Headed north

Detour Reef Lighthouse

June 15 – We managed to get on the road at 9 and headed out to Detour Lighthouse and Martin Reef Lighthouse.  Neither one was close but we did managed to find them.  Detour is a small town and we drove past the marina and through town and stopped at a condo rental place.  Well, actually I was in a pickle as this was on the corner and if I

Martin Reef LIghthouse

made the turn left I didn’t know what was ahead so I could turn around!  I went in the building and the guy coming out was the owner who told us to go back 4 miles and there’s a marker for the Detour Lighthouse and he moved his car so I could turn in his circle drive.  He said he has a motorhome and he understood I was in a pickle!

We drove back and saw the marker and the light house.  It’s pretty far out and hopefully I got a decent photo.  Then I kept checking as we drove further on and spotted another lighthouse further out in the water which is what Martin Reef was supposed to be.  Will see how my photos turn out.  I dropped the camera yesterday and my super zoom isn’t looking so good today.  Oops!

From there we headed to Sault Ste Marie and found our campground, Aune-Osborn

Our spot on the river

Campground.  What a great location!  We are on the St Mary’s river that heads right into the locks.  We’re on the front row with our back to the river at an angle.  It’s water and electric only but we’re good for 2 nights!

Passing by our RV

As soon as we set up and had lunch we went down to the Pier and booked the Soo Locks Tour for 3:30.  Further down the street is the viewing area of the locks and we were able to see 2 ships that were massive, move through the locks.  It is a slow process but very interesting.  Then we stopped in a shop across the street before heading back to the Soo Lock tour. 

The tour was for 2 hours and went through one of the American Locks and into Canadian

Freighter we just saw now in the lock

waters and by a huge steel plant and back though the only

Our tour boat in the lock

Canadian lock.  The commentator was very knowledgeable and explained how the lock worked, length, width, depth, what all the equipment around it was for, and then out in the water she told about the bridge from Michigan to Canada, the rotating rail sections, the steel plant and the Canadian lock.  It was very interesting and we learned a lot.  Depending what angle we were at the wind was cold and I was glad we brought jackets.

While sitting here typing a barge ship just went by!  Reminds me of when we volunteered in Savannah and watched the cargo carriers come and go.  These carry mostly grains, steel, coal and steel pellets. 

Before heading back to the campground we went to Wal-mart with a short list!  We picked up our first mail packet and while I went through that Bill washed the front of the RV and the truck.  I got out my leftover pastie for dinner and a leftover brat for Bill with an ear of corn.  Then Bill mapped out our day for tomorrow while I sorted the bills and checked to see if we had any money to pay them with!