What does Viking Expedition Cruises know that you don’t?
Registration is now open to all GLCC members to attend the GLCC April Launch Weekend, April 25-27, 2025, in Alpena, Mich (H-66).
Chase the winter blues away! Take this opportunity to visit a city steeped in so much maritime history that Viking Expedition Cruise ships visit Alpena more than 19 times each summer.
Alpena is at the head of Thunder Bay on Lake Huron’s west shore. Thunder Bay is adjacent to one of the most treacherous stretches of water within the Great Lakes system. Unpredictable weather, murky fog banks, sudden gales, and rocky shoals earned the area the name Shipwreck Alley.
Today, the 4,300-square-mile Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects one of North America’s best-preserved and most significant collections of shipwrecks. Fire, ice, collisions, and storms have claimed more than 200 vessels in and around Thunder Bay.
To date, nearly 100 shipwrecks have been identified and marked within the sanctuary. Although the sheer number of shipwrecks is impressive, it is the range of vessel types that makes the collection so significant. From an 1844 sidewheel steamer to a modern 500-foot German freighter, the shipwrecks of Thunder Bay represent a microcosm of maritime commerce and travel on the Great Lakes through the years.
April Launch in Alpena is a wonderful time to reconnect with GLCC members, plan for the coming boating season and take advantage of the non-seasonal crowds to explore both the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center and the Bessers Museum.
These museums provide an abundance of historical exhibits about Great Lakes maritime history. The Bessers Museum also has a planetarium show.
April Launch promises to be a fun-filled weekend with a Friday night cocktail hour reception, Saturday morning meetings, and tours of the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center Saturday afternoon.
The Saturday night reception and dinner will feature a presentation by Michigan History Center historian Don La Barre. He will offer insights into the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, and the gripping story behind the wreck of the ill-fated schooner-barge Ironton.
Click here to register here for the April Launch weekend adventure.
Additionally, Director Dee McClure has arranged for a private guided tour of the Bessers Museum (including the Great Lakes History Fishery Exhibit), and a planetarium show, “Habitat Earth” on Friday, April 25th from 2-4pm. If you are planning on arriving early, please consider joining us for this additional Alpena maritime history museum. The cost of admission and the planetarium show is $8 (separate from April Launch) and paid at the door.