Circling Lake Superior and More…!

 

After staying pretty close to home for what seemed like a very long time, Al and I were happy to take a road trip around most of the perimeter of Lake Superior at the end of August.  We had planned on doing it in 2020, but were delayed due to travel restrictions resulting from the pandemic. Finally, the time seemed right!

 It was an ambitious trip to do in just six days, with long hours of driving ahead for Al.  The complete Lake Superior Circle Tour covers about 1,300 miles, not including the distance to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, our starting point, and home again. We would be taking a counter-clockwise route along the Canadian side of Lake Superior and then  through portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

On the first day of the trip, Al and I drove from our home in Beverly Hills, Michigan, crossing over the Mackinac Bridge late in the afternoon. The weather was perfect, affording a wonderful view of Mackinac Island. There was a ferry boat crossing the Straits of Mackinac which brought back nice memories of ferry boat rides and adventures we’ve had exploring the island.

 Passing over the straits, we continued on through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan until we reached the border between the United States and Canada. It’s interesting that there are two cities with the same name, Sault Saint Marie—one on American soil and one on Canadian soil. They are connected by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge. Both have locks and canals to facilitate the crossing of ships through the choppy straits.

It was nice when we finally stopped at Sault Ste. Marie in Toronto. No sooner had Al parked the car than a young man approached us asking for loose change! Tourists are easy to spot! It was a good reminder that there are economic challenges and poverty no matter where we go.

           Unfortunately, a storm was in the forecast for the next day, the day of a ten-hour ride on the Agawa Canyon railroad. We were looking forward to the opportunity of traveling 110 miles into the wilderness north of the city.

As it turned out, the rain held off until early in the afternoon, for which we were grateful! There was time to eat lunch at the midway point along the Agawa River before the return trip. Passengers who had opted to hike up to a lookout point or to take the trails to two different waterfalls had to hurry back to the train when it began raining in earnest.

The next leg of the journey was from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay. This was a beautiful drive through mile upon mile of wilderness, lush forests and pristine lakes as well as spectacular views of Lake Superior. It didn’t take long before the weather cleared up and the sun came out, making for easier driving and much better viewing.  

There weren’t many signs of civilization on that 436 mile stretch of road. Besides being rugged wilderness, a layer of bedrock called the Canadian Shield prevented early pioneers from establishing farms. Our route went over this layer, with walls of exposed reddish rock on either side of the highway.

It was unusual to see small piles of rocks on the cliff walls as we drove along, referred to as cairns or “ducks” by hikers. Cairns are normally used to mark trails. Who would need them along the road? And who set them up mile after mile? The ducks made for good conversation anyway, bringing up memories of former backpacks in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

We were happy to reach Thunder Bay around dinnertime, our stop-over until the next day’s drive that would take us through Minnesota, a bit of Wisconsin and back to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. That portion of the trip will be covered next week along with the story of Terry Fox, a young Canadian man with an inspiring dream.

How refreshing to get away from the crowds, the heavy traffic and noise of the city to the wilderness! Al and I enjoyed traveling along Lake Superior together and felt the Lord’s presence with us as we appreciated the beauty of His creation. God is good!

“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:9 NIV