Luxury Road Trips are about delightful days and decadent nights…and yes, throwing around a bit of cash. But you don’t need to charter an Antarctic research vessel or go guided on Baffin Island to enjoy a luxury trip. Go lodgeto- lodge and say goodbye to soggy tents and pasta dinners.
Sample Trip: Lake Superior Circle Tour
Travel: 7 days
Mileage: 990 miles (1,600 kilometers)
Highlights: Exposed coastline at Michipicoten Bay; quaint accommodations and fine dining in Rossport; funky folk art in Grand Marais, Minnesota; island-hopping in Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands; stunning cliffs and rock arches at Michigan’s Pictured Rocks; and world-renowned birding at Whitefish Point.
Stop-offs & Detours: The 230-kilometer drive between Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa has some of the best scenery on the entire Trans-Canada Highway. Get a better view of a classic roadside attraction by stopping at picturesque Sinclair Cove and paddling 30 minutes south to see the 400-yearold Agawa Rock pictographs from the water.
After a day exploring the Rossport Islands (our favorite day trip is a 24-kilometer circumnavigation of Wilson Island, a 4,700-acre wilderness managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada), enjoy fresh lake trout at the Serendipity Café and spend the night at The Willows Bed and Breakfast or the historic Rossport Inn.
The 10-mile out-and-back day trip from Miners Beach to Spray Falls captures the best of the Pictured Rocks: Technicolor cliffs, sea arches and turquoise water. Finish your day with a pint (or two) of locally brewed beer at the Dunes Saloon in Grand Marais.
Best Digs: Michipicoten’s Rock Island Lodge near Wawa, Ontario, is a paddler’s paradise. There are no televisions or phones in the four cozy rooms, but every bed has a goose-down duvet and every window a sublime lake view. At Whitefish Point, stay in reclaimed Coast Guard quarters at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
Luxury Tip: Seek out small, family-run lodging and dining for local flair and knowledge.
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak Magazine, Spring 2013 as part of a Trips feature. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
