Sault Ste. Marie, perched on the edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is a gateway point into Canada. Just across the St. Mary river and its rapids, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario serves as the twin city to the town on the American side. Famous for its locks, used to raise and lower the massive Great Lake Tankers as they traverse Lakes Superior and Huron, Sault Ste. Marie has recently found fame for another reason.

In the autumn of the previous year, an excavation was undertaken to expand the local hydroelectric plant, situation on the eastern end of the teardrop shaped island that houses Sault Ste. Marie. During the digging, workers discovered human remains. Forensic scientists were called in to see if there was a crime scene, but it was determined that the people who were buried near the plant had died long before any settlers had moved into the region.

Archaeologists from local universities arrived and after examination and carbon dating, determined the remains to be almost a thousand years old. Further excavation over the winter uncovered a unique and astounding discovery: a completely intact viking longboat. Since the discovery, ground penetrating radar has confirmed there are several other longboats buried in the silt and mud along the river, indicating a significant viking settlement--the furthest inland of its kind, and predating Columbus by almost five hundred years.

As a result, the city council voted to create a viking museum and host Scandinavian festivals in an attempt to bost sagging tourism and generate revenue for the town.