Michigan/Ontario
The Best of Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island: A Trans-Border Discovery
Program No. 21920RJ
Embark on an adventure between two countries, discovering timeless traditions, natural wonders, historical landmarks and cultural heritage with friendly locals and experts.
Participant Reviews
Based on 52 Reviews
SHOWING
The group leader has, in my opinion, probably the most important role in making that particular trip more interesting and educational. I have never traveled to Michigan before, and this Road Scholar adventure was excellent! Chip Reeves is the individual that you want to have, to explain everything there is regarding Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac Island, and all the surrounding areas! He went above and beyond what I would expect from a group leader. Chip suggested several interesting, perhaps less well known, places to visit, before the trip began. The Dennos Museum Center, in Traverse City, has exhibits by Inuit artists, such as Kenojuak Ashevak. I was not impressed with the Grand Hotel, compared to places I have visited in Rhode Island or New York. The one particular activity I would suggest, before you leave, is to rent a bicycle or a three wheel adult tricycle, and just ride around the coastline, away from all the other tourists, to experience what Mackinac Island truly represents.
— Review left December 17, 2025
I loved absolutely everything on the Sault Ste Marie/Mackinac Island Road Scholar trip. From the field trips, motor coach, dining, and motel accommodations, and stunning scenery everything was perfect. But the icing on the cake was our group leader Kim Johnson who went above and beyond my expectations. She truly made this trip extraordinary and I would recommend it to anyone.
— Review left October 9, 2025
An excellent trip. Kim is a fabulous tour director, she made it all so easy for us!! The itinerary was paced appropriately and well-organized over all. I was especially surprised at how much I enjoyed the Bush Plane museum. Our docent was excellent and the history fascinating. I didn't care as much for the dinner and presentation at the Metis Association, but that may just be me. The canal "walk" while we waited for the boat ride was just bad though. The guide was unhappy and it sure showed. Perhaps a different tour guide would improve this? And, really, do we need to stand around and listen, isn't there somewhere to sit? On a more serious note, i had some difficulty with my room on Mackinaw island. The A/C unit was way up near the ceiling! I had to request a stool to access it and see the controls. Very strange, the hotel receptionist seemed surprised the room had the old unit. I think i was in the older section of the hotel. I managed ok so I didnt mention it to Kim. In hindsight though, someone with more limited mobility would be at risk for falls. But, other than these minor quibbles I highly recommend this program.
— Review left October 6, 2025
This was a very interesting and educational program. I did not know much about upper Michigan before this trip and now feel like I understand it better the best time for me was at Mackinac Island, where we had plenty of free time to explore the island the group is just about the right size and I got to many new people. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in upper Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie Canada and the US and Naina Island.
— Review left September 20, 2025
I learned so much about Michigan - a state I knew almost nothing about! Sort of like having a college roommate from Michigan and seeing it from their eyes!!
— Review left September 6, 2025
This was a great trip. The highlights were the delicious cherries, the lush, green countryside, the Mushroom Houses, the locks, the canoe ride, bicycling around Mackinac Island, great food and curious and fun fellow travelers! The guide was kind and accommodating as well as knowledgeable. All the local guides were also outstanding.
— Review left August 27, 2025
The Best of Sault Ste Marie and Mackinac Island program was wonderful from start to finish. I am glad I went on this Road Scholar tour.
— Review left August 21, 2025
I have been on four Road Scholar tours and I have never been disappointed by the experience! Road Scholar provides Excellent learning opportunities without them being too scholastic. The accommodations and meals provided are always satisfactory or above, and having some Free Time to explore on our own is a nice addition to their program. I hope that there will be additional tour that i am able to take in the future.
— Review left August 20, 2025
Michigan is a beautiful state and definitely worth visiting. I enjoyed each location during the program (including Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario), learned something new in each city, and would like to visit again. Mackinac Island is a must see for its unique charm - they saved the best for last on this program! Be sure to try the sour cherry pie in Traverse City and the salted caramel dark chocolate fudge when you see a candy store.
— Review left August 10, 2025
I've fulfilled a life long goal to see part of this beautiful state. traveling in July to be able to eat fresh cherries and blueberries is highly recommended
— Review left August 9, 2025
Loved this trip. Greg is an amazing group leader who enhanced the trip greatly. Excellent logistics - fitting in excellent and timely trips and visits. Mackinac Island is a dreamy island and one in which I would greatly likely to visit again.
— Review left August 7, 2025
This was a great trip made especially enjoyable by our trip leader/guide Chip. He was very focused on all getting to know each other from the initial intro message he sent prior to the trip up until the very end when we parted company in Traverse City. Chip was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we were visiting and provided color commentary and stories to enhance the experience of the places we visited.
Our accommodations were comfortable especially in Traverse City where we had an on-site sandy beach, the Traverse Lake and beautiful weather.
Throughout the trip Chip kept our group moving on time and always provided a peek into the area of our next stop before our arrival so we had a hint as to what to expect. The trip have significant variety and experiences, and Chip was gracious in answering our questions and providing detail to enrich the experience.
Our dinners at the hotel in Machinak were the best in my opinion. The Flying Noodle in Traverse City had a small menu but varied enough with delicious selections.
Of course the main attraction was Machinak with the horse drawn carriages, the Grand Hotel, the scenery, the historic fort, the bike traffic and endless fudge.
This trip also inspired me to sign up for another trip much farther afield in South Africa. I am looking forward to this trip in OCT-NOV 2026 and all I shall learn and new friends to meet.
I look forward to other trips with RS and I want to thank Chip for making my first RS trip such a memorable experience. Carolyn Zinner
— Review left August 6, 2025
This was a great trip with a lot of variety; I highly recommend it. I was most excited about visiting Mackinac Island, but it turned out that I enjoyed the other places we toured as well. If Greg Johnson is your tour guide, you are very lucky - he is the best. The only caution I would give is to avoid Mackinac Island during the week of the 4th of July. The town area was very crowded and the locals say it is the busiest week of the season.
— Review left July 4, 2025
It was a wonderful experience to places I have not been to. All the people involved were very nice and I made some friends on the trip.
— Review left July 4, 2025
This is an enjoyable trip and so informative, especially for those who have never experienced the Great Lakes region. You will learn a lot.
— Review left July 3, 2025
This was a terrific tour of Lake Michigan, Sault Ste Marie and Mackinac Island . I highly recommend it .
— Review left June 23, 2025
This was a wonderful and beautiful trip that included nature, history, science, human ingenuity and engineering, as well as a lot of Horse Power! Our guide Chip Reeves was very kind, considerate, and full of ready information.
— Review left June 17, 2025
A great adventure in the Northwoods and Canada. Besides the water, trees and sky we visited a fish hatchery, walked at Sleeping Bear Dunes, a great Bush Fire Fighting Museum in Sault St Marie, Enjoyed Locks on both sides of the border, and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and much more. The Hotels were all great, food good and company very engaging and muy simpatico. Think layers when packing and bring a rain jacket. Kim J, our fearless leader kept us on track and fueled our curiosity with her enthusiasm. Don't wait - Go Now.
— Review left June 7, 2025
This was such an interesting trip as we saw such a variety of sights and learned so many new things. I had never been to any of these locations and enjoyed what each had to offer. The highlights were the tour of the State Hospital grounds in Traverse City, the Mushroom Houses, Bushplane Museum, The Locks in Sault Ste Marie (both sides) and the Grand Hotel, particularly, but found everything about Mackinac Island charming, including the horse taxis. It was fun to be able to have a meal in the Bushplane Museum, the Ermatinger Stone House, the Grand Hotel and at Fort Mackinac. Those inclusions made those tours extra special.
We had a nice group and our guide, Kim Johnson, was great. We appreciated the addition of the walk to Arch Rock. As we ate two nights at the Hotel on Mackinac Island and the menu was the same with only one vegetarian option, she spoke with the chef and arranged a different vegetarian meal for the 3 of us on the second night dining there.
— Review left June 6, 2025
If you are looking for diversity in daily programming and activities, a step back into history, and comfortable accomodations with great food, the trip to Mackinac Island, the Traverse City area, and the Sault Ste. Marie area is for you.
— Review left June 5, 2025
This trip exceeded my expectations! Our Group Leader, Kim, was a wonderful ambassador for her home state of Michigan.
— Review left September 30, 2024
Our program and instructor, Kim, was wonderful. If you are looking for a program that would be instructive and worth attending, I suggest Road Scholar.
— Review left September 27, 2024
This was an excellent program with many surprising things that I never heard about. It made me think about returning to the area in the future and discovering even more about this beautiful area.
— Review left August 29, 2024
The trip was wonderful - highly recommended.
— Review left August 16, 2024
We enjoyed every minute, and Chip is a great leader.
— Review left August 16, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed myself! Saw areas of the US and Canada I would not have seen otherwise. Well-led, well-organized and right-sized. A bargain!
— Review left August 10, 2024
THis was a well organized and informative trip packed with history and moderate exercise. I learned so much about upper Michigan.
— Review left August 9, 2024
What a great trip: The scenery while driving on the road was breath taking with orchards of cherries of vivid red colors, sunflowers, trees, and the view of the lake along the way. Charlevoix was a fairy tale city, with their mushrooms houses (28), petunia baskets were hanging all around town, Limelight hydrangeas with their football shape flowers, were grown everywhere. The Oden State Fish Hatchery gave us a very informational tour of their facilities. While in Canada we visited The Bushplane Museum with their 24 aircraft exhibits, including the original De Havilland Beaver aircraft and the CL-215 waterbomber, the guide provided us with a lot of information.
It was very interesting to learn and observe about “Locks” their function and purpose both in Canada and USA.
The cherry on the top of our trip was Mackinac Island, with its horse carriages, fudge stores, Fort Mackinac, mansions/houses surrounded by flowers, the Grand Hotel, and the scenic views of boats around the pier, floating on the turquoise shades of water.
Indeed a wonderful trip, which made it even more special for the friendly and interesting people that I met.
— Review left August 1, 2024
What a wonderful learning opportunity for me, as a first-time traveler with Road Scholar. Great experience in all facets of the trip!
— Review left July 8, 2024
This program exceeded all of my expectation.
— Review left July 5, 2024
Traverse City was a fun area. Lots of good restaurants and nice shopping. I had always heard about Mackinac Island and it did not disappoint. Magical!
— Review left June 28, 2024
Wonderful scenery, with informative and educational programs.
— Review left June 23, 2024
I enjoyed this program very much. I had never been to Michigan before and really enjoyed hearing so much about this state. I must say, there were some very busy days and I felt totally exhausted when I got home. I tried to walk ahead of time to prepare, but some of the days were still a little difficult.
— Review left September 15, 2023
This was a very pleasant trip--especially the part on Mackinac Island. The meals were excellent and added to the ambiance of the educational experience. There are a variety of educational experiences which would appeal to a wide range of people. There were some (like the bush plane museum) which didn't interest me, but when I got there, it was very interesting and I learned information that is relevant to environmental concerns which are happening today. Greg was an exceptional guide and leader who made the whole experience special.
— Review left September 14, 2023
Kim Johnson is a wonderful group leader who is very personable, organized and is very knowledgeable and informative about the sites we visited. The lecturers provided so much more in depth information and history of the sites visited. There was an adequate amount of free time to explore the areas on our own or relax. The listening devices were a great tool for all to hear the speaker.
— Review left August 31, 2023
What a great program! I'd never been to northern Michigan, but I will return. I especially enjoyed seeing the locks in action at Sault St. Marie, and the carriage rides on Mackinac Island. Most of the food and accommodations were stellar, and Kim, our leader, was exceptionally kind, knowledgeable and friendly. A great trip!
— Review left July 19, 2023
This program helped me learn a lot about northern Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac Island, the Great Lakes, the War of 1812 and the history of the area. Chip Reeves was an outstanding group leader. It is easy to understand why so many people flock to this area as a summer vacation spot. Another five-star program.
— Review left July 13, 2023
Our first Road Scholar trip and it was sensational. Our tour director (Kim) was excellent and very knowledgable but along the trip we heard from speakers who were familiar with the local sites so that was a real plus. The northern part of MI and the UP is a beautiful part of our Country. Being from the South I was mystified at how large and beautiful the great lakes are. The lakes play an important role in commerce, tourism and recreation for millions of people. Mackinac Island is well worth visiting if you have never been there. i highly recommend this trip. the food and accommodations were top notch.
— Review left June 28, 2023
Our guide, Claudia, was excellent. The hotels were well located but their selection for breakfast was poor at the Island Harbour. Powdered eggs every morning was a little much. I was hoping for a choice of oatmeal, even if it was instant. There was no toast, only muffins. All other food choices were great and a nice selection of them.
I enjoyed each tour and learned from the various presenters. Thanks for a great trip.
— Review left September 24, 2022
Really nice variety of things to see and learn about. Other than too many french fries served, with no option to switch out for something else, the trip was great.
— Review left September 1, 2022
Once a Road Scholar--forever a Road Scholar!!
— Review left August 18, 2022
If you want to know more about upper Michigan and Mackinac Island, this trip will give you some insights into the history, culture and specialty foods of the area. The trip included a variety of educational experiences and tours that were fun, interesting and engaging. Our group was incredibly cohesive and friendly, thanks in part to or group leader, Greg Johnson. He was open, warm, engaging, organized, and enjoyable in every way. I recommend this trip if you don't know upper Michigan and want to see a beautiful part of our country.
— Review left July 19, 2022
Best way to experience this beautiful part of the country!
— Review left July 15, 2022
This was a trip that had been on my travelling buddy's bucket list for some time which is why we selected it (I didn't know anything about the area before.) I'm so glad I went on it and certainly have a better understanding about that part of the US than before. AND it's a great place to visit in the summer time if you live in a really hot climate. The weather was fantastic for July since I live in Texas. However it did make coming home a little harder.
— Review left July 14, 2022
spending any time in Northern Michigan is a plus in my book. The Road Scholar tour will not disappoint!
— Review left June 15, 2022
5 STARS -- wonderful trip!! Our leader, Micki, was awesome - handled everything so well, was funny, and personable. We had never been to Traverse City, Sault St Marie or Mackinac Island before so the variety of field trips and lectures were great. Mackinac Island was beautiful! We would highly recommend this trip if you haven't seen this part of the country.
Bill & Leslie
Iowa
— Review left December 16, 2019
Trip was excellent. Upper Michigan is a beautiful place in the summer. Saw many interesting sites and our trip leader imparted a wealth of knowledge. Highly recommend.
— Review left September 4, 2019
The visits to Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinac Island were very satisfying and informative.
— Review left August 17, 2019
The Value for Cost, AND the experiences we received exceeded expectations; it was an amazing adventure AND Vacation!!!
— Review left June 30, 2019
The first vacation I took as a retiree was with Road Scholar. I can honestly say that I have found the best tour company I have ever travelled with, and plan to do all of my future travels as part of the Road Scholar program. It combined adventure, learning, friendship and exceeded my expectations in every way.
— Review left June 30, 2019
This trip was amazing from start to finish. Most of this was due to trip leader Lynde Vespoli's planning. She is so organized. Her personality is infectious. This group of 36 travelers were fun to travel with, Everyone was on time, happy, and did not get upset when things did not go as planned. Again, I think Lynde set the tone. She accommodated the differences in pace so that no one was left behind. Those that could move at a faster pace were able to when possible. The events planned on this trip were fun and educational. I wouldn't change a thing. We all agreed that one food stop should not be on future trips. (we did get a good laugh at the fiasco). Again both Lynde and Laura pitched in and helped servers when needed. I would recommend this trip with Lynde to all who want to explore this part of Michigan. I went knowing nothing. By the time the trip ended, I feel I have so much knowledge of the history and people of Lakes Huron and Superior and surrounding area..
— Review left June 16, 2019
An outstanding educational adventure that I would highly recommend. Wonderful group leader, interesting, enjoyable participants, great food, excellent educational presentations. Treat yourself to a wonderful experience.
— Review left June 15, 2019