Yooper Sooper Dooper Getaway Weekend With Lansing Sail and Power Squadron Friday, July 16 dawned bright and sunny after a stormy y Thursday made many nervous about what to expect for our weekend rendezvous at DeTour Village/Drummond Island. After a 5 hour drive from Lansing, the attendeee group continued to swell as cocktail time approached and 30 members as well as members from Kalamazoo and Tip of the Mitt joined us at the DeTour State Dock. Some were too full from all the goodies brought by attendees to think about dinner while another contingency headed to the local restaurant for local fare (yummy whitefish aboundss in this area). Saturday meant exploring the wonderful area of Drummond Island and the eastern U.P. Several members took a cruise on Ralph Ziegler s Sharon Ann where we explored the channels north of Drummond Island and stopped to take a tour of Dave Bardsley s private island. Dave is the president off the DeTour Lighthouse Preservation Society and was instrumental in arranging the tours for members too the lighthouse. Others explored the nature trails on Drummond Island which are bountiful or visited some of the interesting boating museums in the Cedarville area. Saturday evening the carpools headed to Sault St.Mariee to board the Soo Locks boat for a dinner cruisee down the St. Mary River and through the Sooo Locks. Due to one lock being under construction and several very large freighters coming through our 2 ½ hour tour extended to accommodate the freighters; we couldn t have asked for a nicer evening with the sunlight sparkling off the water and a music festivall from the Canadian side wafting over the water. Of course, no trip to Sault St. Marie is complete without a visit to the famous Antlers restaurant; the carpool group stopped for some liquid refreshment before our cruise. Sunday dawned to a gray and dizzly sky as the tours to De Tour Reef Lighthouse began. Throughout the morning groups were ferried out to the lighthouse, climbed the 24 foot ladder (with safety harness) and weree led on tours by members of the Lighthouse Preservation Society. The skies cooperated and everyonee made it out safely and had a great time! Special thanks to Dave Bardslee and the De Tour Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society for arranging the tours. Also, thanks to Drummond Island Resort (the former corporate retreatt for Domino s Pizza) for offering a special rate to USPS members. And, of course, special thanks to Lt/C Ralph Ziegler, P and his team for organizing the wonderful weekend.
Friday night at DeTour State Dock. Cocktails and Appetizers were plentiful. Vern and Jeannette Meyer, Dawn Flynn, Tom Hyatt, Ralph Ziegler. Suzanne Dudley. Karen Owen, Carol Twiss and Doug Twiss, Phil and Linda White. Cruising Drummond Island on Saturday Ralph at thee helm of Sharon Ann
Mary Ann Jensen and Marge Clarke. Suzanne Dudley and Marge Clarke. The beautiful views via boat of the islands on the north side of Drummond Island. The view from Barsdlee s deck! Checking out their private beach for animal tracks are Marge Clarke, Joan Bardslee, Dennis and Suzanne Dudley and Ed Clarke.
Deb and Joe Pysh help dock as Mary Ann looks on. Sharon Ann back at DeTour State Boat Dock. Saturday Evening Cruise in Sault Ste. Marie River to locks. Canada to the left. Freighter coming up St. Mary s Dinner time on the Soo Locks Dinner Cruise. The glassed in area felt good against the cool evening breeze.
The lively group had half of the boat to themselves with an alumnae group filling the other half. the Sault Ste. Marie bridge to Canada as a backdrop. Setting sun sparkling on the waters with Sunday Drummond Island Resort was formerly owned by Dominoe s Pizza as a corporate/personal retreat. The resort includes an 18-hole golfcourse, clay shooting range, nature trails, bowling alley, restaurant on the water, beach and dock area. They provide free bikes, kayaks and sunfish for guests. DeTour Reef Lighthouse in the distance on a dizzly, gray morning.