A 10-Day Sailing From Toronto to Chicago
Photos/Video by Gerry and Pamela Barker
Courtesy of Google Maps
By GERRY BARKER
John Waggoner freely admits, "I don't do well at retirement."
So what does this lifetime mariner and former CEO at American Queen Voyages do? Get back in the cruise business, of course.
"Not only did I miss it, but after being in the maritime business for 50 years, I found I had worked so hard I didn't have any friends outside the industry," he said, addressing an audience that had assembled in Toronto for the christening of his newest venture, Victory I, which, along with Victory II (debuting May 12), is offering cruises on the Great Lakes.
Both ships, once part of AQV, became available at auction a little over a year ago, and Waggoner recounted how it took an "all hands on deck" effort to get them ready to sail. Part of that was hiring 32 employes -- 28 of which had worked for him before. "So when you look for reasons we were so successful, it was really that."
READ MORE.
John Waggoner freely admits, "I don't do well at retirement."
So what does this lifetime mariner and former CEO at American Queen Voyages do? Get back in the cruise business, of course.
"Not only did I miss it, but after being in the maritime business for 50 years, I found I had worked so hard I didn't have any friends outside the industry," he said, addressing an audience that had assembled in Toronto for the christening of his newest venture, Victory I, which, along with Victory II (debuting May 12), is offering cruises on the Great Lakes.
Both ships, once part of AQV, became available at auction a little over a year ago, and Waggoner recounted how it took an "all hands on deck" effort to get them ready to sail. Part of that was hiring 32 employes -- 28 of which had worked for him before. "So when you look for reasons we were so successful, it was really that."
READ MORE.
Scenes From Victory I
Victory I Great Lakes Tour Ports of Call
Stop 1: Port Colborne
Victory I's first stop after departing from Toronto is Port Colborne, a city of some 20,000 in Ontario, Canada near Lake Erie. To get here, we had to navigate the Welland Canal, which connects Lake Ontario with Lake Erie. The canal was created to allow ships to bypass Niagara Falls, and utilizes eight locks over its 27-mile length that move ships up or down the Niagara Escarpment's elevation difference of 326 feet. READ MORE.
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Niagara Falls
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For anyone who seen or visited Niagara Falls, you know adjectives don't do it justice. Early explorers described them as "spectacular," "awe-inspiring" and even "frightful."
One of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, every second some six million cubic feet of water cascade down during daytime tourist hours (water flow is restricted at night for electric power generation). Straddling the U.S.-Canadian border, the water flow originates from Lake Erie, down the Niagara River, into Lake Superior and the St. Lawrence Seaway before eventually ending its journey in the Atlantic Ocean. READ MORE. |
Horseshoe Falls
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Stop 2: Cleveland, Ohio
 Courtesy: Google Maps
After cruising Lake Erie, day four of our 10-day Victory I cruise on the Great lakes found us docked in Cleveland, OH., where we were greeted by crews from the local television stations as we cleared U.S. customs after our time in Canada. The city was celebrating the return of Victory I and starting May 12, Victory II, which will make some 30 stops here during the season. In fact, we saw Victory II docked here as she is prepared for her debut.
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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Stop 3: Detroit, Michigan
 Courtesy Google Maps
It's day five of our Victory I Great Lakes cruise, and we are at the Motor City, Detroit. The ship is actually docked in the Detroit River, which connects Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. Just across the way is Windsor, Canada. We are booked for an excursion that will take us to the Ford Motor campus in nearby Dearborn and a visit to the Henry Ford American Museum of Innovation. READ MORE.
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Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
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Stop 4: Sault Ste. Marie Courtesy of Google Maps
After a day of cruising on Lake Huron, Victory I arrives on Day Seven of our Great Lakes cruise at Sault St. Marie, MI., the oldest city in Michigan and one of the oldest in the country. It's also the home of the Soo Locks, the busiest system of locks in the world measured by cargo tonnage. Providing a vital link between Lake Huron and Lake Superior, an average of 7,000 to 10,000 ships pass through them each year, transporting 95 percent of the U.S. production of iron ore. READ MORE.
Stop 5: Mackinac Island |
A freighter enters the Soo Locks
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 Courtesy of Google Maps
Try to imagine a place with less than 600 year-round residents that hosts over 1.2 million visitors over a six-month period. Welcome to Mackinac island. Located between Michigan's Upper and Lower Penisulars on Lake Huron, Victory I is docked here on Day Eight of our Great Lakes cruise. This longtime vacation mecca is open May-October, and we are here at the very start of the tourist season. Wind chills are in the 30s as winter isn't quite ready to let go, so bundling up is the order of the day. There are no motor coaches in sight, not only because of the logistics of getting here, but also because motorized vehicles are banned.
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The front porch of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
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Stop 6: Escanaba, MI Courtesy of Google Maps
Day Nine of our Victory I Great Lakes cruise finds us in the Michigan Upper Penisular town of Escanaba, our last port of call until the cruise ends in Chicago. On our way here we passed under Mackinac Bridge, a five-mile-long suspension bridge opened in 1957. It's a beautiful day for sailing.
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Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba
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Learn more about Victory Cruises
