Great Lakes & Trains featuring the Grand Hotel

 A region of waterside views, incredible culinary offerings and historical destinations beckons as you arrive at Chicago's Union Station, where your Great Lakes adventure begins. Meet the Tour Manager and your group of fellow travelers, and together, board Amtrak's Hiawatha for a scenic ride through the suburban panoramas of northern Illinois as we travel from Chicago to Milwaukee, "The Cream City."

As our train arrives this afternoon, we continue our travels by motorcoach, venturing toward Sturgeon Bay, WI, the gateway to the incredible beauty of the Door County Peninsula. We check into our hotel for the first of two nights, and then there is a free evening for you to get your first looks at the waters of Sturgeon Bay or find dinner locally. There are many restaurants serving an array of cuisines within walking distance. Overnight Sturgeon Bay, WI.

 Sturgeon Bay is known for its shipbuilding history and luxury yachts, and Door County Peninsula is home to spectacular shore scenery and a lively past. Today, we explore it all with an expert guide. Our tour takes us to quaint lakeside towns and points of interest like Peninsula State Park; Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, where admission is included; and the Shipping Canal, among other sites. We also enjoy memorable vistas of both Lake Michigan and Green Bay.

For lunch, we stop at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik, a restaurant specializing in traditional Swedish and Scandinavian dishes. Perhaps the most unique feature of this restaurant, though, is the building itself, which has goats grazing on its roof.

Continuing back down the peninsula, marvel at the orchards and the endless fields that dot the landscape before we arrive back in Sturgeon Bay. Our day concludes with a Door County Fish Boil for dinner. This traditional meal consists of freshly caught fish and pie made with Door County cherries. Overnight Sturgeon Bay, WI. 

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 After breakfast this morning, we board our motorcoach to travel through the western towns of Green Bay. The trees and lush surroundings of Escanaba River State Forest and Hiawatha National Forest are enchanting, and we enjoy views of both as we continue north and into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Our journey pauses in Escanaba, MI, where there is free time for lunch before our route presses forth through the UP and crosses the St. Mary's River, which connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron. We eventually pass the Canadian border and travel the final miles to the picturesque town of Sault Ste. Marie. This town straddles the Michigan/Canada border and is known for its red sandstone buildings that line its 19th-century canal.

We check into our hotel with a free evening ahead, during which you might like to stroll alongside the historic riverwalk to soak in the vistas. This city has long been an important center for trade and, as such, has become a melting pot of cultures, which is reflected in its many restaurant choices for dinner. Overnight Sault Ste. Marie.

• Breakfast

 An all-day excursion aboard one of North America's most scenic trains, today's adventures take us deep into Agawa Canyon aboard the Agawa Canyon Tour Train. This roundtrip train ride follows a 114-mile route that displays some of Ontario's most remote - and colorful - scenery. As the train moves over towering trestles and alongside winding waterways, take in views of granite formations, forests and the Canadian Shield. GPS-triggered commentary tells the region's story via wireless headsets and allows you to spot upcoming points of interest.

As the train descends 500 feet into the canyon, we approach the crowning jewel of the tour: Agawa Canyon Park. As you step off the train with time to explore and enjoy your included picnic lunch, you could set out on one of the walking trails, some of which lead to waterfalls. Alternatively, experience the invigorating climb up more than 300 stairs to an outlook 250 feet above the canyon floor.

We return via the same route later this afternoon and return to our hotel alongside the St. Mary's River with a free evening. Overnight Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

• Breakfast, Lunch

 We begin the day on the water with a cruise on Lake Superior. We head toward the Soo Locks, where we experience the 21-foot difference between Lakes Superior and Huron while "locking through" the gravity-powered system, just like the cargo vessels.

Back on the shore, we have free time through lunch in downtown Sault Ste. Marie before we board our motorcoach and travel to one of the most beloved sites in the Great Lakes: the Mackinac Bridge. Crossing the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere, we arrive in Mackinaw City. There is time to explore the unique shopping village before we board the ferry to The Grand Hotel, America's Summer Retreat on Mackinac Island.

This iconic hotel opened in 1887 and retains much of its original charm. While enjoying magnificent views of Lake Michigan and the Straits of Mackinac, spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring the traditions of the Grand or enjoying the island's amenities. This evening, we reconvene for dinner at the Grand Hotel - a special event with an enforced dress code. Overnight Mackinac Island.

• Breakfast, Dinner

 Savor a leisurely breakfast at the hotel ahead of a chance to get to know the timeless ambiance of Mackinac Island - a place whose streets are completely free of cars and brimming with charm. From the seat of a carriage pulled by a team of Hackney and Percherons horses, see the sights of downtown followed by points of interest throughout the island. Tour highlights include the butterfly conservatory, Arch Rock and the Fort Mackinac Avenue of Flags. These stops are only enhanced by views of Lake Michigan.

You can take the rest of the day at your own pace as we return to the Grand Hotel. Consider revisiting favorite stops from the tour, head to Fort Mackinac National Historic Site or Fort Holmes, or venture downtown to peruse the shops and art galleries. Mackinac Island is famous for its fudge, and no visit is complete without sampling the sweet treat.

Dinner (dress code enforced) is served at the hotel, and after, you might like to find a seat on America's longest front porch to, weather permitting, watch the sunset over the water. Overnight Mackinac Island.

• Breakfast, Dinner

 Today, we leave the quiet comfort of Mackinac Island and ferry back to mainland Michigan for a scenic drive along the western shore. Quaint lakeside communities come into view as our motorcoach moves along the lake, and beautiful sailboats float in the distance.

We travel to the resort community of Petoskey and pause for a self-guided tour of Kilwins Chocolate Kitchen, famous for its confections and fudge. We then travel to the Victorian city of Charlevoix and enjoy free time for lunch before a brief sightseeing tour that presents the city's unique Mushroom Homes built by Earl Young. Looking upon these incredible homes, we learn more about the architect and why he built them.

Continuing, we pass through lakeside villages and travel through rural expanses en route to Traverse City, where, on arrival, we check into our beachfront hotel for two nights. You are then free to enjoy an evening of leisure in "the cherry capital of the world." Overnight Traverse City.

• Breakfast

 With some of the western Michigan's most dramatic views beckoning, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is our destination today. This incredible spectacle of nature is located in Glen Arbor and boasts lush forests, miles of sandy beaches and impressive dunes reaching up to 450 feet above Lake Michigan.

After stopping at the visitor's center, we embark on a ranger-led tour, driving along Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and taking short walks on the dunes to see stunning views over the lake. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Before leaving Glen Arbor, we stop for ice cream at a local shop. With the rest of the afternoon at leisure in Traverse City, you could experience the unique culture and charms of this northern city. Clinch Park is a favorite of locals, with its sandy beaches and idyllic scenes.

We conclude the day with a visit to a local winery, where we enjoy a four-course dinner prepared by the onsite chef using locally sourced ingredients. This meal is perfectly paired with its signature wines, creating an ever-memorable dining experience. Overnight Traverse City.

• Breakfast, Dinner

 We continue our travels into the heart of "the Mitten" today, with Dearborn, just outside Detroit, as our destination. En route, we stop in Mt. Pleasant with free time for lunch before heading to the Steam Railroad Institute in Owosso to learn about the Golden Age of steam railway travel in Michigan and the Great Lakes.

A volunteer docent is our guide during our visit, and he shares his knowledge of the trains and the railway as we tour the yard. There are two steam engines in the museum's collection, as well as a diesel engine, passenger cars and various rolling railway equipment. Perhaps the most impressive of the collection is the Pere Marquette 1225, a magnificent steam locomotive that inspired the locomotive in the Christmas movie, "The Polar Express."

After our explorations, we continue to Dearborn, the home of Henry Ford. We check in at our four-star hotel, The Henry, and then take the evening at leisure. Overnight Dearborn.

• Breakfast

 The depth of American innovation spans far and wide, and we explore how they have shaped the nation and world after breakfast at the Henry Ford Museum. There are exhibits dedicated to past and present innovations, including the bus Rosa Parks refused to stand up on, President Kennedy's limousine and the circular Dymaxion House. Explore displays dedicated to agriculture and fashion, as well as those that tell the history of flight and the automobile's impact on the world.

Afterward, we continue our day with a tour of the Ford Rouge Factory. Here, we get an insider's look at the manufacturing process of the Ford F-150, one of America's most iconic pickup trucks. Get a taste of the immensity of the Ford factory with a tour of the assembly plant floor, watch parts become trucks from the 80-foot observation deck and visit the Legacy Gallery.

We return to the hotel with time to relax before we head out for our final group dinner at a local restaurant featuring classic cars. Overnight Dearborn.

• Breakfast, Dinner

 The beauty and history of the Great Lakes are bountiful, and we have seen some of the region's most riveting features and attractions while exploring Wisconsin and Michigan. In Wisconsin, views of Green Bay and Door County offered a scenic introduction to our vacation. We then ventured into Michigan's untamed Upper Peninsula, crossing the border to Sault Ste. Marie in Canada, before spending two nights immersed in the serenity of Mackinac Island. Rounding out our vacation, we explored Michigan's western shore and headed inland to the heart of the nation's automotive industry.

This morning, our journey comes to a close after breakfast. A group transfer to Detroit Amtrak Station or Detroit Metro Airport will accommodate departures after 2:00 p.m.

• Breakfast