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The Last Great American Roadtrip. As an American family who prides themselves on great roadtrips, this was a big name to live up to. The summer before my baby brother, Adam, went off to college (I can’t call him my little brother anymore because he’s grown to be five inches taller than me) we set off for one last family adventure. Roadtrips have always been in my family’s nature. Between cross country moves or just having a mid-west dad who always thinks it’s easier to drive somewhere than to fly, we are no strangers to sitting in a car for hours upon hours in a day.
When planning this trip, it was hard to come up with destinations we could visit that we haven’t visited before. We decided on a tour of the Great Lakes through Michigan and Canada. A true bucket list excursion, we aimed to collect sand and water from each of the five Great Lakes; Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior and thus the Last Great American Roadtrip was born. This trip, also called Operation HOMES for each of the Great Lakes, did have a cheat code. We did fly from South Carolina to Michigan and picked up a rental car from there.
Once we landed in Detroit, our first stop was to the Motown Museum. We didn’t order tickets ahead but luckily a nice lady there had extras so we got in just in time! This was a really interesting museum. It’s set in the original building where Motown Records was founded and many classic hits of that era were recorded. The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and The Jackson 5 all stepped foot into this building and we got to stand in the exact room where hits such as “My Girl,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” were recorded. As a music lover, this was a must see attraction. So many musical artists got their start here or inspired generations of later musicians as well. It’s incredible to stand where it all happened.
After this stop, we started the drive to our first lake, Lake Michigan. We stopped for dinner in Mackinaw City which is right in between two of the Great Lakes; Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Our hotel however was on Lake Michigan so we collected our sand and water here before resting for the night.
We spent the next day on Mackinac Island, a popular tourist destination location in the middle of Lake Huron. Part of the tourist appeal to Mackinac Island is the island’s total ban on cars. Travelers take a ferry from the mainland to the island and then all modes of transportation are done either by horse or bike. The weather was beautiful. A chilly sea breeze came in off the lakes but the sun was out and shining. We started with a brisk walk around part of the island, stopping for some of the famous Mackinac Island fudge and even visiting a butterfly garden before heading to the main event, lunch at the Grand Hotel.
The Grand Hotel is an icon of Mackinac Island. It stands perched on top of one of the island’s hills, overlooking the vast lake below and boasts a 600 foot wrap around porch for guests to enjoy the views and a calming sea breeze. The hotel was built in less than three months time in 1887 and was a star of old world hospitality. Today, we enjoyed lunch at their famous luncheon buffet. They had everything you can imagine; oysters, steak, salmon, crème brûlée, their signature pecan ball, and so so so much more. After we ate (more than we probably could), my dad and brother went off to bike the three mile trail around the island while my mom and I opted for a horse drawn carriage tour of Mackinac and it’s history. This tour took us through the state park where we saw much of the stunning nature which draws countless visitors to this beloved island.
The next day we spent mostly in the car; driving to Lake Superior where the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald occurred in 1975. We also saw the Soo Lockes which help ships pass between Lakes Superior and Huron. Our end destination for the day would be Toronto, Canada. This was an international roadtrip, the first our family has done. We made a stop at Tim Horton’s over the boarder, of course and paid a visit to the world’s largest nickel (Canadian nickel, that is), a classic roadtrip stop.
My family has been to Canada more times than we can count. When we lived in North Dakota for two years, it was quicker to go over the boarder into Canada to get groceries than it would be to go grocery shopping in America. We’ve also been to Vancouver in British Columbia before but this was our first time in Ontario. I did enjoy Toronto as a city, though I can’t say anything about it really stuck out as being a “signature” attraction or landmark. After a breakfast at the Tim Horton’s headquarters (it was really just a normal Tim Horton’s in the basement food court of the building where the headquarters are located) we went to Fort York, a historic site from the War of 1812 era. It was interesting to hear the Canadian perspective of that war, it’s very different from the American perceptive of that war and war in general. That day, they happened to be doing reenactments of guns from that time complete with actors dressed up as Canadian soldiers which was cool to see.
We also went to the Art Gallery of Ontario. As you can imagine, I definitely enjoyed this stop. Their exhibits display a wide variety of talents and I felt my palate for art expand a bit through these exhibitions. Here, I found the first pieces of modern and contemporary art I not only tolerated, but actually enjoyed. We didn’t have much time here but I enjoyed every moment.
The highlight of the day was our visit to Casa Loma. Casa Loma overlooks the Toronto skyline and is a Gothic-revival style castle built as a residence for Canadian elite, Sir Henry Pellatt. I absolutely love grand historical estates like this one. Hearst Castle in California and The Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina are two of my favorite places and I would put Casa Loma with them as well. The 98 rooms of this château are filled with ornate dressings and decorations, some in homage to antiques of past Europe and some in modern style from the time of the castle’s completion in 1914. I absolutely loved this place and would definitely come back.
That night was very special; dinner and a show. Dinner was in the CN Tower, think Toronto’s version of the Seattle Space Needle. It was excellent. Very fine dining with a special inspired by the cuisine of the local indigenous peoples complete with an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. We enjoyed this delicious food with rotating views of the Toronto skyline and Lake Ontario harbor. Then we departed for our show; The Gazillion Bubble Show. This was a surprise. My brother picked it and we didn’t really know what to expect. Despite being the oldest in the crowd by at least ten years, I actually really enjoyed the show. It was pretty entertaining and I was blown away by some of the bubble tricks the presenters performed.
The final leg of our trip took us right to the boarder of Canada and America. We were heading to Niagara Falls but first stopped at both Hard Rock Cafés located here. With one on each side of the boarder, I added both to my collection of Hard Rocks visited. Since the drinking age in Canada is 19, I enjoyed a Canadian beer at the Hard Rock located on the Canadian side but was not able to experience the same opportunity on the American side. Niagara Falls was cool, I think. The moisture being sprayed on me by the powerful waterfall made it a little difficult to see said waterfall.
We stayed in nearby Buffalo, New York and tried buffalo sauce at the restaurant where it was supposedly invented. Well, my family tried buffalo sauce there. I don’t like buffalo sauce but I can at least say I’ve had wings there. Then we went to the Buffalo Art museum. This is a gorgeous property on sprawling grounds but despite my newly found appreciation for modern and contemporary art, these exhibits were a bit too much for my taste. In any case, no matter where I can experience an art museum, I will always enjoy it.
And thus ends the Last Great American Roadtrip. I’m sure this won’t be THE Last Great American Roadtrip. Roadtrips have become such an integral part of my childhood, I’m sure I will continue on this family trade in my own life.
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