The UP

“It wasn’t going to be all fun, but they didn’t know it yet. This would be the beginning of an experience that all three would never forget” (48). 


The Book  


Terror at the Soo Locks by Ronald J. Lewis is a follow-up mystery novel to Murder at Mackinac. The characters are different, but there are slight nods to the characters and themes in Lewis’s first novel. The story follows Professor Bradley Kendall as he travels the globe and dodges international crime plots. Assassins follow him from Michigan to Hawaii to Singapore. Along with his friends, Professor Kendall works to stop a plot to bomb the Mackinaw Bridge when two high-ranking politicians are participating in the annual Labor Day walk across the bridge.

Once again, Lewis pays close attention to detail and proves that he has traveled to the places he writes about. Because the Soo Locks are one of the largest locks for international shipping, the reader learns a lot about the ships and shipping procedures in the Upper Peninsula (UP).



The Place   


Michigan’s UP has many attractions for visitors. The Soo Locks are a fascinating lesson in international shipping. When my family and I visited, we rode a tour boat into the lock and watched as the water lifted our boat high enough for the next lock. During the tour you can see Canada across the lake. There is also observation tower where you can watch the large international ships go through the locks. Farther north in the UP is Whitefish Point on the shores of Lake Superior. Whitefish Point is home to a lighthouse and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The waters of Lake Superior are some of the most treacherous and the museum pays homage to the many shipwrecks. The most well known shipwreck is that of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.

If you are looking for a fun place to eat after exploring the UP, The Antlers provides good food and an interesting atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with stuffed wild animals like polar bears and lions. Hanging from the wall are mounted heads of deer and various antlers.