Sault Ste. Marie - July 31, 2024
In July 2024 we spent three weeks traveling throughout Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.). During the final week of our nearly month-long stay we drove north from St. Ignace so we could explore Michigan's first city - Sault Ste. Marie.
French missionary Father Jacques Marquette founded the city in 1668 and named the river on whose shores it is located St. Marys River, after the Virgin Mary. The river is the waterway that connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron and the rest of the Great Lakes.
Sault Ste. Marie is known for the Soo Locks, the Museum Ship Valley Camp, and the Tower of History. We visited all three.
The Tower of History
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| The Tower of History |
Built in 1968, the 210-foot tall Tower of History is a tourist trap. But it has four viewing platforms at the top giving panoramic views of the Soo Locks, the Sault Ste. Marie waterfront and across the river to Canada. On a clear day, you can see up to 20 miles away. Informational panels point to landmarks and displays tell the area's history. The lower level of the tower has a small museum with a video presentation about local and Native American history.
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Soo Locks
The Soo Locks date back to the mid-1800s. Located on the St. Marys River, the locks allow freighters to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. More than 80,000 tons of cargo pass through the locks each year.
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Before the first locks were constructed in 1855, a series of rapids made ship travel between Lakes Superior and Huron impossible because the St. Marys River drops 23 feet as it connects the two lakes. At Sault Ste. Marie, it drops 21 feet in less than a mile!
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Today, the locks are operated by the Army Corp of Engineers. Most ships use the Poe Lock, built in 1968 to accommodate larger ships. The McArthur Lock, opened in 1943, is closest to the shore and is used by smaller boats and the tour boats that take passengers on rides through the locks. There are two older locks that are no longer in use, and a new lock is under construction on the other side of the Poe Lock. The new lock will be approximately the same size as the Poe Lock and will allow for more efficient traffic flow by reducing delays. Construction of this lock is expected to be completed in approximately 2030.
The locks are completely gravity fed. It takes 22 million gallons of water to raise or lower a boat. Vessels of all sizes from small private boats to 1,000-foot long ships pass through the locks more than 7,000 times per year. The primary cargo carried through are iron ore, coal, grain and stone.
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We parked our truck at a meter along the street in front of Soo Locks Park. We had used the Marine Traffic app to keep track of when ships would be going through the locks so we could better time our visit. There is a viewing platform in the park overlooking the McArthur Lock and the Poe Lock on the other side of it. We spent about 2 hours watching some small boats and tour boats pass through the lock closest to us, and two huge bulk carriers pass through the Poe Lock.
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Click here for our YouTube video of the locks in operation.
Museum Ship Valley Camp
After visiting the locks we drove east a few block to find the Museum Ship Valley Camp.
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The Valley Camp was built in Lorain, Ohio in 1917 and was in service until 1966. Over the years the 550-foot long bulk carrier traveled approximately 3 million miles and carried more than 16 million tons of cargo. The ship was purchased by Le Sault de Sainte Marie Historical Sites in 1968 and transformed into a unique maritime museum.
We were able to explore nearly every inch of the Valley Camp, including the pilot house, galley, dining areas, sleeping quarters and engine room. The cargo holds that once held coal, iron ore and limestone now contain displays of shipwrecks, lighthouses and local history. Displays onboard also include an exhibit about the Edmund Fitzgerald with two lifeboats recovered from the wreck, and four 1200 gallon aquariums filled with trout, walleye, perch, pike and other fish.
Click here for our YouTube video of the Museum Ship Valley Camp.
After exploring the interior of the ship and the pilot house, we made our way down to the stern at the opposite end where we watched a ship exiting the locks slowly make its way down the St. Marys River toward Lake Huron.
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The Antlers
We topped off the day's adventures with a meal at The Antlers restaurant. The Antlers was recommended to us by a ticket-taker at the Tower of History, and we weren't disappointed! Located across from the south end of the Soo Locks, the restaurant has a history going back over 100 years when it was operated as a saloon. During prohibition it housed an ice cream parlor which served as a front for a speakeasy. The ice cream parlor still exists, as does the speakeasy's rear entrance to the restaurant.
The restaurant gets its name from the many antlers covering the interior, along with a lot of mounted animals and memorabilia. What we weren't expecting during our visit to the restaurant were the "bells and whistles." Apparently, during prohibition, a system of bells and whistles was set up as a warning that the police were coming. The tradition continues today as a way to celebrate birthdays, acknowledge the distance one has traveled, or signal the passing of a ship on the river across the street. We're not sure which of those events triggered the "alarm", but our waitress warned us it would be happening so we wouldn't be startled. It definitely added a fun atmosphere to the restaurant.
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| The Antlers Restaurant dining room. |
The food was delicious. In addition to the typical whitefish and fresh in-house made fries, they cut their own steaks, bake their own buns and make their own soups. On occasion you can also find wild game on the menu such as rabbit and ostrich. We would definitely recommend a meal at The Antlers to anyone visiting Sault Ste. Marie, for both the food and the atmosphere. And the prices weren't bad, either!
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| The fish & chips were delicious! |
* All photos and videos are the property of the owners unless otherwise noted. *
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