I made reservations many months ago. The S.S. Badger is still on its spring schedule through June 14 so we were able to leave Manitowoc, Wisconsin at 2 PM and arrive in Ludington, Michigan at 7 PM. The crossing is really just four hours but the change from Central Time and Eastern Time accounts for the extra hour.
We arrived with more than an hour to spare so it was suggested we visit the nearby Wisconsin Maritime Museum to kill the time.
We boarded the USS Cobia while there. The WWII submarine offers a claustrophobic tour and one that I found a little uncomfortable at times. It was too confining for me. One man on our tour was grossly overweight and had a hard time getting through various hatches. It was also warm, even with fans humming. I suppose I'm glad I've seen it ... but I wouldn't choose to do it again.
Another view inside the museum.
While at the museum we could see that the SS Badger had pulled into port and we knew our time was dwindling. I told our tour guide that we had to be there at 1 PM and I think he cut the tour a bit short.
Driving back to the ferry was confusing and I circled downtown Manitowok a couple of times. Even GPS didn't help. I was totally confused and a bit desperate to find the correct road. As we finally arrived I saw a line of cars being admitted by a woman with a clipboard. Opposite her was another woman with a clipboard but no cars in her lane. I pulled in there. She wasn't happy. "You've gone in front of all the cars in line," she said. I explained that I thought she was opening another line. She looked at our paperwork and let us in but I'm sure my actions generated some ill feelings, both with the guards and with those lined up waiting entry. All I can say is, it wasn't intentional.
Successfully on the ship, we walked to the front to see where it is piloted from.
There are a number of places to eat on board.
We waited in the cafe for the ferry to get underway. Just before 2 PM I could feel the engine's deep vibration and could see the Wisconsin shoreline slowly moving bast the window.
As we left shore we walked to the rear of the ship and could see the gentle wake we were making. Fog was already closing in and a soft rain was beginning to fall.
In the summer I suppose this walkway would be warm but it was cold on this day. My hoodie was barely enough.
Staterooms are available for an extra charge. This first time I was interested in seeing everything but if we ever have the chance to do it again, a stateroom would be fun. It'd be nice to just crawl into bed, pull up a warm blanket and sleep the miles away.
There's a small museum on board. The SS Badger "is the last coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the United States". In 2016 the ship was named a National Historic Landmark.
I liked seeing lifeboats hanging above but they seemed somehow remote and hard to get to. Of course Lake Michigan is only 50 miles wide and we were never far from a very populated part of the world.
Chairs line the outside decks.
Tom and I found a spot in the cafe to play cards as we neared Michigan. Out on the lake there is no cell phone service (though WiFi is available on the ship). When we got within miles of Michigan I could again use the Internet and also look up my GPS position. We were just south of the ferry route drawn on the map.
This picture shows how thick the fog was. A fog horn was sounded regularly.
And here is Ludington Harbor ...
There is probably a half hour delay getting the ship backed into place and time to allow the passengers to disembark on foot. Our car took another twenty minutes, at least.
It was quite an adventure and one I've wanted to do since I was a kid. Cross that one off ...
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