Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa

Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa


We left Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan at 1130 AM Eastern one morning after eating lunch so we wouldn’t be looking for a place to east in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Crossing the International Bridge we could see a big ship in one of the "Soo" locks. My wife said she could see the level difference between the two sides of the lock. Lake Michigan is higher than Lake Huron, which is the reason for the locks.

We didn’t wait long for Canadian customs to clear us but it does seem he looked at our driver’s license a few minutes while he asked questions. Where are you going? Besides clothing, what else are you bringing in? I think he was mostly interested in alcohol, tobacco products and food. Finally, he asked if we were leaving anything in Canada. After we replied "No", we were on our way.

I do not have any idea what I was expecting to see once we crossed the border. There were frequent signs pointing us to the highway we would be taking. We may have been driving through an older part of town but the housing did seem older. Had we not know we had driven into Canada one could not tell we had left the United States. Hotels, fast food places and some department stores have the same names as in the States.

Leaving the city we drove Highway 17 which is a Trans Canadian Highway. Traveling north towards Wawa we noticed the “moose” crossing signs which are like the deer crossing signs we are familiar with. The terrain was rugged with large rocks and boulders on the side of the road. In places, the road had been cut out of the mountains. Hardwood trees beautifully lined the roadside extending into the interior. Having driven through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where the terrain was level with plenty of pasture land we were now driving along a hilly road. It was surprisingly different for being so close to Michigan.

Soon as we came over a hill we were able to see the shore of Lake Superior. Mountains on one side and the lake on the other really displayed God’s beautiful design. The road took us close to the shore. Batchawana Bay Provincial Park gave us a fantastic stopping place while providing access to the lake. The park has a nice beach and beautiful scenery as we walked on the sand to “stick my hand in the water.” Without walking out into the water to determine the real temperature we did stick our hands into the warm water. If we had ventured out into the lake reaching more than just a few feet of depth, I suspect the water would have been cool.

As we neared the Lake Superior Provincial Park we were in the mountains. To say it is beautiful does not do it justice. Seeing the lake open up to us as we rounded a curve in the road was simply magnificent. As the lake shore curved westward while we continued north, the mountains provided gorgeous little lakes and ponds for our viewing pleasure. Once we saw a sign for "Moms" lake and in a minute on the opposite side was "Baby's" lake. "Dad’s" lake was passed before we could see if was any bigger. Several of the lakes were quite large. I wondered how many people actually swim in them.

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. © Lloyd Mize 2007