Today we playfully walked back to the airport to check on Tripp, chatting merrily and pausing to look at flowers and other fascinations. Our plan was to arrive in time for the Wednesday aviation-buff lunch. Every week some local EAA (the group that does Oshkosh and much more) chapter members and others just interested in planes and/or flying, gather for lunch and socializing. Well, we were 1-1/2 hours late so only half a dozen were still around.
0005 Tripp at KANJ
Still we had great conversations with them, and also ended up with a “courtesy car” to tour Sault Ste Marie. In many ways it’s an ordinary town with Wallmart and other businesses stretched along the highway. But down by the locks it’s a major tourist attraction.
0008 Workers & Observers
A temporary “attraction” is the major construction work that’s disrupting commerce but entertaining at least two old guys who were watching the two workers whose helmets you can barely see down in the hole.
0025 Boat Tour
A bigger attraction is the frequent boat tours of the locks and surrounding waters. Some in each group seemed to enjoy every moment, while some seemed to be loyal accomplices who’d rather be somewhere else. I enjoy watching people interact, and this moment in time evokes so many stories in my mind. What was the woman in the gray parka thinking just before she noticed my camera?
The biggest attraction we saw was the old street parallel to the locks, lined with fudge shops, cafes, restaurants, antiques, curios, and of course ice cream.
0016 Street Scene
The older girl in the family at left seems at the age where text messages are more interesting than ice cream (or most anything else). There are some great museums on the canal side of this street, and those too attract many visitors.
After our own walking tour, we hopped back in the car to drive further along the lock and tour the town a bit.
0031 Kite
At the Lake Superior end of the locks we paused to watch a guy flying a complex kite. Want to guess how fast those cars and trucks on the bridge are going? I won’t keep you in suspense, or let you worry about them being so close together at freeway speed. They are parked. Occasionally they inch forward one car (or truck) length, and that gap passes lazily back along the line like the movement of a caterpillar (which might move at about the same average speed). No, it’s not rush hour, it’s the US/Canada border crossing. The entire length of the bridge is stopped in both directions. At least they have a great view. We wanted to walk up there, but were told there’s no pedestrian access to the bridge. We have an airplane that might make for a less time-consuming crossing tomorrow. 🙂
0032 Rail Bridges
We were briefly intrigued by the different railroad bridges. Anne couldn’t figure out why the high one doesn’t go anywhere, until I pointed out it’s a drawbridge. It has massive counter-weights hanging on cables at each end, and the whole thing raises up so ships that are tall and wide can pass freely through the lock. The bridge adjoining to the left is a more classical drawbridge that splits in the middle, also balanced by the big concrete blocks on angled girders at each end. That one would only pass ships that are tall but not broad (I’m guessing older ships on which only the masts were tall).
OK, we’re off to dreamland. Tomorrow we’re hoping to reach Thunder Bay and beyond as planned. Weather looks likely to cooperate.
John & Anne Wiley 
I am glad to hear that you two are happily exploring again. I love the commentary on the other people you have encountered and especially related to the comment on the older kids. Texting over ice cream!?! 🙂
Comment by Jasen — 2010/07/29 @ 14:33