Hop On A Cruise To Discover The Detroit River

By Eric Czajka

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Father's Day is right around the corner – and what better way to show your appreciation than by taking the whole family on a summer cruise?

This summer, Lake Erie Metropark is offering the Summer Discovery Cruise, 16 unique educational cruises that explore the Detroit River.  The cruises focus on everything from a shipwreck just off of the crumbling Sugar Island dock to a late evening cruise where you can learn how to navigate under the stars.

For the history buff, there is a cruise that tours the diverse islands on the river, exploring the Native American, French and British people that helped to shape them.  Another cruise caters to the naturalist, touring the lower Detroit River discovering plant and animal life indigenous to the region – and even spotting the locations where Bald Eagles nest.

Still another cruise is led by award-winning author Patrick Livingston, who will guide the tour around Bob-Lo Island.  The tour will explore the critical role the island once called the "Greatest Spot on Earth" played in the development of Detroit.

The Summer Discovery Cruises, presented by the Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension in partnership with the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, are scheduled to run from Wednesday, July 11 through Monday, July 23.  Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 6 to 17, but tickets for longer cruises may vary.

Visit the Summer Discovery Cruises website at www.discoverycruises.org for complete cruise descriptions and information about how to register.  For park information, call Lake Erie Metropark at 734-379-5020.