Shore Things
In the kinder months, there's nothing like cruising the Great Lakes by boat. While there are plenty of places to rent a seaworthy rig, you can leave also leave most of the compass-minding and mast-hoisting to the professionals and hop on board for a day cruise or even a little overnight floating adventure. There are several great options, including the 82-ton, 114-foot replica of a 19th-century schooner, the Manitou (tel. 800/678-0383; www.tallshipsailing.com), which holds sleepover cruises on the Grand Traverse Bay from June to September. You can help hoist the mast and talk with crewman about the life on the water. The Friends Good Will is a replica of an 1810 sloop and part of the Michigan Maritime Museum (tel. 800/747-3810; www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org). The Friends Good Will offers 1- and 2-hour-long cruises on Lake Michigan from May to October, as well as multiple-day excursions where you learn how to be part of a ship's crew, as well as navigation, nautical and Great Lake history, and boat construction. If you simply want the thrill of the seas without the toil, make a reservation for the Appledore Stargazer Dinner Sail aboard the Appledore IV (tel. 989/895-5193). On-board astronomers give you a heavenly tour of the night sky, constellation-inspired poetry is read, and a three-course on-ship dinner is served while cruising Saginaw Bay off Lake Huron.
