Great Lakes Day 11: Sault Ste Marie

 The next morning, we headed from Paradise to Sault Ste Marie, driving along the Lake Superior shoreline.

Nice views on the drive.

Point Iroquois Lighthouse

We went to the SOO Locks Visitor's Center. We just missed seeing this 1000 foot freighter going through the locks.

Matthew and Megan working the locks in the visitor's center.

A sightseeing boat going through the locks. We were on this boat a little later.

We went to Museum Ship Valley Camp which is on a 700 foot freighter. There were a lot of interesting displays. It was the birthday of the guy working the admission booth so we kept wishing him happy birthday.

A few of the model boats

We went on the deck and toured the living quarters and such. That is Megan in the distance.

Megan, U and Matthew on the deck. This boat transported lots and lots of ore.

We went on the Original SOO Locks Tours. We really enjoyed it and we learned a lot! One thing the narrator said is that around these parts, the November gales come and they forget to leave...

Megan and Me stayed downstairs most of the time while Matthew and U were out at the front of the boat. It was quite chilly and we may have even seen a few snowflakes.

Quarter mile long hydroelectric plant that provides electricity to the eastern Upper Peninsula. It's a beautiful building!

Going into the MacArthur Lock.

The observation area

The gates are closing before the boat is raised 21 feet to the level of Lake Superior. Both the US and the Canadian Locks are free of charge. All boats on the American side must be motorized.

We saw the Tim S Dool, a 700 foot ore freighter, after coming out of the locks. We waved to the workers on the ship and they waved back.

We went by a steel making plant in Canada and saw a barge/tug combo emptying coke to be used to make steel.

Lots of birds on the ore.

Megan and Me keeping warm inside.

Canada! We went to Canada both by land and by water on this trip.

Matthew and U upstairs.

Everybody came up as we went through the Canadian locks. They are much smaller and are only for recreational boats. Non motorized as well as motorized boats are welcome on the Canadian side.

Oh Canada! We even heard someone say "eh" as he was talking to the worker on our boat.

Matthew in Canada.

Going down to the level of Lake Huron.

Tall cross in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, which is much larger than its Michigan counterpart.

The International Bridge and the railroad.

Barge/tug combo headed upriver

Barge/tug combo and Tim S Dool freighter passing each other.

Tower of History. It was initially designed as a bell tower for a church but was eventually repurposed and is now used as an overlook for the city.

Matthew hiding out in the tower.

View up towards the locks.

View downriver. Notice the Museum Ship Valley Camp and the hydroelectric power plant.

Inside the church that is adjacent to the tower. It's a beautiful church.

Outside of the church.

The Mighty Mac! Matthew had studied about this during his 5th grade state project and was excited to see it in real life.

Megan, Me and Matthew with the Mighty Mac.

Matthew holding the Mighty Mac.

Driving over the bridge.

View from our hotel room balcony.