Our last stop in Michigan’s U.P. was just as beautiful, fun, and educational as all the rest. Sault Ste Marie, pronounced “Soo” Saint Marie, is where Lake Superior flows into Lake Huron, via the St Mary’s River, which carries over 42 billion gallons of water each day. Wow! Our campground was right on the river where we watched freighters and even a cruise ship pass by. Murphy couldn’t swim there – we were afraid the current was a bit too fast for him. He was not happy.
When the iron and copper mining industries grew in the mid 1800’s, a lock was needed for the ships to traverse more easily to and from Lake Superior. U.S. Congress granted the State of Michigan 750,000 acres as payment to build a lock system. The first Soo lock opened in 1858. Over 1,000 workers were needed to build the lock. I cannot imagine what life was like in the mid 1800’s in upper Michigan. Currently more than 7,000 vessels transit the locks annually, and 95% of United States iron ore comes through the Soo locks.
About an hour northwest of Sault Ste Marie are Michigan’s largest waterfalls, Tahquamenon Falls. We had to visit! It was a beautiful area with hiking trails as well. Again, Murphy couldn’t swim with that fast-moving water. He just doesn’t understand.
Tahquamenon Upper Falls
Tahquamenon Lower Falls
Just north of the falls is the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, which Chris, our friend we met aboard Betty Gail on the Great Loop, suggested we visit. So glad we did! The Great Lakes tragically has had over 6,000 shipwrecks with 30,000 lives lost. One historian estimates it to be 25,000 shipwrecks as so many are unknown. Lake Superior has had over 550 shipwrecks, with Lake Erie having the most, with roughly 2,000.
The museum was on the grounds of the Whitefish Point Lighthouse and included a video about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 in Lake Superior. There was an expedition in 2000 to retrieve the ship’s bell and replace it with a memorial bell with the names of those lost. It was a touching story. The area surrounding the shipwreck (in Canadian waters) is now cordoned off in respect.
We celebrated Dave’s birthday while in Sault Ste Marie. We went out to dinner and the best part was the unique dessert. Cookie dough covered in a wonton wrapper, then deep fried. It was so good.
The west coast of Ontario was our next stop for this week. We first stopped in a small town, with a nearby hike at a lake. And, yes, Murphy had to swim in the lake at the end of our hike. It was in an old mining town with a memorial to all the miner’s who had lost their life in the mines. It was quite humbling.
Our last stop this week was where the Trent Severn waterway empties into Georgian Bay, on the east side of Lake Huron. Since we were unable to go through Canada on the Great Loop in 2021 (due to COVID), we missed this great waterway. One of the highlights is going through Lock 44, which is a marine railway which brings your boat up and over land and a roadway; rather than the typical lock. It was fun to watch it and our friends who did go through it last year must have had nerves of steel!
Before we headed back to the States, we stopped at a nearby dog friendly beach for Murphy (the lake we are staying at is closed due to an algae bloom) and then explored a small town with a big name, Penetanguishene. Yep…that’s really the name of the town. They were having a community festival and we finally tried a Canadian BeaverTails, a fried dough pastry (kind of like a flat donut). BeaverTails were created in 1978 and now sold worldwide. Did you know the beaver is the national animal of Canada?
Off to Niagara Falls. Till next Sunday…
I finally saw a Moose (but it wasn’t real) Brenda, Time to say goodbye to the great white north until next year Dave, Three Great Lakes down, two to go Murphy.
Amazing – simply AMAZING!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE!
Lots of love from the mountains of East Tn !
Looks like ya’ll are having a grand time!