Traveling the Great Lakes By David H. Urmann At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

The Great Lakes is a beautiful legacy of the glaciers that melted thousands of years ago. Leaving behind spectacular huge inland seas, they continuously fascinate thousands of writers, geographers and travelers over the centuries. The region continues to amaze people and draw more into its beauty.

The Great Lakes is composed of the inland lakes of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The US states surrounding these lakes are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota and New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Québec and Wisconsin provinces of Canada.

The Great lakes comprise one-fifth of the world’s freshwater or a total volume of 6 quadrillion gallons of freshwater. Its total area covers more than 94,000 square miles of water and acts as the watershed of the rivers and streams around them.

Its surroundings are blessed with forests, fertile agricultural lands, and rich mineral resources. As such, it supports a wealthy ecosystem which includes more than 130 rare species of flora, fauna and marine life.

Other Attractions
Tourists can find magnificent sand dunes, rocky shorelines, coastal marshes, savannas, natural forests, prairies, and great landscapes. There are smaller islands which can be found in the middle of the lake that add more beauty and magnificence to the whole region.

Lake Michigan has the world’s largest freshwater sand dunes. Agawa Rock in Lake Superior has manmade pictographs on its rocks. These are believed to be created 200 to 600 years old. Tourists can find sea caves and giant rookeries on the Apostle Islands along the Wisconsin side of the lake.

One can also find rare tree and rock formations which had been formed and have survived all through its hundred year existence, purely of natural interaction with land, water and wind. Of course, everyone would awe the spectacular beauty of the Niagara Falls in Ontario, the miles and miles of white sand beaches, the emerald green forests and blazing sunsets.

The Travel Agencies
With the influx of tourists wanting to tour the Great Lakes, there are several travel agencies that offer their services year round. Before embarking on this kind of trip, it is best to make a list of specific places along the Great Lakes that you want to see. From their, you can browse through the various travel agencies or cruise lines that offer packages to these places. Check for their rates and availabilities and packages when it comes to going in groups.

Here is a list of some travel agencies catering to the Great Lakes:

The Great Lakes Cruise Company
This is a family owned travel agency with an office at Ann Harbor, Michigan. It has been in existence since 1959 and has grown through the years. The company offers water cruises in and around the different lakes and its many islands. It has several cruise ships running at different routes and schedules, making it suitable for the needs of their clients.

The Pearl Seas Cruises
The cruise ship company plies the Great Lakes and the Georgian Bay departing from either Toronto, Ontario or Chicago, Illinois. The trip will pass through the scenic spots of the Great Lakes within an 11 to 12 day period. Its visitors will be entertained while onboard the vessel and will get to interact with the residents of the islands along the way and hike particularly on the Island of Manitoulin.

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
The Hapag-Lloyd is a subsidiary of the world’s biggest tourism group, the TUI Company. It has the biggest cruise ship that sails through the Great Lakes, the C. Columbus. The ship recently won the awards for being the “World’s Best Ship in the Great Lakes.” The Berlitz Publishing Ocean Cruise and Lufthansa City Center gave the award.

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