7/22 - 7/27/2010 Sault Ste. Marie and Hessel, MI

After departing Marquette we head east to the the town of Hessel and a boat ride to Marquette Island, one of 36, of the Les Cheneaux Islands in Lake Huron. We pass through the areas where the fur traders and Indians co-existed for over a 100 years. Eventually the lumber and raw material industrialists transformed the region to a very prosperous area (at least for some ).

Here we're at one of the shipping locks at Sault Ste. Marie, pronounced " soo"! By any other name the locals will look at you a little suspect. This is the passage from lakes, Michigan and Huron. The ship pictured here is only 600 feet but the locks can handle up to 1000 feet and one is under renovation to handle longer ships. The locks allow vessels of many types to safely traverse the 21' drop of the St. Marys River between the lakes. More than 11,000 vessels pass each year.

Here Carl stands in front of a picture of the locks. After the tour we dine at old "bar" called the Antlers. It dates back to the earliest days in the era where whiskey was traded for a fur or whatever. It survived prohibition by selling lemonade and ice cream, only to adults. The Feds went after them when they only reported 1 gallon per month sales of ice cream with a $900 profit. Many movie scenes shot here in the bar with all the antlers and stuffed animals, animal heads and birch bark Indian canoes hanging from the rafters. Gunsmoke was a popular shoot. We can visualize Matt and Kitty at the bar.

At the quaint village of Hessel, on the north shore of Lake Huron we meet our friends from Auburn for the boat ride. Their family ties date back 60 years from when they purchased the property from an older family who built it in the 1800's. With one main lodge, pictured, and at least 8 other sleeping quarters this was a summer family retreat and a family museum with handmade tables, chairs, lamps and artifacts the adults played with as children. We are very fortunate to have this experience, but mostly we enjoyed kicking back and enjoying the company of friends.

If you ever needed to sit and meditate, write a manuscript or just let your mind wander, this is it. Down the path is the boat dock, the only way in or out. Tomorrow the four of our going to Mackinac Island...........and the journey continues