This was an enjoyable, if unfocused piece of travel writing. McClelland’s goal of discovering the culture of the Great Lakes by exploring the entire length of the inland seas, encountering a variety of eccentric locals in cities, towns, and national parks were always very interesting. The similarities in culture between people in various states and provinces that surround the great lakes, regardless of nationality that differentiates them from other areas of the continent is something I’ve been interested in and McClelland does much to show that such similarities exist. However, it is not an argument without flaws and he occasionally seems to become a little rambling when talking about the diverse and unusual people and places he encounters. The book is divided into short chapters describing a single segment of McClelland’s journey and each depicted the local conditions well, making me feel like I had visited them as well (or visited again, in the case of places like Duluth or Door County, Wisconsin that I have spent time in). Taken alone, these segments are great local color but together can be a bit unfocused as the author tries to bind together random themes in his travels. On the other hand, not all of McClelland’s plans for his travel itinerary work out, giving the book an interesting sense of being on a trip, the many unexpected occurrences that happen while traveling. In spite of the many people McClelland interviews, it is a quite personal narrative as well, dealing wtih McClelland’s own thoughts on the region, and I enjoyed it.