Oct. 1 – 9, 2023
As fall approached our RV resort in Traverse City, we started prioritizing places we wanted to visit prior to the end of our summer here. Of course we had to celebrate Bill’s late September birthday at Peppe Nero’s and Left Foot Charley’s. We couldn’t leave without hearing Luke Woltanski (a local musician) at Bonobo Winery. We added a couple of new wineries to our list by visiting Brys (where we became members) and Chateau Chantal where we loved the view of the countryside and ripe grapes on the vines.
When we saw the leaves begin to turn and the temperature begin to dip, we knew it was time to begin our trek back to Florida.
We packed up our outdoor furniture and put it in the shed. We cut back or removed the plants on our lot in preparation for winter and readied the RV for travel – always an adventure after sitting still for months. Several of our friends and neighbors had already left or were in various stages of preparation. We hope they have a great winter and look forward to seeing them again next summer. The resort officially closes Oct. 31 so everyone must vacate.
On Oct. 1, We hooked up the truck and pulled out of our lot headed north. North??? Yes, our intent was to follow some of the fall color on our month-long journey south. So we headed north over the Mackinac Bridge into the UP and crossed the Saulte Ste. Marie International Bridge into Canada. During another summer trip we had stayed in St. Ignace, Michigan and driven into Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan for the day. This time we wanted to explore the Canadian side in more depth.
Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie KOA
Shortly after crossing into Canada we arrived at the KOA for our 2 night stay. Our site was spacious with a gravel parking area and grass living area. The trees were turning and the weather was gorgeous.
After doing a minimal setup, we drove into town for dinner at North 82 Steak and Seafood. The restaurant was an unusual combination of steak, seafood, and greek cuisine. The owner serves virgin olive oil from his olive grove in Greece. The saganaki (flaming cheese) and chicken souvlaki were excellent however Bill was a bit disappointed in his overcooked steak.
Miss Marie Sault Lock Tours
The following morning we had reservations for a 2 hour boat tour through both the Canadian and American locks on the Miss Marie. The morning started out with a drizzle and I almost suggested that we cancel the tour. Fortunately we decided not to cancel and the weather cleared nicely.
The captain took us out from the Roberta Bonder Boardwalk Waterfront into the St. Mary’s River via the Sault Canal Lock, a recreational lock that is 250 feet long, 50 feet wide, with a minimum draft just under 10 feet. As we transited the lock, we had views of the International Crossing Bridge with emergency swing dam below, the Superintendent’s Residence, the Powerhouse, and the Administration Building. After exiting the lock the captain gave us some great views of the Algoma Steel Mill which is in the process of being transformed from coal into an electric arc steelmaking facility.
After following the Canadian coastline for a bit, we crossed into US waters and entered the Soo Locks to experience this marvel of engineering.
Affectionately called the “Linchpin of the Great Lakes” by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks are a remarkable feat of engineering and human ingenuity that connect Lakes Superior and Huron. The locks operate by raising and lowering boats between the levels of Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes using a series of gates and chambers. Water and boats are moved solely by the force of gravity. The Soo Locks date back to the mid-1800s and are a popular tourist destination, attracting an estimated 500,000 visitors annually.
Thanks to the Soo Locks, freighters over 1,000 feet in length can easily navigate the St. Marys River from Duluth, Minnesota all the way to the Atlantic Ocean and beyond, hauling nearly 86 million tons of cargo annually. The Soo Locks have played an essential role in the transportation of goods and resources between the Great Lakes and the rest of the world with an average of 7,000 vessels passing through the locks annually. In fact, 95% of the United States’ iron ore moves through the Soo Locks.
Most ships utilize the Poe Lock, which was rebuilt in 1968 to accommodate larger and more modern ships. The MacArthur Lock, which is closest to Sault Ste. Marie, is also still in operation and was named after General Douglas MacArthur. The Davis and Sabin Locks were built in 1914 and 1919 respectively, but currently, only the Poe and MacArthur Locks are operational. However, construction of a new Soo Lock is currently underway, which will be the same size as the Poe Lock.
Construction of a new Soo Lock began in 2019, and it is expected to take up to 10 years to complete at a cost of approximately $1 billion. The new lock will be built adjacent to the Poe Lock and will be the same size, allowing for more efficient traffic flow and reducing delays. The project is seen as critical to the U.S. economy and national security, as the Great Lakes shipping industry is a vital part of the country’s transportation infrastructure. The new Soo Lock will ensure continued reliable and safe navigation of goods and materials through the Great Lakes, helping to support economic growth and maintain the region’s competitiveness in global markets.
Soo Locks
Our boat was the only boat in this particular lock but the adjacent lock contained a huge freighter.
After the boat tour, we drove a portion of the Lake Superior Coastal Drive. Our route took us through Haviland Bay, past Chippewa Falls where we stopped for some photos and on to Pancake Bay where we turned back. The views along the lake with the fall colors were pretty but the towns were tiny and their few shops and restaurants were already closed for the season. Lunch turned out to be a couple of apple fritters from Tim Hortons – too bad we didn’t get more.
Sturgeon Falls
From Sault Ste. Marie, we moved on to Sturgeon Falls where we had reservations at the Sturgeon Falls KOA.
Sturgeon Falls KOA
This was a nice campground with gravel sites and grassy living area. The sites were level and spacious. Motor boat, paddle boat, and canoe rentals were available.
For dinner that evening we drove into Sturgeon Falls to Riv Chip Stand for some long anticipated poutine – yum. We did discover that our food choices in Sturgeon Falls were limited as many of the restaurants were closed mid-week.
The next day we drove over to North Bay for lunch. Along the way we stopped at Duchesnay Falls for some photos. In North Bay we checked out a farmers market where Bill found some good strawberries and fresh onion rolls. Since we hadn’t had any Mexican food in a while, we decided to try Mr. Pancho Mexican Food a small “hole-in-the-wall” place that had good reviews. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to our expectations – our search for good Mexican continues.
Our final day in Sturgeon Falls was wet and cold so we spent the day relaxing in the RV.
Barrie
The next day we drove south for about 3 1/2 hours to Barrie. Here we had reservations at the Barrie KOA.
Barrie KOA
This KOA turned out to be our least favorite so far. The sites were gravel and very cramped, especially since the campground was packed. Due to poor planning we didn’t realize that this was a long weekend with Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday, Oct. 9. The KOA was also celebrating Halloween with pumpkin carving, costume and decoration contests, and trick or treating which meant there were a lot of kids. It didn’t help that the weather was wet, cold, and basically miserable. I didn’t even take any photos of the campground. Only later did we discover the Cedarwood adult-only area of the campground which would have been much nicer. Next time, we’ll stay request this section.
We did find a good Thai restaurant – Rim Thanon Thai Kitchen – for dinner that night. It was a small restaurant that seemed to do mostly take-out with a few tables. We were told to sit anywhere and ordered chicken satay to start followed by Thai fried rice and Pad Thai. Both dishes were very good and very spicy although we ordered a spice level of 3 out of 5. Next time, we’ll make it 2 out of 5.
On Saturday, Somi and Dror – friends from Cypress Woods RV Resort who live in the area – met us at the campground and took us into Barrie for lunch. We initially selected an Italian restaurant but it was closed so we ended up at an Irish pub – Shepards pie, bangers and mash anyone? Then they took us on a walking tour of Barrie. We really appreciated them taking time out of their Thanksgiving weekend to spend time with us (especially with the news that day of attacks in Israel where they have family and friends).
Sunday was a quiet day for us as we watched several campers around us begin packing up and heading out. For some, this was their last camping trip until next year judging by the visible containers of antifreeze for winterization setting beside their rigs. Thank goodness we don’t have to do that.
The next day we packed up in the rain and headed east toward the 1000 Islands area where we crossed back into the US. We enjoyed our brief time in Ontario and no doubt will return sometime in the future (with better planning).
