The Apostle Islands are a fascinating area. There are 22 small islands that run along the North Shore of Wisconsin in Lake Superior. We were excited to see at least some of the islands instead of staying on the main land, so we opted for the Grand Tour.
The Grand Tour promises "geology, history, legends, and lore," all on a 3-hour narrated journey. Gilligan's Island, anyone?
Unfortunately, the tour wasn't quite as exciting as Gilligan's Island. I felt like I was back in high school, listening to a lecture on Wisconsin's history. The tour may be three hours to cover every island, but they really do not need to do so. Some of the islands are boring and do not have much history to them.
The one exceptionally interesting part of the tour was Bear Island. This island has the largest concentration of bears in the country. There were many neat stories about bear behavior and campers who stay on Bear Island.
The boat itself - the Island Princess - was quite nice. There was easily enough room for everyone they booked, and the large windows made viewing all of the islands quite easy.
Do take a cruise through the Apostle Islands if you take a trip there. Just make sure it's one shorter than the Grand Tour. Apostle Islands Excursions does offer other excursions, which you can peruse online.