Before highways and airliners, the most stylish way to travel across the Great Lakes was aboard a cruise ship. This episode of End of the Road in Michigan explores the golden era of freshwater cruising, from the mid-1800s to the 1950s, when ships transported passengers in luxury from port to port.

Today, cruise travel on the lakes is making a comeback, and we trace its roots to the heyday of elegant vessels like the SS South American and the SS Noronic. Hear how these floating hotels connected cities, built tourism, and left a lasting legacy on Michigan’s maritime culture.

Now that cruising the Great Lakes is making a comeback, this is a story you might want to hear before you venture out.

Read more at Great Lakes Cruising History - 100 Luxurious Years of Travel.

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