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The Great Lakes for Barge Travel
Edison Soo power plant
Tower with various abutments sticking out
Sault LockSurprise!! You're going to Canada!
"First view of Canada"
After we finished fact finding in the genealogy portion of our trip through Wisconsin and Michigan, Mum surprised me with a trip through Canada. We entered Canada after visiting the Soo Locks that are part of the border between the US and Canada. Sault Saint Marie is a very quaint town in the upper peninsula of Michigan. The locks are quite an attraction as they connect the great lakes of Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The Soo locks have been serving the area for 152 years (at the time we went.. 155 years now). It is quite a sight to actually see the locks in action. I think it was a great way to enter Canada .. not too crowded. The shoppes in town were great, filled with all kinds of touristy items. Just as you would expect, but still the town street adjacent to the locks was very much a waterfront kind of town.
"Things to do"
While at the Soo Locks, you can either spend time at the park, enjoy the museum, shop in the town of Sault Saint Marie, or experience the locks by taking a boat ride through them. Although, we did not take advantage of the ride through the locks, many people seem to do this. We were able to watch the Great Lakes Freighter go through the locks, and watch the tour boat go through. We also saw a private boater on a Boston whaler get reprimanded for coming through the locks without calling ahead. Quite comical to watch the man video tape his entire experience including the reprimand.
They do have a nice viewing deck to watch the ships go through the locks, and have the schedule posted for when the larger ships are to pass through. Some of the ships have mere inches from the hulls to the walls of the lock, so the captains are quite skilled.
