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What are the Great Lakes?
The world's largest freshwater lakes, ranging from mere puddles to oceanic expanses, are situated on the south border of Canada and in north-east USA. Due to their enormous size sudden, destructive storms can appear, especially from October to December, and have wrecked hundreds of ships over the years.
Lake area weather may be cold and wet, or
windless and baking but it's difficult to say when as conditions are erratic, so consider carefully when you plan to travel in the area.
Climate:
Best: May-October, but midsummer can
be too hot for some.
Worst: November-April, when it may still be snowing.
Main Attractions:
Illinois
Hosting perhaps the most cultured
city in the region as well as architectural interest, this is the top Lake state for travellers.
Chicago and Lake Michigan
Chicago is a large and lively city with plenty of arts and culture interest as well as parks, beaches and the best eating and drinking scenes north of New York City. More Chicago
Galena, a pleasant 19thC historic
town set in an attractive landscape.
Stroll along to the Galena Historical Museum for the background,
then on to the Ulysses S Grant Home, Vinegar Hill Lead Mine and
some historical houses such as Belveder Mansion.
Springfield and Petersburg: Springfield is the state capital and encompasses Lincoln Home,
the Old State Capital, the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, the Train
Depot and Lincoln's Tomb.
It also has a Wright designed house, the State Museum and modern
State Capitol.
Petersburg offers further Lincoln attractions with the Lincoln's
New Salem Historic Site.
Michigan
Holds
some of the best outdoor recreation attractions in the region
as the state is on the shores of most of the great lakes and
thousands more little lakes; there are also some good urban
attractions.
Upper
Peninsula:
Isle
Royale National Park: this island in Lake Superior requires a good level of self sufficiency
from its visitors. No vehicles, but there are wolves; get there
from the mainland via Houghton.
Porcupine Mountains State Park: a
wilderness tract of forested highlands worth your footprint.
Tahquamenon
Fall State Park: based around a large waterfall with lower cascades, east of Sault
Ste Marie.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: near Munising, a
pretty area of coloured sandstone with excellent hiking.
Lower
Peninsula.
Lake
Michigan: the biggest tourist draw in the state is the shoreline of this lake,
with resort towns set amidst beaches and sand dunes.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers some of the best hiking,
but you could also try Ludington State Park with its Nordhouse Dunes,
or Muskegon or Grand Haven State Parks.
Ann Arbor: a cultural highpoint in
the state, with some good museums such as the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology,
and the Exhibit Museum of Natural History.
Detroit: has suffered
greatly from post industrial hang-ups but is trying hard to be user-friendly.
Get round the city using the elevated People Mover railway.
Highlights include the Belle Isle zoo, regional museum and aquarium,
the Museum of African American History, and a must see for soul
fans, the Motown Museum. Hart Plaza is the cultural riverside hangout, with summertime concerts.
.
Dearborn [for automobilia]: the
Henry Ford Museum, Automotive Hall of Flame and the massive Ford
Wyoming Drive-in, or for less automation the Greenfield Village
of relocated historic properties.
Chicago in winter
Ohio
Despite
its industrial heritage Ohio still has some attractions by way of
musical association, the shores of Lake Erie and some Amish culture.
Cleveland: in spite of a heavily industrial past and a river that caught fire
through pollution one too many times the city has managed to become
somewhat culturally elevated through urban renewal.
Head to Downtown for the top attraction, the world class Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, which is essentially an interactive museum and
history of the Rock genre.
For higher culture head to University Circle for the Cleveland Museum
of Art, Museum of Natural History, and Western Reserve Historical
Society.
Lake Erie the shores and islands of
the massive Lake Erie in the northern part of the state are popular
with vacationers.
The islands are the main attraction; the Bass Islands are busy with
good time Charlies while Kelley's island is for amoebic types.
Get to either via Sandusky.
Columbus, the state capital, offers
an Ohio Historical Center and historic 19th C German Village.
Shop in Short North, drink and dine in Brewery District
Amish Country - east of Cleveland you can find the Ohio equivalent
of the famous Amish of Pennsylvania. Good for a stop off, but go
to Pennsylvania if you want the full religious monty.
Dayton: the Wright brothers lived here, so check out the Carillon Historical
Park, Wright Cycle Company and Dayton Wright Brothers Airport.
The other big flighty attraction is the massive USAF Museum with
several hundred planes and related exhibits.
Cincinnati, on the Ohio River border
with Kentucky, Carew Tower will let you see the city from some height,
looking down over Fountain Square.
Also try the Cincinnati Arts Museum, Taft Museum, and Cincinnati
Museum Center, or for 19th architecture Mt Adams and the Roebling
Suspension Bridge.
Appalachian Foothills, in the south
east the land becomes gradually more hilly and forested as it rises
towards the Appalachian Range.
There are several prehistoric mounds such as at Hopewell Culture
National Historic Park but for hiking beauty try the Old Man's Cave
State Park.
Minnesota
In the bottom part of the state the Great Plains begin, but the
main interest to the tourist here lies in its capital city and the
plethora of surrounding lakes and forests.
Minneapolis-St
Paul: the cultural highlight of the state is these twin cities.
Museums include the first class Minneapolis Institute of the Arts
and Walker Art Center.
Chippewa
National Forest: the northern part of the state is covered in lakes and woodland
with lots of hiking and canoeing possibilities.
Try Itasca State Park for historic logging towns, Native American
crafts and the Judy Garland Birthplace House and Museum.
Wisconsin
Milwaukee: established by German settlers but now totally multicultural,
the city is on the edge of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three
rivers. The Downtown district is historic and attractive with riverside
walks.
The German element means a tradition of brewing in the city and
the Miller beer factory can be toured as well as the historic house
of a brewer at Pabst Mansion.
Madison, the state capital has good
architecture and ambiance plus several attractions nearby, such
as the State Capitol, the Wright designed Monona Terrace Community,
Madison Dells is a major parks area.
Apostle Islands National Seashore: 21 islands on Lake Superior off the eastern shores of the state make
for excellent hiking, kayaking or canoeing.
Indiana
A welcoming state with some worthwhile attractions in addition to
car racing, though rather flat and lacking natural scenic interest.
Indianapolis: other than Indy 500 racing, the city's central attraction is the massive
Monument Circle with the Soldiers and Sailors Monument above the
Civil War Museum, Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis
Hall of Fame Museum and the Circle Theater.
White River State Park is home to the Indiana State Museum, the
NCAA Hall of Champions [sports] and the Eitljorg Museum of American
Indian and Western Art.
Columbus: a place which has prided itself on employing the greatest post war
architects to design its public buildings, as well as some finely
preserved historic ones.
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