Day 4: Sault St. Marie

Sault St. Marie was the destination for Day 4. We traveled across Mackinac Bridge - which got Jacob so excited - if he hadn't been belted down, I think he would've been bouncing off the walls! - and drove for a little over an hour to NORTHERN Michigan (i.e. almost to Canada - which we could see from where we were at in Sault St. Marie, Michigan ) :)  Jason had remembered there being a museum ship near the Soo Locks, so our first stop was the ship the Valley Camp (it was built in 1917 and used as a cargo ship until 1966 when it was retired and turned into a museum with over a 100 maritime exhibits).  By this time, Jacob was all over the place and kept yelling "Mommy take my picture with this thingy (the anchor)" and "Take my picture over by the boo (later corrected to the buoy)".  

This was a great little exhibit for kids (and adults) to 'play' captain.

It was the little one there that wanted up on the buoy to have his picture taken (he is "CERTAINLY his mother's child" as my husband reminds me!)

The lower 'deck' is dedicated to the Edmund Fitzgerald's sinking.  This is one of the two lifeboats recovered from the sinking in 1975.

A bed in one of the cabins on the Valley Camp

The actual bridge of the Valley Camp.  Jacob takes a turn 'steering' the ship.

Our second stop of the day was the Soo Locks themselves.  We watched several ships come in and out, but nothing compared to the 1000 foot freighter (the BIGGEST of it's kind) that we were lucky to see come through while we were there.

'Almost' lowered to Lake Huron below.

Before heading 'home' for the night, we stopped off at the Mackinaw overlook in the Upper Peninsula.  

Being silly with Daddy

As you can see in the pictures, there were rocks on this beach too.  

And our travels would not have been complete if Jacob hadn't gotten to the chance to throw rocks into the lake - yet again!

Back across the bridge to....

....wait for it....ANOTHER beach.  We just CAN'T GET AWAY FROM THEM!  I wasn't kidding when I said this child likes to throw rocks into the lake!

Must be HEREDITARY!! : )  This was from a trip with family in the summer of 1996 to Mackinaw. Do the rocks look familiar?

Another one of 'THOSE' pictures which I remembered my brother and sister and I getting our picture taken by on one of our visits to Mackinaw....

...WAY back when : )

Jason and I getting our picture taken again by the 3 year old in charge of the multi-hundred dollar camera he was entrusted with yet again - I think we were going mad by this point to let him have it...AGAIN!!!  BUT, I think he is becoming a little photographer - this time, out of the 12 or so pictures he took, almost every picture was a keeper!

Some gracious fellow 'tourist' offered to take a FAMILY picture - THANK YOU!!!! We don't get too many of these unless Jason's mom is around!

Up next: Day 5: Not much : )