Aune Osborn Sault Sainte Marie Michigan

Aune Osborn in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan 

We traveled from Munising/Picture Rocks to Sault Sainte Marie with another couple we had met that was going our way.  That was a different experience for us. We had wondered how it might be to travel with another couple. It just so happened that they were going to and from the same location at the same time as we were.  Both of us already had plans for our time at the Soo, so we did not actually spend much time with them.  Some people have business cards they had out to people they meet travelling so they can stay in contact. We decided it might be a good idea for us so we can also share the information on our blog.  

Just as we arrived, this freighter was coming past the campground. We learn weird, random information on our tours to various sites and museums.  From what we learned about how they measure boats, this Freighter is about 750 feet long based on the size of the unloading conveyor on its deck.  When it arrives at its destination, it unloads itself.

This is on a building in Downtown Sault Sainte Marie.  The roof is curved to allow the snow to slide off the roof.  I guess they realized people were parking next to the building and ice was falling onto parked cars. Luckily, there was no falling ice in July.

The Lighthouse is from Frying Pan Island.  It was moved onto the Coast guard base at the Soo. It is by far the smallest light house we have seen.  You can tell its not on a Navy Base as it needs to be painted.  In the Navy, if it doesn't move, it gets painted.

We planned to tour Point Iroquois Lighthouse on our way to Whitefish Point.  Unfortunately, it was closed for renovation.  There is a lot of time and money spent preserving the history of these places with the majority coming from donations. Several of the lighthouses have had millions of dollars worth of renovations just to preserve them as landmarks according to the historical markers and signage. There are several "friends of the lighthouse" organizations that raise money and plan necessary work to the sites. We have attempted to tour many of the lighthouses along our journey.

We visited the Great Lakes sunken ship museum at Whitefish Point. 

The pump on display at the Whitefish Point Museum at the top was used to provide air to the hard hat divers before motor operated compressors were available.  There would be 2 diving tenders and other support divers to assist the diver in the water. They would turn the wheel to provide air to the diver in the water. Hard hat diving suits were first used in the 1840's. This is an example of a diving suit that was used in the early dives in the great lakes to recover material.

Theses items were recovered from the Samuel Mather. It sank following a collision in the fog.  We found it interesting that after the first dive on ship, the first thing the divers saw when they surfaced from their dive was a ship approaching. It was the modern Samuel Mather ship.

An early Engine Order Telegraph was used by the Captain to inform the engine room what speed he wanted to travel. The large handle was moved to the speed the Captain wanted and the engine room's reply would show up on the bridge as indicated by the small arrow in the center.  

The Lighthouse Service was eventually merged with the US Coast Guard.  The foresight of the US forefathers is amazing.  They determined 13 years after the US was founded that there was a need for the federal Government to provide Mariners safety. 

This is a Second Order Fresnel Light.  It is hard to believe the size of the light. The light itself appears to be approximately 48" in diameter.  We found it amazing that they had the ability to manufacture a light with this much precision in the early 20th Century without the use of computers, advanced machining equipment or electricity. Their ingenuity was impressive.

It amazed us that the light from this small lantern could be seen 30 miles away with the help of the Fresnel Light.  This lantern was smaller than what people used in their homes at the time.

The Edmund Fitzgerald is the last ship taken by the Great Lakes.  It sunk on November 10th, 1975.  The ship was eulogized in the Gordon Lightfoot song "the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".  It took until July 4, 1995 for technology to get advanced enough and the right conditions were present for the dive to be possible.  On that date, families of the lost sailors gathered and the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald was replaced with one that had the lost crew members' names engraved on it.  A ship's bell is a very emotional part of the ship to the sailors that served on it, making this a very emotional tribute.  All lost crew members are still onboard the ship.  It is said that Lake Superior does not give up its dead.  Actually, this is possible due to the temperature of the lake at its depths never reaching above 34 degrees.   Bacteria which is needed to bloat the bodies is not present in these cool waters, so the bodies commonly remain submerged for eternity in the lake with their sunken ships.

This was an example of the advancement in technology of the original Hard Hat Diving Suit.  The  development of the suit made it possible for the divers to finally get into the sunken Edmund Fitzgerald in the depths of the vast Lake Superior.  Lake Superior is unlike any other lake in the world.  The equipment required to reach the depths in which the Edmund Fitzgerald lies was more comparable to a deep sea dive than a lake dive..

We visited the Light House at Whitefish Point.  One can see the importance of a lighthouse at this location.  Of the 550 ship wrecks in Lake Superior, 300 of them happened at Whitefish point. This area is a beacon to divers seeking to uncover the lost mysteries of so many sunken ships.

A panoramic view of the beach area from the overlook at Whitefish Point shows the large sandy beach and the vastness of the water.

Freighter passing by Whitefish Point, with Canada visible in the background.

There is always lore and superstition among sailors and those that work the sea. Even though Lake Superior is not a sea, it has many of the same traditions and folklore of sailors everywhere. 

A rudder was found in the wreckage of the M.M. Drake.  Even though the ship was propelled by steam engines, its rudder was made of wood.  Transition from one technology to the next is a process that  takes many years.

Lisa and Karma took a break from our hike to stand by a monument gifted to the Historical society by Canada.

These are the lower falls at Tahquamenon Falls .  Most of the time we have seen an upper and lower falls near each other, however, these are separated by 2 miles. The Lower falls are actually divided by an island before it reaches the river's final point on its way to Lake Superior. We had a pretty good hike to both areas today.

We found the trail marking especially humorous. Michigan State Parks use blue paint to mark its trails.  Here on a bordered walkway, we found plenty of trail markings. There was literally no way to lose the trail if you stayed on the wooden, fenced path. A few weeks ago in the Porcupine Mountains State Park, we lost our way when the trail markings disappeared. They just stopped and disappeared deep into the wooded area where the trail path was grown up. We were miles deep into the woods, we had not seen anyone in a few miles and the trail just abruptly ceased to exist. When we finally stumbled upon the lookout tower, we were too exhausted to climb the many, steep steps of the tower. We were way beyond our reserves and ready to call it a day.

The park ranger who designed this section of the wooden trail designed it so people in wheelchairs could access the area. Recognition was given to him at the trailhead.  

These are the Tahquamenon Upper Falls. They are one of the largest falls east of the Mississippi in the United States at a height of 50 feet and a width of 200 feet. Recall that the Lower Falls are located over 2 miles away.

Lisa is at the upper falls with Karma, who acted shy and out of the camera's view.  Actually, I think he was just too tired to move and tired of photo ops. 

Mark found this to be both an amazing and interesting site.  Here is a 120 year old power plant that has generated 25-30 Megawatts since it was commissioned and is still in use.  The actual power plant building was constructed out of the rock that was removed to create the canal that feeds the Hydro turbines.  The picture does not do justice to the beauty and size of the building.

Pictures are from the tour we took at the Valley Camp Museum.  The Valley Camp is a freighter that was decommissioned and was used as a tour boat.  It was amazing to see the size and the inner workings of the ship.

Lisa is overlooking Canada from the Tower of History. The view was nice but the "museum" was a huge disappointment and not worth the price of admission. Basically, you ride an elevator to the top, look around and ride the elevator back to ground level. The few displays looked more like a kindergarten project than museum quality.  There really just was not anything to see other than the view.

Another shot of the panoramic view of Canada from the Tower of History.

The Holy Name of Mary Pro Cathedral became a Cathedral when the Upper Peninsula was named a Diocese.  Bishop Baraga, who was known as the "Snowshoe Priest", was the first Bishop of the Upper Peninsula. The area boosts several memorials, including his home, in his honor. He was greatly respected and given much acclaim for his work in the area. He is credited with bringing the Catholic church to the Upper Peninsula.  The parish itself is the third oldest parish in the United States.

The top picture was what we saw from the Tower of History. We were intrigued and had to go discover what it was.  We came to find possibly the oldest water tower in the United States. The base of the tower appears to be constructed from the same rock used to build the Power Plant.  This tower was rehabilitated in 2010 and is still in use today.

Sunset as we saw it from the campground before we left.  That is the Tower of History you see in the distance.

This was the final sunrise we saw on our last day here as it overlooked Canada then made it's way to the US. OK. This was the last sunrise Mark witnessed. Lisa was still asleep and didn't see any sunrises.

The last freighter we saw as it makes its way onto Lake Huron.  When we arrived in Sault St Marie, we did not realize the freighter traffic volume that moves through the lakes here.  At the Locks museum, we were told there are an average of  20-30 freighters a day that pass through the locks.

As we were packing up Ethel to leave, we saw this replica 2 master coming out of St Mary's River heading towards the locks. We are not sure of it's purpose, but it was a very interesting sight.   This is the end of our time in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  We were amazed by it's beauty and the wonderful sights we saw.  We do not know if we will return anytime soon, but the Fall colors of Michigan and the Northern Lights remain on our bucket list.

Our journey continues as we head to the Lower Peninsula.