Visiting the Sault

It took us all day to drive up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but Brittany, Jamie, and I were excited about the trip ahead of us over the Mackinac Bridge.

The trip to Sault Ste Marie was a first for all of us. This city on the Lake (Superior) is filled with history and fun and we were ready to experience it.

The Sault Ste Marie tourism board arranged for a large suite for us at Superior Place.

It is in a good location and quite comfortable, with a pool and gym for use at the Best Western across the parking lot.

We got an early start in the morning and headed downtown to find someplace for breakfast. Oh, Crepe immediately caught our eyes and we decided to go in.

They have a menu with a little something for everyone. I went for the sweet (Nutella and banana), while the girls did more savory crepes, with bacon, sausage, and eggs.

This year celebrates the 350^th anniversary of Sault Ste Marie, the oldest city in the state of Michigan.

Sault Ste Marie has another attribute you won’t find in another Michigan (or Midwest) city: its name is duplicated across Lake Superior in Sault Ste Marie, Canada.

The first thing on our agenda was to see the Soo Locks, where billions of dollars’ worth of iron pass through on freighters.

The best way for us to see this was on a boat, so we headed to the dock to board the Soo Locks Boat Tour.

From the boat, we could see the whole operation and even got to experience the locks taking the boat down, over, and back up again.

The only time I had previously been through locks was on a Viking River Cruise on the Danube. Brittany and Jamie had never done it before.

The other part of the ride that we found to be unique was that we went out along the U.S. side and came back through Canadian Waters.

The International Bridge, just passed the locks, separates the two countries.

Although you can be “in” Canada with Soo Lock Boat Tours along the lake, you need a passport to get from one country to the next through the bridge.  

After the boat ride, we went down the road to Museum Ship Valley Camp.

This unique site is especially popular with kids as the museum is inside an actual boat used in the Soo Locks.

The Valley Camp consisted of three freighters that were launched from Ohio three weeks apart, during World War I, landing in Sault Ste Marie.

There is plenty to explore at Valley Camp, while you read about the various freighters that came through here, the Eastland Disaster of 1915, and even the fish (perch and whitefish) that are typically found in this Great Lake.

We were really hungry by the time we finished touring the boat and decided to go straight to dinner before heading back to the hotel.

The Palace Saloon was the perfect choice for authentic Mexican food.

We started out with a few of their fruity margaritas, as well as the house made queso they are famous for. 

I also wanted to try their fresh guacamole.

For our dinner, we had shrimp skewers, a burrito, and a chimichanga. Everything was delicious.

We were all exhausted when we got back to the Superior Place and settled in for the night.

We had another full day of fun ahead of us in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.