(upbeat music) (upbeat music) - [Jim] On this slightly spooky, seriously savory, and all around satisfying episode of "UTR," we're heading to Michigan's oldest city, Sault Ste.

Marie for haunted history walks, crepes with a cult following, a saloon that stood for over a century, and outdoor adventures that will get your heart pumping.

Let's roll.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (crowd cheering) (water splashing) - [Announcer] The Stahls Motors and Music Experience, features a collection of automated music machines, neon signs, gas pumps, and 150 years of automotive history.

More info at stahlsauto.com.

- We've been around the world, but there's one place we keep coming back to and the more we explore, the more we realize, it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin... - I'm Jim Edelman.

- And this is... - [Jim And Tom] "Under the Radar Michigan."

(upbeat music) - If you're looking for outdoor adventure, big flavor, and just a hint of the paranormal, you're in the right place.

This is Sault Ste.

Marie.

Settled in 1668, Sault Ste.

Marie has stories to tell, some written in history books, and others whispered under the glow of lantern light.

Here you'll find adventurous locals, welcoming small businesses, and experiences that are anything but ordinary.

Sault Ste.

Marie is located in Michigan's upper peninsula right on the border with Canada.

It's where the Great Lakes connect and where good stories begin.

(upbeat music) First things first, crepes, because why not start your day with something folded and delicious?

And here at Oh Crepe!

every bite feels like a celebration of flavor and creativity.

"Oh Crepe!

's" menu is filled with savory and sweet creations, each made fresh and folded with care.

From strawberries and Nutella to ham and cheese, it's a full meal in a tiny little triangle.

I sat down with owner, Zak McClellan to learn how these crepes found their way into the heart of the Sault.

So, if you're watching this right now and you're looking at this guy and you're thinking, yeah, he looks familiar, well you're right, because he does date back to epis, season 10, episode four, Zak McClellan you joined us from "Prost!"

in Frankenmuth back then.

- [Zak] Absolutely.

- And now we're at your new crepe and coffee place, Oh Crepe!.

- Oh Crepe!.

- Here in the Sault.

- Yes.

- [Jim] How, how does... - Good to be back with you, man.

- Yeah, yeah, good to see you too.

- [Zak] Yeah.

- This is home for you, right?

- Originally from Sault Ste.

Marie, yes.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah, so, yeah, we've always, the Sault's been really special to me.

My wife's actually from Sault Ontario so um, not planned, even though I joke that uh, 'cause I was born in Sault Ontario too so we uh, my family's in the candy business, that's also in Portage, that's where my dad's candy start happened.

Just down the road at "Fudge Du Locke."

- [Jim] Oh, okay.

- [Zak] Also... - [Jim] So, you were making fudge at a young age too.

- I was gonna say, so sometimes when I'd be up here walking the street or something like that, we felt like maybe it could be a quick, you know, treat for people, a crepe would work out really well with the locks right across the street.

- [Jim] Yeah.

- So, it just kinda morphed and then we decided, what the heck, let's do it.

- Yeah, and it's just nice to have, when you look at breakfast and, and also late, how long are, what are your hours?

- We're, we're open until seven at night.

- Yeah.

- So, we have breakfast and then all the way to savory, you know, and everybody likes a coffee, you know, especially I have a new five month old, so I'm dusting coffees all the way til night.

- I just started drinking it this year.

- You told me that.

- So, I'm a new, I'm a newbie to the coffee scene.

- Welcome, welcome.

- Yeah, so I'm even drinking my prop.

(Zak laughing) What makes a crepe a crepe?

- Well, it's a, it's kind of like a cousin to a pancake.

You know, it's just a lot thinner.

And then you can literally throw whatever you want into it and that's what we really love.

We do a bunch of different types of crepes, savory to sweet to breakfast and I mean, you literally can do whatever you want and, and, and try to treat yourself.

What I do like about it is, we've really tried to make it an experience.

So, you can see it being made right in front of you and just watching, you know, the young lady's who can spin four crepes at a time and get 'em all done, we really like that aspect.

It's an experience more than just breakfast.

And then, we haven't even talked about the locks.

- I know.

- You know, my dad, you know, starting up here, he would always tell me, you know, no matter what, we have to make sure that we, we always work to enhance the Sault, he said, because you could have cities all over but you're never gonna have a lock like the Sault locks, and uh... - [Jim] Yeah, it's just, you know, you see the ships coming through there.

It's like they're walking down the sidewalk.

- [Zak] It is incredible.

- [Jim] Yeah.

- It's incredible to be able to see a ship that size across the sidewalk.

It's insane how big they are.

- Yeah, and changing it's perspective too.

Starting here and ending here.

- Yeah.

- You know, and... - [Zak] Even from the... - [Jim] Watching that drop.

- Even from the store here you can see 'em come in low, then all of a sudden you look over and it's a gigantic wall of steel.

You know, and that's, that is pretty cool.

- Yeah, I mean from a, from an economic standpoint and from a tourist standpoint, they're just, you get excited when you see one miles out on the lake... - [Zak] Oh, yeah.

- [Jim] You know, when you see it up close, I know, you know, for Tom, you know, we geek out on ships and that's just, you know... - It's cool, some of the stores you walk down, you know they have the ship trackers on their TVs and you can see when they're coming through, you know, which we think is really cool.

- Exactly.

So, what inspired you with Oh Crepe!?

And am I saying it, am I hitting the Oh?

- [Zak] Really, we just, no, yeah.

- I mean, is it, is it Oh Crepe!?

I mean, am I getting... - It kinda depends on what type of day you're having.

You know, but the big thing with us is, we really thought that um, a lot of people walking sometimes, when ships come in, you know, you don't always wanna be caught at a table.

So, if you can take something that's walkable and enjoy it, we thought that being on the locks that would be a really nice treat and that's kinda how we came up on it was we missed a few ships sometimes and we didn't wanna do that anymore, so we felt like, something quick, you can take it and walk with it.

For us we thought that was pretty cool.

- Not try to balance a plate on your lap as you're cutting your steak, right.

- Exactly, it's a little bit easier with a crepe, so that's kinda how we decided on, on this treat with Oh Crepe!

And coffee.

- Warm, comforting, and just a little bit fancy, Oh Crepe!

proves great food can both be creative and yummy.

(slow music) Whether it's pedal power or powder season Fox Hole Bike and Ski is your go to gear spot in the Sault.

From first timers to season pros, their team is passionate about helping everyone make the most of the outdoors.

They offer sales, rentals, and expert advice to help the locals and visitors get out and explore the region year round.

I cruised in to meet Levi Cron and find out how this place keeps people moving on two wheels or two skis.

I think one of the things that's interesting is when you look at an area like Sault Ste.

Marie, you try to figure out, you know, how is that rec, I guess, universe, set up?

I mean, what is the... - So, the, the bike, the bike infrastructure here is coming along.

So, we're building some mountain bike trails locally that will feed off of the mountain bike trails that are in Canada and then throughout the area.

Nordic skiing is already set up, so there's a lot of places in the area you can go cross country, Nordic skiing, downhill, a little bit of traveling but having a place where you could get stuff serviced, try things out, it's you know, there wasn't anything like that in town, so... - So, you were showing us the cross between the Nordic and the Telemark ski earlier and that's a very cool transition to a different kind of ski.

- Yeah, so the Alta's we carry, they have a universal binding, don't require a groomed trail and they allow you access to where you could snowshoe or hike in the winter.

Allow you access off trail to go explore more of the area.

- In the cycling world, you know, you said, you know, you've, you know, you've got mountain bikers who are getting into road biking.

- [Levi] Yes.

- But your road bikes, you're not putting them into a 12 or 15 speed road bike, right?

Skinny tires, you're putting them into a cruiser, right?

- Yeah, well um, we have options for everything.

So, gravels really exploded the last couple of years and one of the nice things about this area is within 20 minutes you have thousands of miles of national forest land that are all gravel, all open for recreation.

- Fire roads, is that what those are?

- Fire roads, service roads, gravel um, I don't, like state roads, I mean some of the roads that cross through are gravel and they're a state highway or a state road.

- Dirt road.

- Yeah, dirt road.

- Exactly.

I've noticed a lot more, I live on a dirt road downstate.

- [Levi] Yeah.

- And I've noticed just so many more what look like road bikes on the gravel road.

- Yeah, so the gravel bike community kinda wanted to ride road but had, you know, to have this access.

So, they modified the bikes with wider tires.

You're not gonna get the same amount of speed you would out of a road bike but it gives you that experience and it's created an entire infrastructure of racing and recreation.

- And also when you encounter a gravel road and you're not on your road bike with your, you know... - Exactly.

- 175 tire... - Yeah.

- You're not gonna, you know, fall over.

- Exactly, yeah.

A lot less punctures, a lot less, a lot more comfortable ride on a gravel road, so... - Yeah, 'cause your pressure's not that great, right?

- Yeah, yeah, so, and it, the biggest drawback for most people that are getting into bikes is comfort, you know?

And they, the seats are, take a while to break in, so that comfort for the rider, if you have a little bit more cushion in your tire, it's not gonna cause as much issue.

- Yes, cushion is important.

- [Levi] Correct.

- Yes.

Especially as you're a later in life rider.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

I mean, you know, my, my bike seat when I was 25 was a lot more uncomfortable than my bike seat now at 62.

- Yeah.

- So... - That's good, and the nice thing about cycling is it's something you can do for years.

You can modify your bikes to make, make it fit the comfort level you need, so... - Well, let's go take a comfortable bike ride.

- All right, let's do it.

- Whether you're gliding through snow or cruising by the waterfront, Fox Hole Bike and Ski is ready to gear you up.

And speaking of the waterfront, how about a little paddling with your Sault adventure?

So, right downtown and next to the water is Bird's Eye Outfitters, a place where outdoor lovers and foodies collide in the best way possible.

It's part gear shop, part cafe and lounge, part launch pad for kayaking, paddle boarding, and all things active.

It's basically a base camp for Sault explorers.

I dropped in to chat with Ken and Wilda Hopper and learn how Bird's Eye is helping people see Sault Ste.

Marie from a new perspective.

So, you know, you've been on the show three times.

Last time you took Tom out into the river, made him cross a freighter, get yelled at by the freighter.

- [Ken] Truth.

- And then, you know, he had sides on his boat.

I noticed, I don't have sides on my boat and I have to stand up.

So, you're making it more, every time it's a little bit more progressively harder.

- [Ken] Right.

- [Wilda] Challenging.

- Yeah.

So, I appreciate the, I appreciate the challenge.

- We started on the ground, right?

It was a snowshoe.

- Yeah, the snowshoe hike.

So, lots of, lots of fun with you guys in your love of Sault's outdoors and I think that's, that is the basis of Bird's Eye, right?

That's where it all started.

- Yeah, we found that that's our purpose.

Trying to get people outside more, enjoy what we're surrounded by.

- It is spectacular.

I mean, our conversation yesterday with Levi and cycling and it all melds together and that connection with getting people active and I think that's what draws, that's what draws your type.

- Yeah, it's creating community actually, you know?

And the more you can get them out, people out together, the more they're going to learn together, the more they'll be comfortable together, the more they'll cre, they'll have, there's safety in numbers, so yeah.

- Well, obviously your love of the outdoors is part of what drives you but what continues to get you up everyday?

What excites you about doing what you do?

- The comments.

The people that are gravitating to us.

The people that come and thank us.

The people that want to partner with us because they see potential to even start, you know, educating our youth.

Because it starts when they're young, so there are a lot of people that have come to us and have been so thankful for the knowledge that we share.

Our knowledge isn't just for us, our knowledge is to gift to those who need it, you know?

To keep you safe, to keep their families safe.

- Back to the point of us being surrounded by water.

So, now the plans for next summer are you know, let's, and we've already gotten into some classrooms to bring kids out and tell 'em, you know, hey, it's a great family activity but be safe doing it, you know?

Get mom and dad and you get involved and know what to do if a situation arises, so... - So, there's a number of islands out here that are numbered and named after critters to keep it straight and less confusing.

Um, where are we going?

- Okay, so, they didn't get very creative in the past, right?

So, you've got island number one down there, island number two which is now, Voyager Island Park.

It's city owned and then our non profit maintains it.

There's hiking trails on that.

And then you've got island three over here and that is a non profit, is turning that into a duck preserve.

- Friends of Pippen Land Trust.

- You got close.

- And then of course to confuse matters, island four is on the other side of the shipping channel and there's another island one on the other side of the shipping channel.

So, and there's Steer Island also, which... - Does it have steer?

- No, it actually has goats.

They're the resident landscapers for a couple of non profits that are working on that to, for historical preservation.

- Let's suit up and hit the water.

- Awesome.

- I'm in.

- With great gear, delicious coffee and cocktails, and a passion for people, Bird's Eye Outfitters helps you explore the Sault from every angle.

Now that we're fully caffeinated and still a little damp, let's dry off and scare ourselves silly.

(slow music) As night settles in on the Sault, history takes on a whole new mood.

Sault Ste.

Marie Haunts and History Tour blends spooky storytelling with historical facts revealing a haunted side of Michigan's oldest city.

This guided walking tour brings eerie legends and unique historical facts to life.

I met up with Brad Blair and Tim Ellis for a chilling tour and some hair raising tales from the shadows.

Ghosts have a very specific, spooky behavior.

How are you guys attuned to that?

How much you know, research did you do to kind of make this come to life?

- Oh man, we've been doing this since we were kids.

Tim and I have been friends since the first grade.

We were always the creepy kids at school.

We were the ones that would stand off in the playground and tell ghost stories and you know, some of the kids would gravitate towards us.

A lot of them stayed away.

- Yeah.

- They didn't want anything to do with us but we kinda started there with the whole, just, the local legends and urban myths that were going around the area and we built and built to the point where when we were teenagers and got our driver's license and bikes, we would go around to the different cemeteries, abandoned homes.

Things that, you know, don't try this at home kind of thing, but back then, that was kind of our whole, I guess, feeling our way into the paranormal field.

- Yeah.

- When you dig into this what were some of the surprising things you found?

- Well, even the ship that we're next to right now, as Brad and I grew up at the Valley Camp, this was always part of our backdrop of our hometown but we never really heard ghost stories about it until we started to do our research as adults and writing our first book and just kind of doing the research of the town and that's when the ghost stories really started to come out and then our team was lucky enough to investigate it a few times and during that we captured our own experiences and EVPs and pictures.

So, you know, it's just really neat to grow up in a town that you think you know everything about but then when you really start to dig into the research, all these new stories and lives start to come to life for it.

- Yeah.

So, you guys walk a fine line too because you're family friendly, so you're gonna have some littleins along for some of the tours.

How do you tailor the stories to make sure you're not spooking too much?

- You know, I think we gotta kinda put that into the hands of our wonderful tour guide and Mary, who goes by NightMare, you know, she will kinda feel out the tour and understand, if there's some of the younger ones maybe she'll leave some of the gore out or some of the scarier stories or tone it down a bit.

So, it's really in her hands and we trust her and she's doing a great job.

- Yeah, yeah, and you know, she wears the persona... - [Tim] Yeah, she does.

- Very nicely, I think that's a wonderful addition to it.

Especially when you're doing a walking tour.

I've been on, you know, like the hearse tours of some towns and it's more hyperbole than it is, you know, fact, maybe.

- Right, and I think that's kind of one of the things Brad and I pride ourselves on with this tour too, is that it is steeped in actual research and history and dates and events, yeah.

- Yeah, so it's like being in history class.

- [Tim] Yeah.

- I gotta remember dates?

You didn't tell me that.

- To a point, yes.

I mean, we obviously have put some of our own research and some of our own notes and some legend into it, because there's a fine line in some points between history and legend.

Especially dealing in a town of this age.

- Yeah, yeah.

When you look at, you know, your tour, it's not all just ghosts.

It's a lot of the history too and it really kinda makes you, you know, be proud to be from a town like this, right?

- It really is.

- I mean, you know, what is living in Sault Ste.

Marie for you like?

- Well, growing up as a kid here and I left for school and was lucky enough to come back to do my career here in a town I love but, you know, just growing up and watching the thousand footers cut right through our downtown, you know?

It's a pretty amazing thing to watch and then, the history and all of it, I'm a huge history buff, Brad is too, so that had the history that we're surrounded with and to be able to call ourselves the oldest settlement in the state of Michigan, I mean, that's a pretty cool crown to wear.

- Yeah, totally.

Sault Ste.

Marie Haunts and History tour serves up spine tingling thrills and just the right dash of mischief with a whole lot of fun.

Bring your bravest friends and family and keep moving because you never know what might be lurking in the shadows.

(slow music) So, our final stop is a place that proves you don't have to pick between bold flavors and local history because The Palace Saloon, they serve up both on one plate.

Established in 1903, The Palace Saloon is one of Michigan's oldest bars and these days it's also one of the Sault's go to spots for Mexican food.

We're talking sizzling fajitas, stacked nachos, burritos, and tacos that pack a punch all served in a space that's got more stories than a novella.

I sat down with Tammy Cook to talk about how The Palace went from historic saloon to full on fiesta.

When did you guys make the shift to being Mexican restaurant?

- Oh, uh basically, I mean, in the beginning, was just a bar of course in the 1970s, it was bought, it was created, The Palace Saloon, so that's when the Mexican came in, so we're just kind of carrying on that tradition of great margaritas, Mexican food, American as well.

- Our many trips up here, you know, have shown us that the people who do attract are outdoors enthusiasts and they're food, they're foodies.

Um, they do like, they do like their food, so, um, I think you know, that's driving folks to you and the fact that you have consistently put up a great item.

So, cheers to you.

I would cheers you with our prop, our prop drinks... - Right.

- But we didn't get any.

- Well, I can get you some right now.

You're welcome to have one right now.

- Oh, that's okay, we'll do it for real afterwards.

- Okay.

- So, you've grown up here, you were born here.

- Yes.

- You've lived here, you're still here, what is, what if, in, you know, short sentence, how would you describe the culture of Sault Ste.

Marie?

- Um, it's your basic small town but we've got, you know, Sault Canada next door which is a great addition, 'cause it's like kind of a twin Sault's, which is nice, but yeah, it's just, we've got just about everything.

Snowmobiling, a lot of hockey, um, summertime of course is tourist based, but um, but wintertime there's a lot of people that come up for sports and snowmobiling, so, it's a good, safe hometown.

- This place is over 100 years old.

- Yes.

- What are some of the stories that you could share with us from running a business, not 100 years, but from a business that has lasted that long?

- Um, I've got the Kokko family originally started it, I got to know one of their family members, so he kind of introduced me to a lot of the history, so it was kind of nice to meet him.

We've got kind of a story board in the front that kind of tells that story of the Palace.

So, yeah, we've got some of the original, we've got a lot of the original recipes, the margaritas, and queso of course, so, we kept a lot of the history and we tried not to change a lot of the things, you know, as far as the decor and that sort of thing.

- Yeah.

You know, you're, you're always searching for new flavors, new twists to things.

Where do you get inspiration for that from?

- Uh, I just try to follow the trends.

So, try you know something, we're always trying to add something new to the menu, like we, we usually have a feature every month.

So, um, just following trends and food shows and that sort of thing.

- You go on vacation and you know, pop into places and look around, yeah.

- Oh, for sure, for sure, I'm always looking at the menu, yeah.

I'm always working when I'm at a restaurant, for sure.

- Yeah, there's no, there's no shutting that down.

- No, no there's not.

- Okay, so there's tomatoes and onions in a salsa, what else is in there?

(Tammy laughing) - [Tammy] Right.

- Ah, it's not gonna be that easy, is it?

I can't just, I can't just throw in an oddball question and get you to answer it.

- Nope.

- Okay, all right, well, we'll work on that and I think you know, it just has a really fresh flavor, so congratulations on that.

So, yeah, let's dig into some grub.

- Okay, sounds good.

- Is that great?

Yeah.

From ghostly tales and sugar dusted crepes to gear shops, outfitters, and a bar with 100 year story, Sault Ste.

Marie has a way of staying with you.

So, now you know that the Sault isn't just a border town, it's a feast for the senses and a playground for the curious.

So, join us next time as we uncover some more hidden gems on "Under the Radar Michigan."

(beep) And here at Oh Crepe!, there's some other words that follow that, I was just happy to get through that first part.

(beep) Go to gear stop in the Sault.

It's actually a gear spot.

(beep) (upbeat music) (water splashing) (beep) Now our final stop is a place that serves up bold flavors and local history and they do it on one plate.

That's all the words but they're just not in any sort of order.

(beep) (water splashing) (upbeat music) (crowd cheering) (upbeat music) - [Announcer] The Stahls Motors and Music Experience features a collection of automated music machines, neon signs, gas pumps, and 150 years of automotive history.

More info at stahlsauto.com.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music)