After Jolly’s Drive Inn , Heather, Teddy, and I drove back to West Chester, Ohio, to the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting. It was quite an impressive place, and we had a private tour with Bob. This non-profit is a museum constructed in the original Voice of America Bethany Relay Station. It was opened during World War II and operated from 1944-1994. In addition to the memorabilia and historic information provided on VOA, the rooms go on to explain how local Powel Crosley Jr.’s broadcasts led to his interest in investing in radio and television design. The stories within the walls as well as materials in the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting are fascinating. I strongly recommend finding time to visit this place. It is also wheelchair accessible. I had no problem wheeling through all of it. Our schedule had us back at the hotel for a two-hour rest, but as often happens on these media trips, we were running late all day. We just had enough time for me to put...
After a good night’s sleep in our spacious suite at the
Superior Place in Sault Ste. Marie, Brittany, Jamie, and I got ready for our
morning breakfast meeting.
She had graciously
put together this trip for us last minute after one in a nearby area did not
work out.
We met Linda at the Lock View Restaurant downtown. It was
right across the street from the Soo Locks and you could see both the American
and Canadian sides from the building.
Everything on the menu looked great, but our host
recommended the pancakes and I went for the chocolate chip ones.
They were as
good as she said.
The other ladies had eggs and we were all quite full as we learned more about
the area and the plans about other activities on our list.
After we finished eating, we walked around town and looked through some more shops.
Linda pointed out the Michigan Made store and we went
inside to pick up some souvenirs. (I bought some Michigan maple syrup and made
a note to stop at Cherry Republic later in the week.)
From there, we all went across the street to see the Soo Locks again from the Visitors Center.
The Soo Locks Visitors Center, which is a National Historic
Landmark, is overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
It was expanded in 1995 and provides an excellent lesson into the history of this important waterway.
We had gone through the Locks on a boat tour the previous
day, but you can see the boats go through from an observation deck (which locks
more like a stadium) behind the Visitors Center.
Both the deck and the center
are free of entry fees, but be sure to bring your ID because you must show it
to get in.
We left the center and drove down the road to the Tower of History. This 210-foot sculpture was finished in 1968.
There is an elevator to the top, where the view is
spectacular.
We were lucky to have a clear day and were able to look from various angles – inside and outside on the balcony – at Sault Ste Marie in the U.S. and its namesake in Canada.
Before we got back into our car, we also saw a beautiful rainbow
in the middle of the tower.
The River of History Museum was our next stop. This museum
pays tribute to the Native Americans, who were the first to live in this land.
Here you can also look at the history of the land and the
water, including the glacier from 8,000 years ago that eventually formed the
St. Mary’s River.
We had learned a lot about the area’s history, it was then time to have a little fun on it.
Linda took us to Birds Eye Outfitters, a conglomerate of fun under one building that includes a bar, coffee shop, restaurant, and a place to buy and rent bikes and other outdoor equipment.
Our purpose was to get kayak equipment and a guide, but first we indulged at the Superior Café there.
The menu was quite varied, and we
filled our table with a ham sandwich, pulled pork and shells with cheese and Cheetos,
and a quesadilla. There was also smoothies and lattes.
Lake Superior was the major body of water we had visited and talked about while in Sault Ste Marie.
Our next one was the St. Mary’s River, where our guides set us up to kayak.
We were an interesting group: Brittany, who had done it a few times before; Jamie, trying it for the first time; and me, who had kayaked quite a few times, but was no longer able to physically do much of it.
The guides were patient with all of us. I didn’t want to
hold anyone back, so I decided to just do a short jaunt across the lake to
Voyageur Island Park.
The park is a small island which is not a government property.
It is funded by donations and taken care of by volunteers.
I found a quiet spot and enjoyed the scenery, peace, and quiet,
with the exception of a few colorful birds. I also followed Jamie and Brittany with
the camera as they passed around the island.
We headed back to the Superior Place after the kayaking to shower and get changed for dinner at Karl’s Cuisine.
This restaurant has its own beer and wine selection and we all
really liked the White Cranberry Pinot Grigio.
I was able to enjoy the Whitefish Dip since I was assured it
came directly from the lake, which has no seafood.
In addition to the food, we were able to see a beautiful sunset from the deck of the restaurant.
We finished up and enjoyed the sunset a bit longer as we walked to the car. It
would be our last view of the Soo Locks of Lake Superior.
After a few hours more in the area, we’d be heading down from the Upper Peninsula
to the Petoskey area the next day.
Photos and videos on this page were taken by Marcia Frost and Brittany Lambright
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