The Great Lakes

Lake Ontario is Toronto's lifeline. I have been on it many times. Took a ferry ride to Rochester, NY one time. Lake Huron is beautiful especially as you go East into Canada and Georgian Bay. My brother lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario which is at the head of Lake Superior. Superior is a monster and feels more like an ocean. I always think of the Edmund Fitzgerald when I am on Lake Superior. Lake Erie I have driven around many times but have never been on it. Same for Lake Michigan.

I do love the Lakes, they are a natural treasure.

I'm farther away from a Great Lake than you are, but I'm only a mile from the Mississippi River. Superior is the closest but it's a couple of hours' drive away. One of my brothers got married there in the Duluth Rose Garden, which looks out over the lake. Gorgeous site.

I've taken the ferry across Lake Michigan from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI. It was a stormy morning the day we left Ludington - as we were checking out of our motel the wind was blowing so hard that we saw the motel's lawn furniture sailing sideways through the air as we watched from the lobby windows. Yikes. By the time we boarded things had calmed down, but for most of the trip we were in dense fog. Hence, we listened to the foghorn nearly the entire trip. The sun finally poked through as we came into Manitowoc. There wasn't much to see on the crossing, so we spent most of the time in the lounge playing cards and listening to karaoke.

I lived not too far from some Mediocre Lakes back when I worked in Appleton: Poygan, Winneconne, Butte des Morts, Little Butte des Morts, Winnebago.

Now, I'm in the high desert in Colorado, but there's a silly little reservoir south of town and you'll see as many trailered boats here as you would in Appleton.

Not extremely close but I have stuck a hand in Ontario and Erie. Driven close enough to Michigan by Chicago to see the lake from the highway. I was supposed to go through Ontario Canada to Wisconsin one time but we routed I-90 and the i-80 instead so no Huron or Superior yet.

I lived in Dearborn, Michigan, decided to move to Oregon and loaded my Buick Le Sabre with as much as I could.
Went straight North to the Yoo Pee, made a hard left down Route 2 and followed it all the way through Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana. Finally jogged down toward Central Idaho / Oregon, and proceeded Westward.

Oops. i lost track what I was talking about. As a Michigan Native, I spent many days on the shores of Lake Huron, the shores of Lake Michigan, and even Lake Superior, way up North.
The weather sucks compared to where I live now, but I still miss it. Very glad Aretha Franklin stayed in Detroit.

My family vacationed in Ludington quite a few years back in the late 60s, early 70s.
It was a little Paradise, an Idyll. It was like Mayberry. We rented a cottage by the lake, (maybe a smaller lake), and we had no concern for time. I know Mom didn't want to gut and prepare the Sunfish we would catch, (those things would bite on processed American cheese, for gosh sakes!), but it was very relaxing and we had all the time to do we wanted.