Sault Ste Marie, MI

When we were in Ishpeming and several places going across the upper peninsula we saw trucks that were wheels front to back on the trailers.  We didn't get pictures but I found some on the internet that shows some of them.  The trucks from Duluth, MN and across to Ishpeming I think were carrying iron ore, something very heavy for sure.  I am not sure how the trailers respond to turns.

We are Aune-Osborn RV Park which is a city operated park.  The sites are well spaced and deep enough for almost any rig.  Hookups are just electric and water but they have a double dump station so there is rarely a wait.  The campground is convenient to most things you may want to do in Sault Ste Marie.

Our site.

We are just a few steps past the park road to the edge of St. Mary's River with ships coming from or going to the Soo Locks.  You need advance reservations most places to get the premium and or waterfront sites.  We made reservations for the entire trip with the ability to cancel or reschedule if necessary.

View to the north from our site.

View to the south from our site.

While sitting out on the bench by the river I saw what I believe are immigrants from Canada that didn't go through security checks and show passports at the border crossing.

On Wednesday evening we went to the Soo Locks visitor center  and caught a ship passing through one of the several lock channels.  The locks connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron via the St. Mary's River.  There is just one level of locks.                                                                                                                            

I asked in the visitor center if they used mules (like in the Panama Canal) or the ships traveled through under their own power.  They travel under their own power but have a crewman at each end of the ship telling the captain how much clearance there is on each side.  The ships are equipped with thrusters that allow them to move the ship sideways.

View of some of the multiple lock channels.  They vary in length and possibly width.

Lock closing.

Soo Locks Tour boat being lifted to go into the Lake Superior side of the locks.

When the water level is equal the lock gates are opened for the ship, or in this case, the tour boat to go through.

We returned to our campsite to watch another ship proceed north to the locks.

There are a number of benches along the shore for park guest to watch the ships come and go.  You can always find a conversation like I did this morning.

Throughout the day we saw a lot of ships passing by.

When we went to the Soo Locks we passed this stone building and wondered what it was.  I soon realized it was a hydro-electric plant.  Water is diverted into a channel up stream and fed to the powerhouse.
See: http://www.saultstemarie.com/cloverland-electric-cooperative-hydroelectric-plant-june-26,-2015-280/ for more details about the historic plant.

The water from the diversion channel is fed by gates into the turbines.

A closer look at the gates.

Tomorrow we will go into Canada and visit  friends in Parry Sound, ONT.  Phone and especially data rates for us in Canada are quite expensive.  So we will go dark until Monday or so.