DESTINATIONS THE US | ON THE WATER


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Highway 1, California; Belle Isle, Detroit; Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Michigan; Chicago Riverwalk PICTURES: Visit California/Mason Trinca; Pure Michigan/Alanna St Laurent Photography; Viking; Enjoy Illinois/Bob Stefko


total driving time is just 10-12 hours, but spread it over at least a week to allow ample time to stop at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery at San Simeon (which now offers educational guided tours priced at $13), spot sea otters in Morro Bay, hike to Point San Luis Lighthouse for sweeping sea views or stop for the night to sample the wineries of San Luis Obispo. The route takes in swanky Santa Barbara,


start of the newly designated Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, which became only the second US region to be granted protected status in October 2023, supporting conservation, research and responsible ecotourism. In winter, visitors can spot Pacific gray whales migrating south to warmer waters in Baja California, returning in spring with newborn calves on the way to Alaska. Spot them swimming alongside humpbacks, minke, fin and blue whales, plus porpoises, coastal bottlenose and Risso’s dolphins, from the many sightseeing boats departing Santa Barbara or from coastal hiking trails overlooking the ocean. Learn more about marine life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row, which marks its 40th anniversary this year. Or, stop off at


52 25 APRIL 2024


Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where there’s nostalgia in the 100-year-old Giant Dipper or new thrills with a 20m-high Ferris wheel


– the perfect vantage point for the Pacific. Book it: American Affair’s 19-day Coast Californian Roads & Cruise Holiday combines a Highway 1 road trip and Holland America Line cruise, from £2,384 including flights, accommodation, car hire and cruise. americanaffair.com


GREAT LAKES: CRUISE AND PLAY There’s more to aquatic adventure than the coast. The Great Lakes region – the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes, spanning Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – brings together mighty Midwest cities with smaller towns that sprang up around the area’s historic forts and fishing villages. Several projects have transformed the region’s former industrial hubs into thriving tourist hotspots. They include Detroit Riverwalk – recently voted America’s best riverwalk by USA Today – completed late last year, and, in Chicago, a new Flyover attraction that opened in March on Navy Pier, offering a unique perspective of the city.


Clients can take their pick of self-drive packages from the likes of North America Travel Service, Complete North America, Audley Travel and First Class Holidays, or an escorted tour that lets someone else do the driving. If clients like that hassle-free approach, Great Lakes cruises have also multiplied in recent years, with wide-ranging itineraries from Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Viking. Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris sail these waters from April-October, and standout shore excursions include joining an expert guide to dig for fossils in Alpena, Michigan; hiking the limestone cliffs of the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin; and enjoying afternoon tea at Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel, where an on-site historian showcases the lavish art and antiques dotted around this grande dame before settling down to tea on the front porch


with views over the Straits of Mackinac. Book it: Viking’s 15-day Great Lakes Collection starts from £10,095 in July 2024, with flights, a Nordic Balcony room, in-destination transfers, meals with beer and wine, included excursions and gratuities. viking.com


TW travelweekly.co.uk


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