The Five Great Lakes

Dr. Beach picks top Great Lakes beaches

But " Dr. Beach " — aka Florida International University professor and coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman — begs to differ.

After more than two decades of issuing annual rankings of the top 10 recreational marine beaches — and fielding a flood of calls and e-mails from miffed Midwesterners wondering why they were left out — Leatherman is finally pointing his flip-flops inward. His first-ever "Third Coast" picks, released today, are based on applications by 30 would-be contenders who sent in sand samples and photos illustrating why their beaches deserved recognition. Then, with input from Michigan State University aquatics expert Erin Dreelin, Leatherman judged the entries based on about 60 freshwater criteria from number of beach closures to algal blooms.

Granted, some big names are notably absent. (Wisconsin's iconic Door County peninsula is missing, says Leatherman, because "no one made any submissions.") And while he has dabbled his toes in the other winning beaches over the years, Leatherman didn't visit Bayfield, Ont. His reason: "The area is so vast, I couldn't get everywhere. But if we're doing the Great Lakes, I thought we shouldn't leave out Canada."

Dr. Beach's personal favorite is Lake Michigan 's Sleeping Bear Dunes, both for its striking sand formations and water clarity (an unfortunate but attractive byproduct of a growing invasion of zebra mussels throughout the Great Lakes, he says). But he hopes the other winners, which range from big city (along Chicago's Lakeshore Drive) to big empty (the southern coast of Michigan's Lake Superior) give credence to the region's scenic diversity — and set some of those East and West coast snobs straight.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore 

Where:  "The 26-mile lakefront is used by cyclists, runners and parents with strollers; the fine-sand beach has lifeguards, making it a safe beach," Dr. Beach says. "This strand of sand provides stunning views of Lake Michigan and Chicago's historic architecture. I recommend public transportation to the beach, as there is limited street parking.

Ontario Lake Tourism Along the Great Lakes By ... - Watches From A

Ontario Lake Tourism Along the Great Lakes By Adriana Notton

This essay will focus on Ontario lake tourism as the topic relates to the Great Lakes. There are five Great Lakes. Only one of them, Lake Michigan, lies entirely within the borders of the United States. The other four Great Lakes, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, form the largest part of the southern border of the Canadian province of Ontario. They also form portions of the northern borders of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin and the eastern border of Minnesota. These inland seas were formed during the earths most recent Ice Age. Officially called the Pleistocene Epoch, the Ice Age started 1.6 million years ago and did not end until 10,000 years ago. The Lakes are connected to the Atlantic by the deep draft, 3,700 kilometer, 2,340 mile Vibram Five Fingers kso trek , St. Lawrence Seaway. This engineering marvel allows ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic to the middle of the continent. The Seaway enters the Lakes at the eastern end of Lake Ontario Vibram Five Fingers Sprint , which as a surface area of 19,500 km, or 7,540 sq mi. The largest city on the shore of Lake Ontario is Toronto, Ontario. Other large cities on the Ontario side are Kingston, Mississauga, Oshawa and Pickering. On the US shore the only major city is Rochester, New York. The 18th and 19th Century fortifications in Kingston are popular Ontario lake tourism attractions. Southeast from the Seaway at the opposite end of Lake Ontario a series of deep water locks allow ships to cross into the 25,700 square km, 9,940 sq mi, of Lake Erie. On Eries shores are Buffalo, New York, Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, and Erie, Pennsylvania. The lock system that bisects the land bridge between Lakes Ontario and Erie is known as the Welland Canal, a favorite stop for Ontario lake tourism. To travel further west on the Great Lakes of Canada, one exits Lake Erie heading due north into the Detroit River. The St. Lawrence Seaway was built by dredging out and building locks along the St. Lawrence River. The passage for ocean-going ships between Lake Erie and Lake Huron involved dredging out and building locks along two rivers, the Detroit and the St. Clair. Georgian Bay is separated from Lake Huron by the Niagara Escarpment, one of the most stunning features of Ontario lake tourism. The Escarpment is a ridge of bedrock that was forced to the surface by the glaciers that formed the Great Lakes. It runs from eastern New York State, is bisected by Niagara Falls and curves up north along the eastern shore of Lake Huron. At the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, a part of the Escarpment, are some of the most spectacular landscapes to be found in Ontario lakes tourism.

Insects of the Great Lakes Region

Special report of the Great Lakes Research Division, University of Michigan

The Living Great Lakes, Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas

Potential climate change effects on Great Lakes hydrodynamics and water quality

Great Lakes Basin Framework Study: Alternative framewoks