Growing up in Michigan, I was lucky enough to experience one part of the Great Lakes. And let me assure you, they are great. As a photojournalist, I have had endless opportunities to travel the world and to see a variety of lakes as well as each of the major oceans. And let me tell you, you will be hard pressed to find water as beautiful as the Great Lakes.



If you are looking for a unique way to spend your summer vacation this year, then consider it no further. Make a trip up to the midwest and enjoy a week or two on or near one of the five Great Lakes. You can enjoy their view from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York or even Canada, so take your pick and create a Great Lakes vacation that is right for you.

An even better vacation idea might be to do a tour of each of the Great Lakes. This way you can see the best things that each lake has to offer and you can even enjoy a few of the country's finest states along the way. If you are looking to do a Great Lakes tour, then talk with a travel agent about tours that may already exist. Each summer there are a variety of companies that offer a ten day tour up to a one month tour of all or part of the Great Lakes. So see what best fits your schedule and your budget and then dive in. You will often find more reasonable deals when you plan you Great Lakes tour through an already established company.

If you are more of the adventurous type, however, then I'd suggest you create your own tour of the Great Lakes. Grab a great atlas and some travel guide books and then venture off to your latest journey and see what the Great Lakes are like in person. Grab a friend or a few friends and make it a summer adventure that you will never forget. Grab a journal and a good camera to document your trip around the Great Lakes. I'm telling you that there is beauty on the Great Lakes that is absolutely unknown by the majority of our nation's citizens.

If you have the privilege of living near the Great Lakes, then my advice to you is simple: don't take your location for granted. Realize what a privilege it is to live near some of the world's most beautiful water. Enjoy this summer on the lake. Make plans to visit the Great Lake nearest you as often as you possibly can.