Our trip around the Great Lakes began in Minnesota, on the US shore of Lake Superior, the largest of all the great lakes. From there we took in Duluth, headed west to visit friends in Lake Shore, and then headed to Minneapolis and St Paul on the Mississippi river. We saw some great art at the Walker Art Center before continuing south towards Chicago, meeting up with a friend and former colleague of Declan's.
We stopped at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan for lunch and having spotted some windsurfers out on the water headed up to Michigan City, where Declan managed to get kiting.
From Lake Michigan, we headed north and east to Marysville, just north of Detroit to catch up with another friend, who had grown up in Detroit. We had a great time in the city and at Lake Huron. The Rivera Mural at the Detroit Institute of Art was a highlight, although there was plenty of other, vibrant murals dotted around the city. Being in the motor city, we took in the Ford Piquette Plant, where the original Model T was constructed before assembly lines were introduced and the manufacture moved out to HIghland.
Leaving Lake Huron, we crossed into Sarnia, Canada and continued onto Lake Erie, again a quick catch up with friends, before following the Niagara river to the Falls and onto Lake Ontario. We also managed to see the Welland Canal, which links Lakes Erie and Ontario for shipping, through a series of locks.
Toronto, on the north shore of Lake Ontario was our last stop, with a trip up the CN Tower and a wander around the city. A final drive along the Loyalist Parkway took us past Picton and though the Thousand Islands, before heading north, away from the Lakes and on to Ottawa.