Sault St. Marie, a trip to the UP
Many years ago, I traveled with my parents through the Welland Canal, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, on my dad’s then-boat. We drove up to Sault St. Marie to see the town and the locks. The locks reminded me of that trip from Dover, Ontario to Toronto. While the locks through the Welland number eight at my recollection, there is only one lock to get from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. (It’s always interesting to remember that the sum total of the locks in the Welland Canal is the height of Niagara Falls.) Shortly after we arrived, there was a commercial vessel that passed through. It is truly an incredible experience to see such an enormous vessel next to you. It feels like it’s within touching distance because it’s just so enormous. The crew was friendly and chatty and told us that they were headed to Duluth.

The town of Sault St. Marie itself is interesting. My mother commented that whenever she goes up to the UP (the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), she feels more like she is in Canada than in the US. I have to agree. The architecture and landscape are more reminiscent of Canada (and, to me, of Europe) than of the US. While you’re still Stateside in Michigan, there is something that is a bit different, something that makes you remark that you are in some place special, someplace different, someplace you don’t visit every day.