Downtown Sault Ste. Marie has it all, freighters, food, local stores, and ice cream! You are definitely going to want to spend some time exploring downtown this summer.

If I had to tell you the “right” way to do things, which I’m totally not doing, I’d tell you to make your first stop the Soo Locks Park Visitor Center.

Now, if you walk into the Soo Locks Park and see a giant moving building floating toward you, definitely B-line it to the viewing deck because that’s a freighter, baby.

If you don’t see one passing through downtown right away, head into the Visitor Center and check the boat schedule. If you are really a plan-ahead kind of person, you can even call the Soo Locks Hotline at (906) 202-1333 before you leave your hotel to check the schedule.

This gives you plenty of time to explore the displays in the Visitor Center and decide how many stores you can shop in and how many coffees you can drink before heading back to the viewing area to watch a massive freighter raise or lower 21 feet through the locks.

After checking out the incredible engineering of the Soo Locks and exploring downtown, you’ll probably be hungry. Luckily, there are tons of amazing restaurants right downtown to choose from.

Then grab a sweet treat, fudge, ice cream, chocolate-covered strawberries, whatever sounds good, and head back toward the locks to see if you can catch another freighter.

Ask anyone what the best way to spend a hot summer day is and they will probably say, “The beach, duhh!” Luckily, in the Soo we have plenty of gorgeous beaches, so I’m reminding you now to pack your swimsuit!

One of the closest beaches, only about 10 minutes from downtown Sault Ste. Marie, is Sherman Park, loved by locals and visitors alike. It’s the perfect spot for a game of beach volleyball, a nice cool dip in the St. Marys River while freighters cruise by, playing on the huge playground, or just soaking up the sun on the sandy beach and definitely not taking a little snooze while the sun keeps you nice and warm like a hot dog rotisserie.

The only thing that rivals the beach on a nice summer day is going for a paddle. Honestly, going for a paddle on a not-so-nice day is still pretty fun too. Just maybe avoid the high winds and thunderstorms. I can personally attest that getting bullied by the weather in the middle of the river is not a super relaxing experience.

The St. Marys River is honestly a paddler’s paradise. There is so much shoreline, so many little islands to explore, and approximately a million spots that will make you stop paddling just to say “wowwwwwww”

Both Rotary Park and Harvey Marina have kayak launches that make getting into the water way easier and significantly less embarrassing than the classic “wobble wobble whoops splash” technique used by many.

Grab your canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard and head out into the oasis of the St. Marys River. Both launch points give you the chance to paddle through the chain of islands, explore quiet little channels, while peaking out to see the freighters ease by as you are breaking a sweat paddling against the current. 

And if you came to the UP without a paddle, and more importantly without a vessel, fret not. Bird’s Eye Outfitters can hook you up with kayak and paddleboard rentals so you can get out on the water without strapping a giant plastic boat to the roof of your car, even though you look really cool when you do.

It’s finally starting to warm up around here. Honestly, I think it might have gotten at least one degree warmer since you started reading this blog.

So summer is coming. And the best way to prepare for summer, and possibly make it arrive faster, is to start planning your trip to Sault Ste. Marie now.

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This blog was written by Jodi Rambo