CRUISING THE U.P.

Get ready for a great adventure! The beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula can be felt by cruising some of Michigan’s most scenic waterways.

Day 1
Welcome to Sault Ste. Marie! The Soo has some admirable cruising capabilities. Take the Soo Locks Boat Tour and cruise up the St. Mary’s River through the Soo Locks, on of the great wonders of the world. Available is a two-hour narrated excursion aboard the Soo Locks Boat Tours, which actually takes you through the Soo Locks. Or choose a sunset dinner cruise, which is a similar cruise that includes the added enjoyment of a delicious buffet dinner while traveling upon Lake Superior’s deep blue waters.

For a bit of Maritime history, visit the River of History Museum where the St. Mary’s River Valley’s 8000 year history is interpreted; or the Museum Ship S.S. Valley Camp, a retired Great Lakes steamer that displays shipbuilding and shipwrecks, including that of the ill-fated Edmond Fitzgerald.

For a relaxing evening, stroll along the shores of the St. Mary’s River from the Locks Visitors Center to Rotary Park. Many of our guests enjoy listening or dancing to the music at the lighted, changing fountain in the Locks Park. Often there are sailors docked at our city marinas who are on long voyages and stop here to repair, restock or rest and visit. Or, if a faster pace is more your speed, the Kewadin Casino may be just what you’re looking for.

Day 2

For our next adventure, we leave Lake Superior’s shore and travel 52 miles west to Soo Junction, Michigan. Here you’ll board one of the riverboats that will take you into the heart of Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Se what inspired Longfellow to write his famous poem “Hiawatha”. The 6 ½ hour round trip, will take you downriver, through the Tahquamenon Wilderness, to the Upper Falls where you can view the splendor of the second largest falls east of the Mississippi.

Next we’ll travel 55 miles north to Whitefish Point. It is home to Lake Superior’s first lighthouse, The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, which chronicles both the beauty and the unforgiving power of the Great Lakes, and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory.



Day 3

Next we travel 122 miles to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Munising Michigan, where on can see nature’s creativity at its best. On the south shores of Lake Superior extends a colorful “carved” expanse of forest-topped rocks. View the rock formations of Indian Head, Miner’s Castle and Rainbow Cave and feel the power and beauty of nature. After the cruise, we’ll board the motor coach and cruise through the Hiawatha National Forest on our way back to Sault Ste. Marie.

Day 4

We end our adventure at Mackinac Island. A short 45-minute drive brings you to St. Ignace where you will board a ferryboat to take you to the island. There you will step back into history to a place where motorized vehicles are forbidden. Horse drawn carriages and bicycles are the mode of transportation. Be sure to have lunch at the Grand Hotel where the grand buffet is unsurpassed for variety. Take in the history of the island at Fort Mackinac, a living history museum. Enjoy the floral gardens and the Butterfly House and return to Sault Ste. Marie.