Self-Drive The Great Lakes

Tour Information

15nt Tour Begins & Ends Chicago: 1nt Chicago; 1nt La Crosse; 2nts Minneapolis/St Paul; 1nt Duluth; 1nt Marquette; 2nts St Ignace; 1nt Traverse City; 1nt Detroit; 2nts Niagara Falls; 1nt Pittsburgh; 1nt Cleveland; 1nt Nappanee

Day 1

Fly from the UK - Chicago
Arrive in Chicago and pick up the rental car at the airport, then proceed to the hotel. Take the rest of the day to explore the many sights of the Windy City. Visit the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Center, or the Amoco Building, some of the tallest buildings in the world, which offer observatory decks for a panoramic view of “Chi-town”. Tour pack with hotel vouchers and documents will be waiting at your first hotel, the tour representatives will make a welcome telephone call to your hotel to ensure you have the full pack
Overnight: Best Western Grant Park Hotel

Day 2

Chicago – Wisconsin Dells – La Crosse (278 miles)
Leaving Chicago, drive northwest and enter the state of Wisconsin. Pass through the state capital, Madison, on the way to the circus city of Baraboo. Continue to Wisconsin Dells where boats and ducks take visitors to the scenic bluffs of the Upper and Lower Dells cut by the Wisconsin River. Then continue on to La Crosse where the Black and La Crosse rivers meet. German and Norwegian immigrants drawn by the extensive pine groves populated this area and spread their culture throughout the town.
Overnight: Best Western Midway Hotel

Day 3

La Crosse – Winona – Red Wing – Minneapolis/Saint Paul (157 miles)
Today’s scenic drive follows the Mississippi River, made famous in American history by Mark Twain’s novels. Enjoy spectacular views of the Mississippi River from atop the bluffs near Winona, once a busy steamboat landing in the 1800s. Continue north to the city of Red Wing, a scenic river town brimming with Victorian architectural treasures. Cross into Minnesota and proceed to Minneapolis.
Overnight: Holiday Inn Bloomington

Day 4

Minneapolis/Saint Paul
Minneapolis, one of the Twin Cities, is home to America’s best known retailers along Nicollet Mall, a pedestrian walkway. Summit Avenue, the longest avenue of Victorian mansions in America, leads to the cathedral of St. Paul. In Bloomington, the Mall of America is the largest shopping entertainment complex in the United States. Enjoy savings with Minnesota’s tax-free clothing policy in over 5000 stores. Also enjoy the nation’s largest indoor family amusement park, Underwater Adventures® Aquarium, restaurants, cinemas and a nightclub district.
Overnight: Holiday Inn Bloomington

Day 5

Minneapolis/Saint Paul – Duluth (265 miles)
The port of Duluth is a city of gracious old homes, sitting on the shores of Lake Superior. In lakeside Canal Park, restaurants, nightclubs, shops, sightseeing cruises and ore-carrier tours entertain visitors. Cross back into Wisconsin to explore the quaint lakeside village of Bayfield and the pristine Apostles Islands. Cruise the islands aboard an excursion boat or take a short ferry ride to Madeline Island to tour Big Bay State Park.
Overnight: Comfort Suites Canal Park

Day 6

Duluth – Keweenaw Peninsula – Marquette (340 miles)
Travel into Michigan and explore the picturesque Keweenaw Peninsula. See historic Fort Wilkins and visit the Delaware Copper Mine before continuing by the L’Anse Indian Reservation to Marquette.
Overnight: Best Western Country Inn

Day 7

Marquette – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore – St. Ignace (200 miles)
Follow scenic State Route 28 to Munising. Cruise boats go past the Pictured Rocks celebrated in Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha.” This stunning area is revered as the nucleus of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Continue past the two striking Tahquamenon Falls to St. Ignace.
Overnight: Harbour Pointe Lakefront

Day 8

St. Ignace – Mackinac Island – St. Ignace
Take the ferry to the timeless resort island of Mackinac, where cars are prohibited, and bicycles and horse-drawn carriages rule the roads. Visit Fort Mackinac, perched on a bluff overlooking the harbor, and enjoy the view from the magnificent veranda of the elegant old Grand Hotel. Return to St. Ignace in late afternoon.
Overnight: Harbour Pointe Lakefront

Day 9

St. Ignace – Colonial Fort Michilimackinac – Cherry Orchard Drive – Traverse City – Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (160 miles)
Cross the impressive bridge over the straits and visit Colonial Fort Michilimackinac. Then continue to one of the world’s largest cherry growing regions and see some of the largest sand dunes along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Overnight in the resort town of Traverse City.
Overnight: Days Inn & Suites

Day 10

Traverse City – Ann Arbor – Detroit (295 miles)
Drive across the state of Michigan to the university town of Ann Arbor and on to Dearborn, where you may visit the Henry Ford Museum. Arrive in Detroit, the nation’s automobile manufacturing center, where the Civic Center and resurgent downtown core rise beside the river.
Overnight: Best Western Greenfield Inn

Day 11

Detroit – Niagara Falls (240 miles)
Cross into Canada and drive through the province of Ontario to one of America’s great natural wonders, Niagara Falls.
Overnight: Days Inn Clifton Hill

Day 12

Niagara Falls (Toronto)
A full day to enjoy the staggering power and beauty of Niagara Falls. A ride on the Maid of the Mist brings visitors close to the thundering waters. Enjoy a spectacular view of the Horseshoe Falls from vantage points at the Table Rock Scenic Tunnels. Another option would be a day trip to the Canadian metropolis of Toronto.
Overnight: Days Inn Clifton

Day 13

Niagara Falls – Pittsburgh (242 miles)
Return into the United States and drive past Buffalo, through New York, and into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Overnight: Comfort Inn Pittsburgh East

Day 14

Pittsburgh – Cleveland (140 miles)
Enter the Buckeye State and discover the “New American City” of Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Overnight: Doubletree Hotel Downtown/Lakeside

Day 15

Cleveland – Sandusky – Indiana Amish Country (250 miles)
Today continue on scenic Route 6 along Lake Erie by Vermilion to Sandusky, then enter Indiana. Discover the colorful and historic northern part of this state, home of the third largest Amish community in the country, and have a glimpse into the daily life of this extraordinary cultural group. Overnight in Nappanee, in the heart of Indiana’s Amish Country.
Overnight: Inn at Amish Acres

Day 16

Indiana Amish Country – Chicago Departure (50 miles)
Drive along scenic U.S. 12 back into Illinois and to Chicago, the beginning and end of the Great Lakes tour. Return the car at the airport before the departure flight.

Day 17

Arrival back to the UK

What's Included

• Return transatlantic schedule flights
• Economy size car rental
• Hotel accommodation as specified, or of a similar standard
• Tour pack with hotel vouchers and documents will be waiting at your first hotel, the tour representatives will make a welcome telephone call to your hotel to ensure you have the full pack.