.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking about 1 mile. Embarking the ship. All routes, field trips, and excursions are subject to change with weather and lake conditions. Lake conditions could affect the progress of the ship, causing it to 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.
Morning:
We’ll take in Chicago’s amazing skyline during an architectural boat ride along the Chicago River with a local expert. Following the Great Fire of 1871 and subsequent population growth, architects looked to the sky to make up for the city’s then-limited area, bringing forth the era of the skyscraper. From the river, we’ll be able to see a multitude of high-rising landmarks including the Willis Tower—still known to locals as the Sears Tower—the one-time tallest building in the world.
Lunch:
We will continue by motorcoach to the Field Museum where vouchers will be provided for lunch.
Afternoon:
We’ll go on an expert-led exploration of The Field Museum. Since 1894, The Field Museum has provided 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 will be time for independent exploration. Following our field trip, we’ll transfer via motorcoach to the pier for embarkation. After completing embarkation procedures and boarding the Victory I, settle into 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.
Evening:
At leisure. Leisure time aboard ship offers an opportunity to create the kind of experience that is most personally meaningful and memorable. Nightly entertainment will be available. 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.
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-led presentation.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Aboard the ship, we’ll have an expert-led presentation on topics related to the program theme.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. The ship will continue to Escanaba, Michigan.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and standing for up to an hour during field trips.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
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:
We’ll board the motorcoach and travel into Escanaba for a field trip.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. The ship will continue to Mackinac Island.
Activity Note
Getting on/off horse-drawn carriages; travel on the island is only by carriage or walking. Expect uneven terrain. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
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. The ship will begin making its way towards Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; crossing over the bridge that connects Canada to the USA. Passport required for passage between USA and Canada. Walking up to 1 hour on an uneven, dirt path.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
We will 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 across the Canada border for an exclusive visit to Anishinaable land.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. The ship will begin on its way back to Port Huron.
Activity Note
Full day aboard the ship.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
As we sail Lake Huron, we’ll hear a 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; driving about 25 miles roundtrip to/from museum, approximately 1 hour riding time; afternoon drive approximately 3 hours total riding time with stops. 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 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 limousine that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in on November 22, 1963 in Dallas.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will enjoy a lecture. Then we will board a motorcoach for an expert-led field trip of Detroit. Sites we may see include the Piquette Plant, Eastern Market, Spirit of Detroit Monument, art alley, and the recently revitalized Michigan Central Station.
Dinner:
Aboard ship
Evening:
At leisure. The ship will continue down the Windsor River and into Lake Erie en route to Cleveland, Ohio.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; approximately 2.5 hours riding time in the morning. Walking according to comfort level at museums.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
Arriving to Cleveland on Lake Erie, we will board a motorcoach to the Cleveland Museum of Art where we will join an expert for an exploration of highlights before we set off on our own for some time to explore the museum independently. We’ll then reconvene and return to the ship.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board the 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 we can dive into the history and memorabilia of the musicians, producers, and notable figures who helped shape the genre whose name was coined in the city. We’ll then return to the ship.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. The ship will continue sailing Lake Erie as we make our way towards land in Ontario.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles, approximately 2.5 hours total riding time. Walking about 1 mile on fairly even sidewalks and pathways, but also an incline when exiting boat cruise. Getting on/off a catamaran; boat cruise is approximately 1/2 hour. Exact timing of the day depends on ship’s 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 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 motorcoach 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. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for disembarkation and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Cruise ports at Toronto Port. Victory Cruise Lines provides airport transfer from 8:00-9:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship
Morning:
We’ll disembark the ship and transfer to the airport for flights returning to the U.S. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!