Visiting Sault Ste. Marie - St. Ignace

American Integrity thru the Locks. 10/8/24 dwm

 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan is home to 36,000 people and the oldest city in the state, settled by French colonists in 1668.

 

 The Michigan city and its twin across the St. Mary's river are connected by the International Bridge. The river flows under the bridge, dropping 21-feet from Lake Superior to the other side of the passage.

 

 In the early days, indigenous people and European trappers and traders would have portaged around the rocks. The original lock was finished in 1855. Shortly after lighthouses were built on Lake Superior.

 

Before the water drops. 10/8/24 dwm photo

I arrived at the locks just as a ship pulled into the lock chamber. Doors closed at both ends, then 21-feet of water was drained until the boat was on the same level as the St. Mary's.

At that point the door at the river's level opens and the ship moves downstream and on to the Atlantic Ocean. There are two locks now in operation, a new one is under construction, it is expected to open in 2030 giving ships a larger and wider lock to move up or downstream.

 

 

 

 The locks are what makes Duluth, Minnesota the most western port on the Atlantic.

Heading downstream. 10/8/24 dwm photo

 My next stop was the Yooper Pasty Company for lunch. While there I heard two workers discussing the ships coming through the lock, with one making the comment they hadn't seen that particular boat before.

 That little exchange summed up for me how integral the locks and the shipping industry is to Sault Ste. Marie and its inhabitants.

 

 The next day we drove to St. Ignace while shooting the lighthouses we could along the St. Mary's river and on the upper shore of Lake Huron as we headed west.

 

St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie are closer to each other than it seems, less than a half-hour if you use the Interstate. Since we followed the shore line, we got to experience Cedarville and DeTour on a slightly longer trip to St. Ignace.

 

My look from Bridge View Park. 10/3/24 dwm

St. Ignace is second-oldest city in Michigan (behind only Sault Ste. Marie) as it was founded by French priests in 1871. 

 

Until the Mackinaw bridge opened in 1958, ferry service connected St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. It still provides ferry service to Mackinaw Island, as does Mackinaw City. As a result, tourism is a big part of the local economy.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express facing Lake Huron, enjoying the view and taking advantage of the nice weather while exploring the Mackinaw Straits. 

 

We explored the area by crossing the bridge into Mackinac City where I toured a light already in our collection while my wife shopped. 

While there, we also enjoyed a couple meals from family-owned restaurants, there will be more on those coming up.

When we returned, I took my bike out to Bridge View Park on the west side of St. Ignace to take in the beautiful look of the big bridge.  

Pictures above and below are the lock from the Tower of History. 10/8/24 dwm photo

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flag and lock headquarters. 10/8/24 dwm

The ship called American Integrity in the locks. 10/8/24 dwm

Leaving the locks at Sault Ste. Marie (scroll up) and the Mackinaw Bridge 10/8/2024 dwm photo