The Great Lakes, Niagara Falls, The Apostle Islands, And Indiana Dunes

 

The Great Lakes are 5 large freshwater lakes that are interconnected and are shared by USA and Canada. The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron; Lake Superior is connected with Lake Huron by St. Mary's River; Lake Huron is connected with Lake Eerie by the St. Clairs River; Lake Eerie is connected with Lake Ontario by the Niagara River and Lake Ontario is connected with the Atlantic Ocean through St Lawrence river. Hence, these lakes are also called The Laurentian Lakes. 

I visited Lake Superior from Duluth, Superior, and Bayfield. Lake Michigan from Chicago. Lake Eerie from Detroit on the way to Niagara Falls. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit lake Huron and Ontario. Yup, a visit to Canada is definitely on the bucket list :)

APOSTLE ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO:

We went to the apostle Islands from Fargo via Duluth, Superior, and then to Bayfield. At Bayfield, we rented a cottage in a wood close to one of the beaches. The cottage was a duplex with beautiful views, though a teeny bit spooky at night when the sounds of animals and insects break the silence of the still nights. We saw stars and fireflies but couldn't capture those with my not-so-high-tech camera. We also saw a black bear, clicking a pic was the last thing on our minds :) but yes it was my closest encounter with a bear who thankfully did not notice us. 

Bayfield is the closest to the Apostle Islands archipelago. It constitutes 22 small islands on the lake Superior shoreline. Each island has a lighthouse which can be seen during the cruise ride. 

The cruise ships can be boarded from Bayfield port. We took a two-hour ride and maybe a longer one would have been better. There are options for kayaking as well. When we visited, the waters were high and rough and Kayaking was restricted.

Bayfield Pier

The cruise takes you along the shoreline and beautiful rock formations can be seen. Details of these formations can be read here. The longer cruise allows island hopping. Camping is possible in 19 of the 21 islands. Boating, kayaking, fishing, and hiking are other popular activities in this park. At the time we visited the lakeshore, it wasn't as crowded as it is off late in the last few years. We got to experience the beach private to us only - that was quite a steal. 

Bayfield is a small harbor town with a quaint little downtown and quiet beaches. Just perfect for a weekend getaway. Overall, our vacation there was lovely.

Sea caves and sandstone arches - The caves can be entered through kayaks and during winters when frozen

NIAGARA FALLS:

Well for all Indians, Niagara is a must-visit. If it's a US trip, Niagara has to make it to the bucket list. So, as tradition goes, I had the opportunity to visit the falls twice. Once with parents and once with friends visiting us and it was totally worth it. Niagara falls constitutes of three waterfalls, the American falls, The bridal veil falls and the horseshoe falls. While Niagara may not be among the tallest waterfalls, its width and volume make it one of the top five largest waterfalls close to Iguazhu and Victoria (the largest waterfall in terms of width). The falls are formed by the Niagara gorge and fed by the waters of the Niagara river which connects the two great lakes Erie (USA) and Ontario (Canada).

The maid of the mist boat tour on the US side takes tourists close to the horseshoe waterfalls. Cave of winds, a natural cave behind the bridal veil falls has decks that take tourists pretty close to the bridal veil falls. Both tours are an absolute must if visiting the falls. The experience is once in a lifetime.

The three Niagara waterfalls - American falls (the leftmost), Bridal Veil falls (The narrow falls next to American falls and the Horseshoe falls (rightmost) which is partly in the US and partly in Canada

INDIANA DUNES:

The Indiana dunes is a long beach stretch of natural sand dunes on the southern tip of lake Michigan. It is maintained by the Indiana State parks systems and is one of the most bio-diverse systems. The park is home to more than 350 species of migratory birds, lush wetlands, and sandy beaches. Hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, and bird-watching are the most popular activities here.