Vision Travel - do yourself a favor and take yourself away

Mackinac Island

Experience the beautiful Mackinac Island and Great Lakes area by boat, horse-drawn carriage, and more on this exciting escorted tour. Start your vacation in Dearborn, Michigan, where you visit the Henry Ford Museum, a National Historic Landmark commemorating the achievements of many American inventors, and the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House. Continue to the little Bavarian town of Frankenmuth, founded by German immigrants in 1845, for authentic Bavarian fare. Then, journey north and board a ferry to quaint Mackinac Island, where bicycles and horse-drawn carriages are the only means of transportation. Spend the next two nights at the world-famous Grand Hotel with its Victorian-style architecture.a getaway for presidents since 1887.

Next, visit Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula and Sault Ste. Marie, where you take a boat tour to see the lock system between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Before traveling through the famed Tunnel of Trees on your way to Bar Harbor, visit Colonial Michilimacknac for a tour of this reconstructed 1715 French fur-trading village and military outpost. On this vacation, you also visit a local cherry orchard, tour the Music House Museum, and visit the Gerald Ford Museum. Top off your vacation with an orientation tour of the "Windy City" of Chicago. For a charming trip to Mackinac Island and the Great Lakes, this escorted tour is perfect.

Price: $2,821.00 Single | $2,129.00 Double | $1,977.00 Triple

Program Day-by-Day
1	Welcome to Michigan and the Great Lakes! At 6 pm,, meet your traveling companions for a welcome drink. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure.
2	This morning, visit the HENRY FORD MUSEUM, a National Historic Landmark that commemorates the achievements of many American inventors. The collection contains rare exhibits, including John F. Kennedy's limousine, Abraham Lincoln's chair from Ford's Theater, Thomas Edison's laboratory, and the Wright Brothers. bicycle shop. Afterward, we visit the EDSEL & ELEANOR FORD HOUSE, where exquisite architecture, breathtaking lakefront grounds, and a collection of fine art tell the story of one of America's most important families. Enjoy lunch and a private tour of the home and grounds. We 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. (B,L,D)
3	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. (B,D) Special Feature: Your hotel for the next two nights is the world-famous Grand Hotel. Magnificent in its Victorian-style architecture and dor, the hotel has starred in several movies and served as a summer getaway for presidents since its inception in 1887.
4	This morning, enjoy an included CARRIAGE RIDE on this celebrated island. Afterward, you CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCE. Join a HISTORIC TOUR of Fort Mackinac with lunch included or enjoy soothing chamber music and AFTERNOON TEA at the Grand Hotel. (B,L,D)
5	Today, journey to the beautiful Upper Peninsula and 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 32 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)
6	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. Later today, continue through the famed Tunnel of Trees to your resort hotel. Arrive at your resort with the balance of the day at leisure. (B,D) 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.
7	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 MUSEUM 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 dinner. Wonderful conversation and cuisine make the perfect finale for your vacation. (B,D)
8	Depart this morning and travel through the northern tip of Indiana to Chicago. Enjoy an orientation tour of the "Windy City." Afterward, the motorcoach makes a stop at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Please schedule homebound flights after 4pm. (B)