This past May we went on the madien voyage of the Viking Octantis through the Great Lakes of Huron and Superior. The weather was wonderful. We only had one day of light on and off rain while going through the lock at Sault Ste Marie.
The ship is one of two expedition ships built specifically to explore the world’s most remote destinations and allow you to immerse yourself in these regions. It made its first voyage to Antartica before coming to the Great LAkes for the Summer season.
We left 15 to 18 inches of wet snow in Denver and flew to Milwaukee via Minneapolis to board the sip on a Saturday afternoon. Milaukee is on the western shore of Lake Michagan in Wisconsin. We did not get any shore time in Miwaukee except from the airport to the ship for check in. We arrived about 2 PM and Left Port at about 5 PM as you can see from the Clock Tower.
When it was unveiled on October 31, 1962, the clock tower replaced a lower clock tower that rose above a different Allen-Bradley building. The clock tower is 280 feet above street level. Each of the four clock faces is 40 feet, 3 inches in diameter; they are powered independently. It takes about 10 minutes to reset the time by one hour.
The Allen-Bradley Clock Tower is a four-sided clock that sits on top of the of Milwaukee. The clock tower is sometimes referred to as the “Polish Moon,” as its illuminated faces dominate the skyline of the South Side, which once had a large Polish population. Harry Bradley, one of the founders of Allen-Bradley, intended the tower to become the “villageclock” for the neighborhood. It also became a navagational landmark, as the faces can be seen for miles out into Lake Michigan on a clear night. From 1962 until 2010, when it was surpassed by one in Saudi Arabia, the Allen-Bradley Clock Tower was the largest four-sided clock in the world.
As I said this is the Octantis maiden voyage and as we were anchored several boats came by to observe the new ship. These are just an example of tour ad private boats.
We left the port of Milwaukee at 5 PM. Just before we left the port at 5 PM a tug boat was escorting a frieghter into port. It was interesting because one of the tug boat crew was on the fantail grilling dinner for the crew after the the freighter would be docked.
Our Itinerary was from Milwaukee to Mackinac Island, Georgian Bay, Parry Sound, Frazer Bay, Soo Locks, Silver Islet, and finally Thunder Bay.
Daniel W. Hoan Memorial Bridge
As we sailed on the Kinnickinnic River under the Daniel W. Horan brige on the way to Mackinac Island we passed several land lubbers admiring the ship.
People were also lined up on the land waiting to take pictures and see this new, which was unusal, tourist ship on the Great Lakes.
As we were leaving the port several things were noted.
The only Pictures of Milwaukee proper, unfortunately, were the skyline from the ship on the way to Mackinac Island.
Traveling across Lake Michagan through the night we arrived the next morning, Sunday, at Mackinac Island. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island. Automobiles and trucks are banned. Horses, buggies, and bicycles are used for transport, and daily living.
It is a wonderfully quiet and laid back community located in northern Michgan. It is situated at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac in Lake Huron with ferry connections to St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, on Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, respectively. The island, 8 miles (13 km) in circumference and thickly forested, has been a state park since 1895. It retains an 18th- and 19th-century atmosphere.
We toured the island on a horse drawn carriages, of course, under clear skies and seasonal temperatures.
They had to switch carriages because the ones that tour the rest of the island are larger then the ones in town.
From the museum we went by the cemetaries, Arch Rock, Fort Mackinac Park, and Fort Mackinac on our way back to the dock to board the Tender back to the ship.
After leaving Mackinac Island we sailed into Georgian Bay. We anchored of of the town of Parry Sound and prepared for senic tours around the area. Parry Sound boasts the world’s deepest natural freshwater port.
Parry Sound was established at the mouth of the Seguin River in 1857 near the Ojibwe village known as Wasauksing, or “shining shore.” The arrival of the railroad during the late-19th century gave Parry Sound new importance as a stop on the transcontinental Canadian Pacific line. For art lovers, nearby Algonquin Provincial Park is best known for its majestic wilderness. Granite rocks in Georgian Bay are part of The Canadian Shield which constitutes the largest mass of exposed Precambrian rock on the face of Earth. These rocks are believed to be over 1 Billion years of age. They look like they were arranged Last Year for the cruise. HA
They look really majestic up close.
In the afternoon we explored one of the inlets from a Zodiac. It was amazing how many people actually live in and around the lakes and the bays. There are little pockets of communities and single family homes.
One of the coolest things about Viking Octantis is all the toys that are onboard! There are kayaks, zodiac boats, special operations boats, and even two submarines! There is no extra charge to use any of them.
The photo was supplied by Viking.
They also have two submarines on board
https://youtu.be/PvKWCF-VYJM E.
Open the you tube to see the hanger deck and Submarines.
We then went onto other adventures hiking, zodiac cruises, and special operations rides.
Viking has gone to great lengths to make there exploations safe and adventuress. It is definitely a cruise to keep on the top of list.
The cruise was for one week. It was really relaxing and carefree. One week of not having to get up and go on tours or sightseeing, very very relaxing.
All in All if you just want to get away from te grind this type of ruise is really the way to go.
Thank you for you attention and reading about our Viking Explorer Cruise.
Helen & Willis Buehrle
Special thanks to Jim Zim for allowing me to use clips and photos from his website. https://www.jimzim.net/VikingOctantis.html