June 30, 2019 - Sault Ste. Marie to Grand Marais

Today was a VERY long travel day.  We were off the dock before 7:00am and into the MacArthur lock just a few minutes later.  The lift was just over 20 feet and it was a smooth and easy ride.  After clearing the lock about 7:40am, we were in Lake Superior!  Having our boat in Lake Superior has been a big goal of ours for awhile - we have now boated in four of the five Great Lakes.  I guess that means we need to head to Lake Erie next season so that we can make it a perfect five out of five.  

The part that made it a long day was the 80+ miles that we traveled.  We were both ready to be off the boat when we arrived in Grand Marais.  There is not very much to take pictures of when you travel in the Great Lakes.  We tend to make our route a mile or two off shore, so you can basically see trees, sand and shoreline off one side of the boat and water as far as the eye can see off the other side.  

Grand Marais is a tiny little town with a couple of bars, a grocery/hardware store, a couple of tourist shops and a gas station.  We ate at one of the bars (which was packed) and the food was excellent.  We may need to stay another night just to check out the other bar!  But we are both tired and we’ll figure that out tomorrow.

Approaching the MacArthur Lock (the doors are just
beginning to open)

Inside the lock, moving toward our tie-up spot

Boreas is now at Lake Superior Level and headed
out of the MacArthur Lock

The Gros Cap Reef Lighthouse (one of the more unusual
shapes for a lighthouse we have ever seen)

Lake Superior!

Our view for the evening