More good news from Jeff Stumb, Director of the Great Race on his second day of route planning:
DAY 2 — St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
We hated to leave Traverse City, but it helped knowing we will be back for several days in June of next year. It was good, however, to start the trip and planning the course for the first day of the race. Because the start will take place at 10 a.m. in Traverse City on June 23, the first day of rallying will be rather short. The lunch stop will be in St. Ignace, home of the wonderful St. Ignace Car Show each year. St. Ignace is the first city on the other side of the Mackinac Bridge, and it marked the first time I had ever been to the U.P. (the Upper Peninsula). Ed and his crew in St. Ignace are planning a great stop in conjunction with another of their car shows — the Antiques on the Bay show in front of the marina. Beautiful Mackinac Island will be the backdrop in Lake Huron.
Sault Ste. Marie (called the Soo by locals) is the last town in Michigan before crossing into Canada, and it is home to the Soo Locks where Lake Superior pours into Lake Huron. The entire city is rolling out the red carpet for our visit, including hosting dinner in the park along Water Street in front of the locks. It is an impressive sight. The host hotel is the Kewadin Casino, and you can exchange your U.S. dollars for Canadian dollars at the Cashier Cage in the casino that night for the trip into Canada.
