Islands: Great Lakes' Legends

I was a fan of Mr. Volgenau's Detroit Free Press work too, and made more than one travel decision based on his recommendations - but this book is a cut above. It information about the Islands that I've never read anywhere else - after 15 years of Great Lakes boating - and I really wish he'd written - and I'd read it - years earlier. Definitely recommended, for the armchair travelers too, but especially for the people interested in visiting these islands in person.

My husband was a huge fan and faithful reader of Gerry's travel column at the Detroit Free Press. When he passed along this book, I was amazed at all of the history that has taken place in the Great Lakes and at the specific islands. For quick and easy reference, the book is set up with different sections for each lake and chapters for the different islands. However, this book was so interesting that I picked it up and read it straight through, from cover to cover. This book will definitely be on hand for our next summer trip.

Desert island, island retreat, Great Lake islands--most of us think of islands as isolated places. Author and travel writer Gerry Volgenau was given an assignment by his editor at the Detroit Free Press to do a story on Put-in-Bay and the Lake Erie islands. While on this assignment, he became captivated by the personality of these islands. With this as a start, he discovered there are 35,000 islands of varying size in the five Great Lakes. He decided to learn more about any island that people could get to for the price of a ferry ticket or bridge toll. His stories range from Toronto Islands (that Toronto was named after) to Isle Royale, an isolated wildness area on Lake Superior where moose and wolves reign. Then in the end the author wrote about the places that intrigued him, the places with the "best stories." For Lake Ontario, a story about Toronto Island; for Lake Eric, eight stories; Lake Huron, eight stories including Makinac Island; Lake Michigan eight stories; and Lake Superior eight stories. Madeline Island on Lake Superior is Wisconsin is 24-square-mile park with bike riding tourists and residents enjoying the beauty. Lake Superior, called Giche Gumee by the native people, was made famous/infamous with the sinking of the ocean-going Edmund Fitzgerald cargo ship. Today Macinaw Island in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is reached by a breath-taking bridge. His stories take you back to how others reached such islands. If you love the magnificent Great Lakes or if you have fond memories of time camping on our own little island, you'll find the history and myths great fun and very interesting. Armchair Interviews says that stories and photo make for a great read by the fireplace...if that is your island retreat. His stories made me want to visit many of those areas.