Eastern Upper Peninsula in Michigan: Cedarville, Sault Ste. Marie, Drummond Island

June 2021, Weekdays - weekend

Following is information about some of the places we visited during our stay at DeTour State Forest Campground.

Displayed at Les Cheneaux Distillers

Cedarville

We had a fabulous visit at Les Cheneaux Distillers just south of M-134. Great beers, spirits, food, atmosphere, gift shop, and service. Everything was impressive! We were lucky to find the place mostly empty when we arrived in the afternoon after lunch time, because it was filling up fast before we left. 

Some of the delicious items we had at Les Cheneaux Distillers:
Bloody Mary, beer sampler, pretzel knots

We learned about this location because they are listed in the HopPassport, and they were happy to honor the discounts (unlike Tahquamenon Brewery in another recent post). 

There is a decent grocery store in Cedarville on the corner M-134 and M-129, which met all our needs for a few items we needed to restock. 

Photo taken from Rotary Island Park in Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie

Rotary Island Park offers an excellent view of Sugar Island Ferry, and boats traveling St. Mary's River to and from the locks. We had the Marine Traffic app on our phones to view details of ships we saw. The best photo we got from this area was the Coast Guard boat. There is also a short walking trail along the perimeter of the island, a small playground, and a kayak launch. There was ample parking on the island, and there is no charge to enter.

In town, we parked near Brady Park and Historic Water Street. We chose this area, because online, it looked like there is a charge for parking downtown (and, we wanted to walk this area). If you do not want to walk, you can also park closer to downtown for no charge. The only parking meters we saw were near the Soo Locks. 

Ship passing through Soo Locks

The Soo Locks Observation Platform and park is very cool. We were able to watch a ship passing through the locks from the platform. There were many people in the park, although it was not too crowded. We visited early on a Thursday, and I imagine it gets crowded on weekends, and later in the day.

Soo Locks tour boat in locks. Bridge to Canada in the distance with no traffic,
as the border was only open for essential traffic during the pandemic.

There is no charge to enter Soo Locks Park, although you do need to pass through brief security. The Visitors Center in the park is also worth a visit. 

Beer tap coat rack in Soo Brewing

We visited Soo Brewing/1668 Winery, which was a mild disappointment. I imagine this is an excellent place to eat or have wine and watch boat traffic. The food we observed being made for other patrons looked good. There is an outside observation deck on the roof with tables, and there are monitors inside with live action of the locks. The wine I had was decent, although we were disappointed with the meager beer choices, and the outside seating. It was sunny, warm, and calm the day of our visit, and the outside area had no shade. Even though we had an excellent viewing table outside, we moved back inside after a short time because of the heat. The food and beverage prices were excellent.

View from Drummond Island Ferry

Drummond Island

Getting to Drummond Island from DeTour State Forest Campground was super easy. The online schedule said that the ferry leaves from DeTour 40 minutes after each hour; however, it was running as needed. We arrived early for the 9:40 AM run (around 9:20), because we did not know if we had to purchase tickets first, or how it works. We did not want to end up having to wait until after 10:00, if the boat was full. Vehicles were in line, and the boat was just coming in. We parked in line, and then got out to look for information or an employee. We found out from someone in a vehicle ahead of us, that payment is made from your vehicle after you are on the ferry. We got back in our vehicle and drove on board almost immediately afterward.

View from the ferry dock on Drummond Island

The ferry cost for a vehicle is $20 roundtrip. An employee comes to each vehicle after boarding, and you can pay with a credit card or cash. The process was pretty much the same when we returned (other than payment not being collected, as you pay in full at departure).

Bay across from Historical museum on Drummond Island

We did not do as much on the island as we had intended because the ride in our dually truck is quite rough. We went to Marblehead, the Historical Museum, and Township Park. We intended to also go to Fossil Ledges; however, after our ride out to Marblehead, my husband was not crazy about the rough roads, and our directions did not match our experience. We should have brought our detailed Michigan map!   

Our hike to Marblehead on Drummond Island

The route to Marblehead required keen navigation. Some of the signs were difficult to see, and in some areas where we thought a sign would have been helpful, we guessed. Fortunately, we did not make any wrong turns (hiking or driving).

Top: Marblehead on Drummond Island

Bottom: The two-track to Marblehead before we got out to walk

The view was amazing. We were told we would be able to drive as far as the bridge after Glen Cove; however, we parked off to the side of the two-track before we got that far. After Glen Cove, we were driving about the same speed as walking, so it did not make sense to continue driving. Our hike from where we parked was about 2½ miles one-way. It was a moderate hike; about 20 to 25 minutes per mile, and 177' elevation.

We were surprised that the air temperature was much warmer on the island than it was at the campground in DeTour. The water was also considerably warmer. I am sharing a couple more photos below from our hike to Marblehead.

Along our hike to Marblehead on Drummond Island

Let me know if you have any questions or want more details about any places we visited.