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Great Lakes Island Getaways

1. Madeline Island/Apostle Islands. The 22 Apostle Islands form a knot at the western end of Lake Superior. The largest, Madeline, is a summer retreat where you can stay at a bed and breakfast or beachcomb with your family. The other islands make up Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a wilderness haunt of sailors and sea kayakers.

2. Mackinac Island. Situated between the pincers of Michigan's Lower and Upper Peninsulas, Mackinac Island is joined to the modern world by a five-mile-long bridge crossing the clear waters of Lake Michigan. Once you arrive, you give up your car and live in a world where horses clip-clop over cobblestone streets to ritzy accommodations.

3. Isle Royale National Park. Isle Royale, the biggest island on Lake Superior, has long been a favorite among backpackers. Now sea kayakers go there too to see moose and hear the howl of wolves.

4. Georgian Bay Islands National Park. The glacier-scarred rocks and gnarly conifer forest of these 59 Ontario islands and shoals inspired Canada's Group of Seven artists 80 years ago.

5. Slate Islands Provincial Park. It's a rugged trek to get here by sea kayak or even by motorboat, but it's worth the effort. Woodland caribou, vanished from the United States and southern Canada, still roam this rocky archipelago in northern Lake Superior.

Let's talk about story ideas. E-mail Greg Breining or call 651-644-4164.