This weekend takes us ABOVE the mitten, as we travel across the Mighty Mac and head to one of our favorite places in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Sault Ste Marie.

"Where Michigan history was born" is an apt tagline for this city that resides along the St. Mary's River, as it was founded way back in 1668 by one of Michigan's favorite explorers, Fr. Jacques Marquette. Today, the "Soo" is best known for their famous locks, which transport some of the biggest freighters in all the land between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

Our good friend Linda Hoath from the Sault Ste Marie Visitor's Bureau kicks off the show, and as one of our regular guests, you know we'll have a great time. Linda shares a little about what makes this community so special, she is a life-long resident, and a true advocate for all that this area has to offer. Linda also gives us an update on the incredibly large construction project that is underway, as they transform two of the older, smaller locks into one gigantic one that can handle larger boats. It's quite an engineering marvel.

To get a great view of this project, we recommend a trip to the top, 210 feet up in the air, at the Tower of History. We stopped by for the very first time and while we were very impressed by that panoramic view, we were even more impressed with the curator, Paul Sabourin. Sometimes you get very lucky and walk into an interview and strike absolute gold, which is exactly what happened when we met Paul. A passionate storyteller, this man regaled us with stories in three languages: English, French and Ojibway. Now that I'm thinking about it, he might have also told a joke in German at one point. Head to the Tower to learn more about the Native Americans in this area and the settlers that came later, meet Mr. Paul himself and check out that absolutely incredible view.

In order to see the locks in action,  you just have to do a boat tour, and our friends at the Original Soo Locks Boat Tours are some of the best. Celebrating 90 years of being on the water, the Original Tours are open every day of the summer. Shiela Marchand joins us, she is currently the business manager for the company, but she started off at the ticket counter when she was in college. Best part of her job is giving tours, she loves that they do live narration on each and every tour, so you can ask all the important questions you have about the locks. The Original Soo tour is a must do when in da Soo.

Finally, we catch up with our good friends Ken and Wilda Hopper, who own the uber-popular Bird's Eye Outfitters.

If an adventure is what you are looking for in the Soo, Bird's Eye is where you want to go. They can help you plan a mountain bike trip, a fantastic hike, a paddling adventure, or even a trip in a kayak right through the locks. These guys, and girls, are absolute experts, so they'll make sure you have not just the right gear and equipment, but also that you'll have a great time. This is also THE spot for coffee and a bit of nosh in the morning, or for a beer and a sandwich at lunch. Always bustling, Bird's Eye is one of our favorite spots to stop in the Soo.

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