John B. Marek is a storyteller with dirt under his nails who weaves tales inspired by a lifetime immersed in nature. His insightful essays and award-winning fiction delve into the complexities of sustainable living, the heart of rural communities and the thrill of outdoor adventure. You can find more of his writing at johnbmarek.com.
I received a slick brochure in the mail the other day from a company hawking Great Lakes cruises. A couple of different itineraries were shown, including a seven-day voyage on Lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior and an 11-day excursion that adds stops on Erie and Ontario. Over the years, I have visited many of the ports included in these cruises, and I believe they are definitely worth considering for your next vacation. Nevertheless, I am a little skeptical about the number of people whose bucket list includes Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee. And if I’m being honest, my singular experience “cruising” the Great Lakes was a mixed bag.
When I was a middle schooler, my parents and I took a ferry across Lake Erie from Sandusky, Ohio, to Leamington, Ontario. How this particular trip came about is a mystery to me, and since I am the only surviving family member of that excursion, it will likely remain one forever. My hunch is that my mother, constantly competing with her wealthier siblings, had heard enough about their fancy cruises and decided to take one of her own. All I know is that on a coolish September Sunday circa 1975, my mother, my father and I boarded the MV Peelee Islander at the dock in Sandusky and set sail for Pelee Island, just over the U.S./Canada border, and then, after a short stop, continued to Leamington on the mainland where we had lunch at a greasy spoon restaurant a couple of blocks from the waterfront. The ride back to Sandusky that afternoon should have taken a couple of hours, but due to some undisclosed mechanical issues it took the rest of the day. The saving grace was the pleasant weather and calm “seas.”
I had brought “Treasure Island” with me to read, which, looking back, seems a bit ambitious. Although it’s about 70 miles across and you can’t see Canada from Ohio, or vice versa, Lake Erie is dotted with islands. So we were never more than a few miles from land, and pirates were disappointingly rare in those waters.
Pelee Island lies in the middle of the lake, a car-free haven known for its rich history and unique ecosystem. Indigenous peoples inhabited the island for millennia, leaving behind archeological remnants of their presence. European settlers arrived in the 18th century, initially focused on lumber, stone quarrying and fishing. The island’s warm climate – the shallow lake waters moderate the temperature – later fostered a flourishing wine industry, with Pelee Island becoming a center for early Canadian winemaking. Our stop there was just an hour, barely enough time to visit the dockside gift shop and purchase a faux-leather pencil case as a souvenir.
Our stay in Leamington was longer, if no more eventful. It’s just a small lakeside city, much like the one we sailed from. Dubbed the “Sun Parlour of Canada” thanks to its location on the water and its southerly latitude relative to the rest of the country, it’s known primarily for tourism and as an agricultural center for tomatoes, peppers and other warm-season crops.
The next day at school, I was excited to tell all my friends about my high seas adventure and show off my new pencil case. However, my friends didn’t share my enthusiasm. To say the least. I stashed the pencil case in a desk drawer and forgot all about my voyage until the good folks at Pearl Seas Cruises saw fit to send me a brochure some 49 years later.
For the record, seven-day Great Lakes cruises start at $6,500. I don’t recall what a boat ride across Lake Erie cost in the mid-70s, but these days it’s about $50. That’s right, you can take a day-long “cruise” to Canada for the cost of a couple Big Mac combos. I dare you to find a more budget-conscious nautical adventure. The pencil case is extra, of course.