7-3-2024 Soo Locks & Escanaba, MI

When Captain George announced over the loud speaker that we were leaving Silver Islet 3 hours early ahead of the storm, he said, “You don’t play games with Lake Superior.”  Well, that’s fine with me, Captain.  I’m not a big fan of hypothermia and being eaten by fish.  Captain George made great time traveling across Lake Superior and outran the storm.  He did an excellent job.  The ship moved smoothly and at about 2AM, I looked out and there were stars in the sky.  Always happy to see stars rather than black clouds when you’re on the Great Lakes!  We sailed the rest of the day, all night and into mid-morning and finally, traveled through the Soo Locks. 

The Viking is headed the other way.

Gates opening to Lake MI

Gates closing on Lake Superior behind us

It's freezing here!

Entering the Soo Locks

What an interesting experience!  The captain sailed the ship into the locks, they closed the gates, emptied the water to Lake Michigan’s level and we were outta there in a few minutes!  A great big Viking ship that was in the other lanes rising up sat there for hours as it was being raised.  We shouted at them, “Don’t go there!  Turn back!  It’s freezing up there!”

 

The ship tied up not long after leaving the locks and we had a few hours to kick around the town of Sault Sainte Marie.  Enough time for Rob and me to find a new charge cord for my phone and sunglasses for my beloved.  And enough time for a beer at the local Irish pub, of course.  The walk back to the ship was only about a mile and we arrived just in time for the cocktail hour, a gourmet walleye dinner and relaxing in the lounge afterwards.  A welcome slower pace.

 

Another all-night sail and we are now in Lake Michigan docked in Escanaba, Pasty Capital of the Entire World, so they tell us.  Which makes me wonder if they actually have pasty-tasting contests in Somalia and Yemen, but maybe I’m splitting hairs.  Either way, pasties are one of the most delicious foods on planet Earth.  If there were a way to buy a dozen for the freezer and get them home, it would be our mission.  We got to eat a miniature bite-sized pasty today and of course, it was delicious.  The tour of the day involved three stops:  the Sand Point Light, Bonifas Art Center and the military museum.  Michigan became a state in 1837 and Escanaba was established in 1863.  The Sand Point Light was built on a spit of land at the time but later, the citizens extended the land out and by default, the lighthouse was now sitting so far inland that it was not useful.  The Fresnel lens was removed and taken to a museum and now, a red light rotates in the tower just for looks. 

View of Ludington Park in Escanaba from
the Sand Point Light.  The mile-long
park is named for 
James Ludington, a wealthy businessman
and lumber baron in the 1800s.

Sand Point Light

Rob atop the light.  The lens is a
replica of the original, now in a
museum.

Rudder of the Nahant, a
wood cargo ship that burned &
sunk in 1898 in the Escanaba harbor
and damaged a large part of the 
port's pier pilings.  It still
lies just offshore.

The captain is greeted by the Mayor
of Escanaba and given
the honorary key to the city.

 

At the military museum, the guide instructed us to be back on board in one hour.  So here’s the deal.  Rob was hurrying to pack his bags for this trip and packed a pair of shorts that was ripped up the seam on the butt.  When he unpacked here on the ship, he threw the shorts directly in the waste basket.  Thus, he needed a new pair of shorts.  Since we had an hour to burn at the museum, he asked the bus driver if he could take us on a side-trip to Walmart.  He said, “Sure!”  So, there we were, just the 2 of us riding a $600,000 Prevost designer bus to Walmart to get Rob a new pair of shorts.  And while he was at it, a bottle of mouthwash, and there you have it.  Walmart didn’t have any little flags, which I wanted for tomorrow to wave in the Canucks’ faces.  Finally, Rob found one at the museum.

 

Escargot was served at dinner this evening as the appetizer.  They were exquisite.  I requested seconds.  The dining room is at sea level and we are in 3-4 foot high whitecaps and a turbulent sea.  For a while, the captain headed into the waves and the sailing was smooth but now, heading north east, the waves are lateral and the ship is swaying.  Rock and roll, on our way to Mackinac Island.  As a matter of interest, we sailed past the north edge of Washington Island just off the tip of Door County.  In years past, we visited the south edge.  So now, yay, we’ve conquered the whole island!