Sault Ste Marie

On  Monday, June 4, we left Petrolia and headed to Sault Ste Marie (aka The Soo) to see the Soo Locks.  We stayed at a KOA Holiday on the Canadian side.  Very nice campground with good Wi-Fi but look at what they gave us when we checked in...

Do not feed the bears?  Don't worry, I hope I don't even SEE a bear!  The booklet also advised locking all food and ice chests in your vehicle overnight.

The next day we drove back across the border for some sightseeing.  We took a 2-hour Soo Locks Boat Tour and learned all about the locks.  The locks have provided safe passage and a vital shipping connection within the Great Lakes for nearly 160 years.  They help freighters, barges, tugboats and more travel across the 21-foot drop between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.  Here's some background information on the locks...

On the tour...

Ready to shove off!

We passed a beautiful hydro electric plant built in 1898 and still operational

Before the locks were built Indians and fur traders had to portage their canoes around the rapids.

Entering the lock.  Lake Superior is on the other side of the gate, 21 ft higher than we are.

You can see the water coming up from the bottom as it fills the lock.

We're getting higher.

Almost even with Laker Superior

We are now even with Lake Superior.  The gate starts to open.

Slowly opening...

Gates are open.  Now we can go through.

Some sights on the Canadian side of the locks...

A steel mill

Mama duck with her babies navigating the lock

After the tour we walked around town and stopped for lunch.  John had a Soo 13 Double IPA (a local beer) and Mom's UP Pastie.  The pastie is similar to a hand pie filled with seasoned beef and pork and potatoes and carrots.  It's served with a brown gravy.

And, we found a delicious fudge shop...

On Thursday, June 7, we're off again.  This time we're headed for DePere, WI.