Laninga's Travel Blog

The Soo Locks are a set of parallel locks which enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. They are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario. They bypass the rapids of the river, where the water falls 21 feet. The locks pass an average of 10,000 ships per year, despite being closed during the winter from January through March, when ice shuts down shipping on the Great Lakes. The winter closure period is used to inspect and maintain the locks.  BTW, the restaurant across of the locks have a great view and serve fresh whitefish.

The Northern Michigan area also has some great hikes and lighthouses.  We enjoyed the hikes and found the lighthouses to be most photogenic.  The first lighthouse we visitd also was the start of the US Coast Guard and there was an exhibit of the original rescue gear.