A Healthy Circle, Touring Tips from Doctors & Travelers

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So you’ve decided to travel around Lake Superior and earn your Circle Tour bragging rights.

The excitement (and maybe some anxiety) of this epic journey can span months of careful planning for some. Others seem to, on a whim, jump in their car and drive 1,300 miles around the largest freshwater lake in the world.

But whether you’re a meticulous planner doing the tour in several stages, or a drive-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda traveler, one thing you should consider is how to stay healthy on your journey.

When Lois Blau of Calumet, Michigan, took the Circle Tour in 2016 with her 88-year-old parents and a family friend, Lois says, “We chose to focus on staying healthy.”

They planned their trip as many wellness experts would recommend.

The itinerary was basically done before they even pulled out of the driveway. They made all overnight reservations in advance, which took quite a bit of work, admits Lois, “but it meant there was no stress of having to find a place to stay.”

They broke up the driving into small segments and kept their on-the-road days short, sometimes spending two nights at the same location so they weren’t driving every day.

They agreed that driving did not mean being “driven,” taking an unhurried pace with frequent stretch breaks to avoid spending too much time seated.

“We all agreed that our priority for the trip was to connect with nature as much as possible and be outdoors whenever we could,” Lois says.

Dr. Jill Kalcich, a physician with Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital at the Laurium (Michigan) Wellness Clinic, advises that adequate rest, eating healthy and keeping sugars and refined carbs to a minimum are keys for a healthy Circle Tour.

And with all the water outside, she reminds circle tourists, pay attention to the water inside. “For elderly travelers, as well as small babies, it is key to stay hydrated, especially in the summer months. If you are thirsty, you are already behind on fluids. For teens, the same applies with healthy diet and sleep, maybe even more than usual.”

Lois and her family stayed in places with kitchens to prepare their own breakfasts and dinners. On driving days, they packed a picnic and took leisurely lunch breaks at parks or wayside rests. They did eat in restaurants, but more often prepared their own meals.

Bringing enough food can be important for the long, isolated stretches on the northern shore. When Duluthians Avesa Rockwell and Jeremy Kershaw brought their 1-year-old daughter Esme on the Circle Tour a decade ago, the experienced backpackers planned ahead and stocked a traveling kitchen.

“Don’t count on being able to buy food along the way,” Avesa says. “North of Sault Ste. Marie, there’s nothing for a long time. If you’re going to do it, you need to pack well.”

Sitting for hours in the car can be one of the biggest physical stressors on the Circle Tour, according to Dr. Peter Wodrich, a primary care physician at the P.S. Rudie Clinic in Duluth. “Try to get out and walk around every few hours to get the circulation going and pump fluid up from your legs. Most people who have driven for four to five hours notice their ankles are swollen. Get up and move around, mobilize that fluid. Plus, it wakes you up a little bit.”

Both physicians emphasize the need for a well-outfitted first-aid kit, found in any drugstore. If you’re traveling for an extended period or with a car-full of people, you may .want to pack extra bandages, gauze and pain relievers. Bring a bottle of liquid soap and water to clean wounds. And, of course, lots of sunscreen.

For bruises, Jill advises a topical arnica preparation, a natural pain reliever. “It can work wonders on bruises and pulled muscles.”

“Your first aid kit should reflect your level of activity on the tour, too,” says Peter. “If you are a runner or cyclist – or if you’re cycling the entire tour – you should pack supplies with that in mind.”

Cyclists should bring extra bandaging for such things as, goodness forbid, road rash. Peter suggests Coban bandaging, a wrap that sticks to itself and will stay in place without sticking to your skin. He also recommends clear, adhesive bandages that are waterproof but breathe. They will protect the wound from the environment without sticking to the wound.

“The biggest risk is that people get out and are hiking on rough terrain or on beaches or doing something they’re not used to doing and they twist an ankle,” Peter says. “They should have an ace wrap to give them support until they get to a place where they should have it checked out.”

Bring along an adequate (and extra) supply of regular medications for chronic conditions like diabetes or allergies. “Make sure the EpiPen you are traveling with is up to date and not five years old and sitting in the glove compartment for three years,” Peter advises. Make sure you have labeled bottles for prescription medicine with the correct name for whomever is in the vehicle to avoid problems with customs.

It’s also important for travelers to bring a printed list of any chronic conditions – diabetes, heart disease – and medications, along with dosing and frequency.

“If you do have medical problems, have that documented,” says Peter. Writing a list of existing medical conditions gives healthcare providers correct information if you’re unable to answer questions in an emergency.

Tuck this list into a plastic bag and keep it in the first-aid kit or some weather-proof container and clearly marked. This would also be a good place for information about your health insurance. Before leaving, you should determine whether your insurance covers you in a foreign country since for at least half the Circle Tour, you’ll be in one.

During the planning phase, it’s advisable to check for available medical services along your route.

Larger cities around the Lake have hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care clinics.

For less urgent issues, there are alternatives, like the War Memorial Hospital FastCare Clinic in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This new clinic has extended daytime hours for walk-ins and offers care for basic, non-life-threatening conditions like poison ivy, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, bladder infections, allergies and such. It’s more affordable than an emergency room or urgent care, but does not offer as many services, and patients must be 18 months or older. In Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, Portage Health offers a FastCare clinic in Houghton.

Hopping across Ontario, even small towns usually have health care, though perhaps not comprehensive. Nipigon, Marathon and Wawa, as examples, have local hospitals.

If you have a major emergency on a remote shore, Jill says, “first and foremost stay calm.” Try 911, it’s the universal number for aid around the Lake now, but realize that not all lakeside areas have cell phone service.

“If there is no (phone) access, assess the safety of the situation,” Jill says. “Move an injured person only if necessary to prevent additional harm. If you have additional members of the group, send someone to find help.”

When visiting in remote locations, make sure others know your itinerary, particularly if you are traveling alone.  

“Think of it as how you would travel around here in the wintertime,” Peter says. “Take snacks, water, those kinds of things just in case you’re in trouble and it’s 12 hours before someone can give you assistance.” Pack flashlights, extra batteries, flares and the basic items you would take on any car trip.

Finally, in our corner of the world, insects can be an issue, which Avesa and Jeremy discovered when they took their toddler camping around the Lake. “They were the worst I’ve ever seen,” Avesa recalls. “Poor Esme was covered in welts.”

Her parents put the bug hat screen on her for protection, and they toughed it out. Their screen tent failed to keep the black flies out, so they ate dinners in the finer mesh of their sleeping tent.

In every case, a little extra upfront work will help Circle Tour adventurers stay healthy on the road to earning that 1,300-mile trip of a lifetime.

Felicia Schneiderhan, the mother of three active children, well adheres to safety first.