The Great Lakes Tour

There are five lakes, a kind of inland sea on the North American continent that forms one of the largest freshwater reserves on Earth. They are lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron (home to Manitoulin, the largest lake island in the world), Michigan, and Superior. The tour departure point is New York.

You set off from the Big Apple to Toronto - the shortest route is 8 hours, but there's no point rushing. You can stop off in Buffalo – a very welcoming and underrated city on the banks of lake Erie – or, better still, at Niagara Falls, which are always thrilling for newcomers, no matter how many times you may have seen them in hundreds of videos and films.

Toronto is the capital of Ontario. Right on the lake, it is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. One of its distinguishing features is that downtown Toronto boasts an underground section called The Path, which consists of 30 miles of roads connecting the city's skyscrapers and creating the largest shopping centre in the world. Another attraction of the city is undoubtedly the Canadian National Tower, which, soaring at 553.3 metres, was the tallest tower in the world until September 2007, when it was overtaken by the Burj Khalifa. You won't be able to help but see the Sky Dome, with its self-propelled domed roof: it is the world's largest opening stadium, with its roof weighing up to 12 thousand tonnes. The most appealing restaurants for a gourmet visit are Cherry St. Bar, The Ace, The Social, Grey Gardens and Chica's Chicken.

From Toronto, it takes about four hours to get to Detroit, located near the little Lake St. Clair which is part of the Great Lakes region, in the middle between lakes Huron and Erie. Detroit is the main city in Michigan, but mostly the capital of the American car, starting in 1903 when Henry Ford opened his first assembly plant. Over time, Detroit became Motor City and Motown due to the presence of numerous plants and the choice of American car manufacturers (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler) to set up their headquarters there. In fact, the city has changed profoundly in recent years, partly because of the crisis in the car industry, but Detroit has taken advantage of the opportunity to renew itself, and today it is a valid tourist destination.

It boasts two spectacular museums: the Detroit Institute of Arts, which is one of the most comprehensive permanent exhibitions (from Native to Contemporary art), and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, which is entirely dedicated to contemporary art. One cannot overlook the iconic Riverfront, which stretches from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle Park, a total of around 9 miles along the river that flows into Lake St. Clair mentioned above. For music lovers, a visit to the Motown Historical Museum is a must. This is where producer Berry Gordy Jr. founded the legendary Motown Records, which produced artists and bands such as The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder and The Jackson 5. The most enjoyable eateries are The Apparatus Room, Oak & Reel and Selden Standard.

In four to five hours, you'll cross the heart of Michigan and reach Chicago, Illinois' largest city, and the third largest in the United States by population after New York and Los Angeles. Immensely famous in films (who can't recall The Blues Brothers, but there are dozens of great drama series set here), like all major American cities it expresses the most diverse aspects: the peace and quiet and green of the parks (Lincoln Park, with its famous zoo, and Millennium Park with its fountains and historic buildings), the whopping 500-metre-high Willis Tower that has a skydeck on level 103, the Magnificent Mile which is the city's main shopping street and the Art Institute of Chicago, the second largest art museum in the United States.

The lakefront portion of Michigan is called Navy Pier– a 1-mile long, 50-acre pier that has become the city's most visited tourist attraction. Chicago is also the capital of the blues, with fans looking for the latest recording studios in the legendary Record Row, but it's easier to find great bands in the city's clubs and bars. As for good food, while the city is full of creative and star-rated eateries, to discover the stars and stripes soul then book a table at Mordecai, Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House, Marisol, Adorn, Luella's Southern Chicken.

The last stop on our journey through the Great Lakes is Milwaukee, about an hour and a half from Chicago. Located in Wisconsin, the “farming state” for Americans, who like to go on holiday there, although in fact it has become home to major manufacturing industries in recent decades. Milwaukee is home to the Harley Davidson (with a museum featuring eleven permanent exhibitions and several temporary shows) and the legendary Fonzie – the star of Happy Days – to whom tribute has been paid in the form of a statue on the Riverwalk, the boardwalk that connects the city's districts.

It's also nice to wander around the trendy Third Ward district and visit the sophisticated Milwaukee Art Museum. Eateries to make a note of include: Ardent, Braise, Bavette la Boucherie. For those who still want more water, head North out of Milwaukee and make your way via Green Bay to Duluth on Lake Superior. The North Scenic Drive that starts from the lakefront is one of America's most spectacular roads with rocks, beaches and lots of greenery: it feels like travelling along the Tyrrhenian coast but is in fact a massive, huge lake.