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April 29, 2008 - Marquette General Hospital Volunteer Recognition Lunch, Marquette, Michigan - Marquette, a Maritime Adventure, 12:45 a.m., Marquette Golf and Country Club.

May 17, 2008 - Big Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association (BSPLKA), Keeping a Light on the Great Lakes, - 8:00 p.m. aboard the S.S. BADGER, Ludington, Michigan.

June 11- June 18, July 24 - 3, 2008 , July 17 - 24, August 2 - 9, 2009 - Central Michigan University Elder Hostel Aboard GRANDE MARINER. Our Lake Michigan Adventure begins in Chicago aboard the 183-foot, 100 passenger small cruiser GRANDE MARINER built by Blount Marine in 1998 and operated by American Canadian Caribbean Line. The voyage departs from Navy Pier and the Chicago skyline provides a dramatic backdrop to the start of our voyage. I am the principal on-board lecturer and will introduce you to lake navigation, lighthouses, shipwrecks, environment and maritime ghost stories among many other topics. We will cruise the shore, stopping at many ports for local excursions. Ports of call include Michigan's Holland, with it's strong Dutch influence, Manistee, the "Victorian City" from the great lumber days, mysterious Beaver Island, magical Mackinac Island and Wisconsin's resurgent Sturgeon Bay. The trip continues under the magnificent five mile long Mackinac Bridge, one of the most beautiful suspension bridges in the world, up the historic and majestic St. Mary's River as far as Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and through the world-famous Soo Locks before returning to Chicago. Participants receive detailed copies of all lecture notes as a permanent reference. If you qualify for an Elderhostel program, this is the one to take.

June 20 - July 5, 2008, May 19 - June 3, 2009 (16 Day Trip) [Note the 2009 trip is a Warren to Chicago trip] - Elder Hostel Aboard the 183-foot, 100 passenger GRANDE MARINER . This remarkable trip starts at Navy Pier in Chicago. From Chicago we visit Manitowoc, Wisconsin home of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the restored WWII submarine COBIA, sail under the magnificent five mile long Mackinac Bridge, overnight at magical Mackinac Island, a place time forgot. There is no motorized transport at Mackinac, only horses giving the island an aura (and aroma) of Victorian elegance. After sailing south along the open reaches of Lake Huron its down the Saint Clair River, Lake Clair River and the busy and fascinating Detroit River to Wyandotte, Michigan for a visit to Henry Ford's Greenfield Village museum. After reaching Lake Erie we stop at a resurgent Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, New York before entering the 28 mile long Welland Canal around Niagara Falls and "locking down" 350 feet to Lake Ontario and calling at Rochester, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania. At Oswego we enter the old Oswego Canal and the later the "Big Ditch" of the Erie Canal. Opening in 1825, the Erie Canal is one of the most important engineering achievements in American history and a fascinating trip in its own right. Stops in the canal include Sylvan Beach and Lock 11. Reaching Troy, New York at the eastern end of the Canal we reach the mighty Hudson River and sail downstream in the shadows of the Catskill Mountains stopping at West Point the home of the United States Military Academy and Kingston, New York. Sailing past towering skyscrapers of Manhattan (New York City) provides scenic views of the greatest metropolis in the world including Lady Liberty. Then its east on Long Island Sound, up historic Narragansett Bay under the elegant Newport bridge before reaching Warren, Rhode Island the ship's homeport and the American Canadian Caribbean Line.

I will conduct the first portion of the program starting in Chicago as the Great Lakes lecturer. As long as she is on the Great Lakes the GRANDE MARINER is no longer called a "ship" but becomes a "boat." By tradition all vessels on the Great Lakes regardless of size are called "boats." Once we reach Oswego an expert on the Erie Canal and Hudson River valley will provide commentary throughout this exciting second leg of the trip.

During my time aboard, I will cover shipping and Great Lakes navigation, lighthouses, shipwrecks, environment and geology, rum running and maritime ghost stories among many other topics. This is a most remarkable trip, touching four of the five Great Lakes, missing only Lake Superior. It will be the experience of a lifetime.

July 11 - 16, 2008 - Great Lakes Maritime Elder Hostel, Northern Michigan University, Marquette. We at NMU have offered this elder hostel for the last several years with great success. Typical activities include classroom instruction on Great Lakes maritime history and field visits to lighthouses, maritime museums, working iron ore mines and shipwrecks (via a glass bottom boat) among other events. This is the nearest thing you will find to a true Lake Superior Elder Hostel. One of the 2006 graduates described it thusly:

WE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME AND WE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES THAT I WANTED TO SHARE THIS OPPORTUNITY WITH OTHERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN OUR “FRESH WATER SEAS” AND THE SHIPS THAT SAIL ON THEM.

THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE ELDERHOSTEL MARITIME

HISTORY COURSE IS TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE CLASSES AND FIELD TRIPS WE PARTICIPATED IN WHILE ATTENDING THIS GREAT LAKES SUMMER CAMP.

THE CLASSES WE ATTENDED WERE ON SUBJECTS SUCH AS: GREAT LAKES MARITIME OVERVIEW, GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECKS, THE SINKING OF THE “EDMUND FITZGERALD, U.S. LIFE-SAVING SERVICE ON THE GREAT LAKES, MARITIME GHOST STORIES, CRIME ON THE GREAT LAKES, AND IRON ORE MINING.

FIELD TRIPS WERE TAKEN ON COMFORTABLE TOUR BUSES TO MARQUETTE MARITIME MUSEUM, HARBOR LIGHT HOUSE, AND IRON ORE DOCKS. OUTSIDE OF MARQUETTE WE TOOK TOURS OF THE BIG BAY LIGHT HOUSE, PICTURED ROCKS, SAND POINT LIFE-SAVING STATION BOAT HOUSE, SHIPWRECKS IN LAKE SUPERIOR ON A GLASS BOTTOM BOAT, IRON ORE MINE AND AN IRON ORE PROCESSING PLANT. WE EVEN WENT INTO A IRON-ORE MINE SHAFT WHERE THE MINERS WALKED BEFORE THEY DESCENDED INTO THE DARK MINE TO BRING UP THE VALUABLE IRON-ORE.

THE SIX DAY, VERY AFFORDABLE EVENT, STARTED ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND ENDED FRIDAY MORNING. ALL PARTICIPANTS STAY IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY DORMITORY ROOMS WITH PRIVATE BATH. MEALS WERE SERVED IN THE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOOD COURT. CLASSES WERE GIVEN IN A COMFORTABLE AIR CONDITIONED ROOM. ALL OF THE CAMPUS ACTIVITIES WERE WITHIN EASY WALKING DISTANCE.

ON FIELD TRIPS WE ATE LUNCH AT RESTAURANTS IN THUNDER BAY, MUNISING AND WE EVEN HAD A PASTY LUNCH IN ISHPEMING. THE PROGRAM WAS SO WELL PLANNED THAT WE HAD FREE TIME TO ENJOY THE CITY OF MARQUETTE WITH ALL OF ITS HISTORY, BEAUTIFUL LAKE SUPERIOR SHOREFRONT AND FINE RESTAURANTS.

IF YOU HAVE A LOVE OF THE GREAT LAKES AND THE LONG SHIPS SAILING ON THEM YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO SATISFY YOUR PASSION BY ATTENDING THIS REWARDING WEEK IN MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN.

July 14, 2008, Keynote Speaker for the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Time undetermined.

October 8 - 14, 2008, Participant at the 13th Annual Conference of the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association at Fort Caswell, North Carolina.

Past Elderhostel Cruise Photos: