Experience the beautiful Great Lakes area by boat, horse-drawn carriage, and more on this eight-day vacation. Arrive in Dearborn where you'll see the Henry Ford Museum and get an insider’s look at Ford Rouge, the world’s largest automotive complex. Continue on to the little Bavarian town of Frankenmuth, founded by German immigrants in 1845, for authentic Bavarian fare. Then journey north to quaint Mackinac Island where bicycles and horse-drawn carriages are the only means of transportation. Spend the next two nights back in time at the world famous Grand Hotel. Next, visit the beautiful Upper Peninsula and Sault Ste. Marie before traveling through the famed Tunnel of Trees and some of Michigan's favorite beach resorts. Spend an evening in Bay Harbor, continuing along the wind-swept shores of Lake Michigan to Grand Rapids and the Gerald Ford Museum. Top off your journey with an orientation tour of the "Windy City," Chicago.

Itinerary

Day 1 Detroit/Dearborn
Welcome to Michigan and the Great Lakes! This evening mix and mingle with your traveling companions at the welcome reception. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure. (WR)

Day 2 Dearborn–Frankenmuth
Today, get an insider’s look at the FORD ROUGE, the world’s largest automotive complex. It is a celebration of the innovation of manufacturing in America, where history and technology merge. Watch the Ford F-150 truck being made. Afterwards visit the HENRY FORD MUSEUM, commemorating the achievements of many American inventors. Continue to the little Bavarian town of Frankenmuth, founded by German immigrants in 1845. This evening, enjoy an authentic BAVARIAN Dinner featuring fine German cuisine, entertainment, and music. Maybe one of the costumed strolling accordionists will even stop by your table and play. (B,D)

Day 3 Frankenmuth–Mackinac Island
Begin your morning with a visit to world famous BRONNER’S, the world’s largest Christmas store. Journey north and board a ferry to Mackinac Island, with its air of 19th-century gentility and where bicycles and horse-drawn carriages are the only means of transportation.

SPECIAL FEATURE: Your hotel for the next two nights is the world-famous Grand Hotel. Magnificent in its Victorian-style architecture and dйcor, the hotel has starred in several movies and served as a summer getaway for presidents since its inception in 1887. (B,D)

Day 4 Mackinac Island
This morning, enjoy a CARRIAGE RIDE on this celebrated island. The balance of the day is at leisure. Maybe rent a bicycle to further explore the island, or wander down Main Street and sample the delicious local fudge. (B,D)

Day 5 Mackinac Island–Sault Ste. Marie
Today, journey to the beautiful upper Peninsula where you will travel through the Soo Locks. On a narrated BOAT TOUR, experience the lock system between Lake Superior and Lake Huron that ships more cargo through on an annual basis than the Panama Canal. Next, visit the MUSEUM SHIP VALLEY CAMP, an actual steam powered freighter offering a glimpse into life for its thirty-two crew members and containing fascinating exhibits from shipbuilding to shipwrecks. Take a step back in time to relive the ill-fated journey of the Edmund Fitzgerald. On display are two major artifacts recovered from the shipwreck—its recovered lifeboats. (B)

Day 6 Sault Ste. Marie–Bay Harbor
Driving South to Mackinaw City, stop at COLONIAL MICHILIMACKINAC for a tour of this reconstructed 1715 French fur-trading village and military outpost, which was later occupied by British military and traders. Continue later today through the famed Tunnel of Trees to your resort hotel. Arrive at your resort with the balance of the day at leisure.

SPECIAL FEATURE:Your resort hotel tonight is The Inn at Bay Harbor, where the heritage and style of the great turn-of-the-century American inns are rekindled. Set along the water’s edge, it is a place where you can enjoy “The lifestyle of yesterday. The luxury of today,” along with spectacular views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding coast. (B,D)

Day 7 Bay Harbor–Grand Rapids
Visit a local orchard where you can try some delicious cherries or a slice of cherry pie—after all, this is the country’s premier cherry-producing center! Next stop at THE MUSIC HOUSE for a guided tour of a unique collection of old organs, pianos, and phonographs. Continue along the wind-swept shores of Lake Michigan to Grand Rapids. Upon arrival, enjoy a visit to the GERALD FORD MUSEUM. The museum enables visitors to participate in history, not just view it, while reviewing the highlights of the lives of President and Mrs. Ford. In addition to the permanent exhibits, a succession of temporary exhibits draws upon the rich holdings of the entire Presidential library system, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, and others. This evening your Tour Director hosts a special FAREWELL CELEBRATION DINNER. Wonderful conversation and cuisine make the perfect finale for your vacation. (B,D)

Day 8 Grand Rapids–Chicago
Depart this morning and travel through the northern tip of Indiana to Chicago. Enjoy an orientation tour of the “Windy City Afterward, the coach makes a stop at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. (Please schedule homebound flights after 4 p.m.) The coach then continues to a downtown hotel where the tour ends. (B)