A Voyage Along The Great Lakes – With Smithsonian Journeys

Milwaukee is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin, and is situated on the western shores of Lake Michigan in the USA. Chicago lies 130 km to the south. It is situated at the confluence of three rivers: the Menomonee, the Kinnickinnic, and the Milwaukee. Read more about Milwaukee, USA

Mackinac Island is an island and resort in the USA state of Michigan. It is located on Lake Huron, seven kilometres east of the Straits of Mackinac, the straits that join Lakes Michigan and Huron. It was the site of Fort Mackinac, and two battles during the British-American War of 1812. Read more about Mackinac Island, USA

Sault Sainte Marie ("the Rapids of Saint Mary") is a city in the USA state of Michigan. It is the US half of a twin city, with the more populous Canadian half on the north side of the St Marys River. The river joins Lake Superior at the north, to flow a further 70 km south to enter Lake Huron. Read more about Sault Sainte Marie, Canada

Little Current is the main town of the broader Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands municipality in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. Little Current is named for the strong currents of water that flow between North Channel and Georgian Bay, that are part of the northern tip of Lake Huron. The Canadian border with the USA runs through the centre of Lake Huron, and Little Current is in the northern Canadian portion. Read more about Little Current, USA

Parry Sound is a town in Ontario, Canada, on a waterway of the same name. It lies 200 km north of Toronto. The sound named in honour of the Arctic explorer Sir William Edward Parry. Read more about Parry Sound, Canada

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It connects in the west via the eight kilometre Straits of Mackinac to Lake Michigan (and hence has the same water level). It was named after the Huron people who inhabited the area. Read more about Lake Huron, USA

Lake Erie is the fourth-largest lake (by surface area) of the five Great Lakes in North America. Lake Erie's northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario, with the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. Read more about Lake Erie, USA

The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Ontario, Canada, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. It enables ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment and bypass Niagara Falls. Opened in 1829, it is 43.5 km long and took 5 years to construct. Read more about Welland Canal, Canada

Toronto, located on the NW shore of Lake Ontario, is the capital of the province of Ontario and the third largest city in Canada. Its population of 6 million in the Greater Toronto Area is cosmopolitan and international. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city. Read more about Toronto, Canada