You can enjoy a picturesque drive from Milwaukee to Toronto in under 12 hours, covering 600 miles and skirting the shores of Lake Michigan, then continuing into Canada. But while the road will get you there relatively quickly, you’d miss some of the best scenic cruising North America has to offer: The Great Lakes.
I was filled with excitement as I touched down at Chicago Airport, not just because I was about to spend a week on an expedition ship, Viking Octantis, but also because I was eager to explore some new cities and towns that as UK travellers, we often overlook for favourites such as New York, Miami or Los Angeles.
Take Milwaukee – the departure point for my eight-day adventure – as an example. was set there and it’s the home of Harley-Davison. Before we boarded our ship, I enjoyed a Saturday morning getting a flavour of ‘Brew City’, famed for its beer heritage. After a coffee and a spot of people watching at Milwaukee Public Market, I took a leisurely stroll on the Milwaukee RiverWalk, which winds through the historic downtown area to the Beerline B, home to Milwaukee’s breweries. It was great to be somewhere completely new with friendly locals and of course, great beer.
