Lake Superior and the Soo Locks

We were up early this morning, so we could put some miles behind us, and it was fortunate timing - we encountered the most glorious sunrise over Lake Superior as we were leaving Marquette and heading east along the Upper Michigan Peninsula. I think I had a bad hair night. Lake Superior is magnificent and seems more like an ocean than a lake. You can see by the signage that this area will soon be covered with snow, which is also a bit disorienting, as you get more of a feeling of California or Hawaii than the Canadian-US border.

We drove due east into Sault St. Marie, Michigan, nestled at the junction of Lake Superior and Lake Huron on the St. Marys River (which connects the two lakes). Also known as Soo to the locals, SSM is home to the Soo Locks. These locks are among the busiest in the world, as they allow passage for all the big ships plying the Great Lakes. It was getting foggy and rainy as we pulled in, and I was concerned we would not be able to see the action, but it turned out okay. We were also fortunate to see one of the big ships go through the locks - the Stewart J. Cort. Fascinating place.