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Mackinac Horses to Soo Locks: Viking Octantis Great Lakes Expedition
From horse-drawn streets to roaring locks, we sail the Great Lakes the expedition way. Join travel journalist Lyn Elmhirst aboard Viking Octantis from Milwaukee to Thunder Bay. Zodiacs skim past Georgian Bay’s granite islands, a secret speakeasy-style lounge hides in the bow, and a NOAA weather balloon lifts off from the deck with live data streaming back to Expedition Central. On Mackinac Island, cars give way to hooves and the Grand Hotel’s 660-foot porch sets a scene you won’t forget. Then it’s submersibles, special operations boats to Manitoulin Island, and a chilly Nordic spa ritual that ends with a not-so-tame bucket shower. We thread the Soo Locks, practice bird and flora ID with PhD naturalists, kayak beneath the “sea lion” rock at Silver Islet, and step into fur-trade history at Fort William for a musket-firing moment you’ll hear before you see. If you’re curious how expedition cruising transforms the Great Lakes, this voyage reveals the toys, the science, and the timeless shores. Watch now and travel closer to the water, culture, and story of these inland seas. #GreatLakes #VikingOctantis #MackinacIsland #SooLocks #ExpeditionCruise #GeorgianBay #ManitoulinIsland #TravelDocumentary