Monday 9-9 Sault Ste. Marie

Site Seeing

The ferry that takes vehicles on and off Drummond Island comes every hour, we wanted to catch the one at 9:10. The ferry is about five miles from Drummond Island Township Park so we left around 8:30. We arrived a little early so I had a chance to take a few pictures of the ferry coming in. This morning they were only running one ferry back and forth. It was amazing how many vehicles they could fit on the ferry considering it looks small. There was a small area for cars on the right side of the ferry, we were once again in the middle and in the first vehicle in line to get off because of our size. Once everyone was onboard they raised the gate. We left a trailer and a couple of trucks behind because the ferry was full. The driver had to put the ferry in reverse to turn it around. Once we were across the bay he had to turn it around again so we could exit. There were only a couple of people waiting to go to the island. Yesterday when we were on the ferry I thought I saw a ship but today I found out it was a lighthouse, I had Larry take a picture of it.

Larry waiting for the ferry

Here comes our ride off Drummond Island

Smoothly putting the ferry on the dock

Unloading the ferry

The lighthouse

  

We had a great time on Drummond Island. Our next stop was about 60 miles away in Sault Ste. Marie, (pronounce Soo Ste. Marie). First stop in Sault Ste. Marie was Walmart to pick up a few things and recycle our cans. Here in Michigan they charge you 10 cents deposit on every can and bottle. I drink a lot of soda so we ended up earning $4.50 in recycling the cans. Afterwards we did a little shopping. As we were parking the Minnie an Amish horse and buggy came in. While I was putting the groceries away Larry went and took a picture. It's so cool, Walmart had a hitching post and water for the horse. After putting the groceries away we had lunch. We had bought a chicken in Walmart so we had some of it for lunch.

Amish horse and buggy at Walmart

After lunch we drove into downtown Sault Ste. Marie to watch the big ships come through the locks. We have been here a couple of other times so we didn't stay too long. We watched Joseph L. Block go through the locks and the Soo Locks Boat Tour go through. While we were headed back to the Minnie we stopped and watched the Corps of Engineers people move a small crane from one spot to another spot on the pier using a tug and a barge with a large crane.

Joseph L. Block in the locks

One of the crew looking out the port hole of Joseph J. Block

The tour boat waiting to leave the locks

The Corps of Engineers opening the gates once the water level is high enough

Joseph L. Block leaving the locks

The Corps of Engineers crew working on transporting a small crane from one spot to another spot

After leaving the locks we filled the Minnie up with gas. As we were looking for the gas station we saw a few old churches so we found a place to park and walked around downtown Sault Ste. Marie. As we walked around we saw a Greek Orthodox Church that was built in 1932, the Central Methodist Church from 1893, the St. James Episcopal Church was built in 1903 and the Chippewa County Courthouse was built in 1877. This is our third time being to Sault Ste. Marie and we have never walked around the downtown. We always like looking at churches and courthouses.

Greek Orthodox Church (1932)

Central Methodist Church (1893)

Chippewa County Courthouse (1877)

St. James Episcopal Church (1903)

After walking around about a half hour we went to the Kewadin Casino, we're planning to stay one night but it's suppose to rain tomorrow so we may stay two nights. The Kewadin Casino has a RV Park with electricity. It cost $22.00 a night. It has bathrooms with showers and the women's bathroom has a washer and a dryer. You can do your laundry free of charge. They have a dump station and fresh water for RVs. The casino is just across the street from the RV park. Once we decided on a site and setup the Minnie we walked over to the casino and paid for the night. Then we came back and I did our laundry. The washer and dryer worked excellent.

Camping at Kewadin Casino RV Park

The bathhouse

 By the time I was finished doing laundry it was time for dinner. We had chicken tacos using some of the Walmart chicken. After dinner I went to the casino and gambled for two and a half hours. I like this casino because it is very fancy. It has different rooms with slots and gambling tables. The casino has a motel, shops, cafe and restaurant. The decor is very nice. I spent most of my time in the Superior Room. It has a very small room that is non-smoking. I gave the casino $10.00 but I had fun. While I gambled Larry did some planning on where we're going next.