Several years ago, I read there was a car ferry that transported folks across Lake Michigan, connecting the states of Wisconsin and Michigan. Since it has been "on my radar" ever since then, to take that ferry trip, I was delighted to get the opportunity to tour the many tourist attractions of the Wisconsin town where the ferry docks, and get an in-person look at the vessel. Once I checked the weather prediction to be assured no bad storms were on the horizon, I called the toll-free number (1-800-841-4243) to pay by credit card, and book passage for me (and my vehicle) on the ferry. In preparation for boarding the ferry, I positioned myself at a comfortable spot along the shore, so I could see the Badger as it approached Manitowoc. Even if I had not had my eyes fixed on the horizon for its approach, the deafening blast of its horns as it approached the wharf, would have alerted me to its presence! My thoughts were, "Hallelujah! My ship has come in!"
It is a tradition to get your photo taken with the badger statue, situated beside the ferry. There was a bicyclist at the statue when I was there, and I offered to take his photo with the statue, in return for him taking my "iconic" photo pose with uplifted arms. The statue is appropriate, as a badger is the team mascot for the University of Wisconsin, and the ferry is named the S.S. Badger.
That sidewalk you see passing through the lawn in front of the ferry, is a reminder to say one of the wonderful amenities of this area, is the paved, hiking/bicycling/walking trail (called Mariners Trail) that connects Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Two Rivers, Wisconsin. It is a beautiful way to explore the entire six-mile Lake Michigan shoreline that exists between the two communities. The Mariners Trail winds through 50 beautiful flower gardens, beach access areas, and picnic areas. You can get a glimpse of the abundant and fun activities/attractions in the Two Rivers/Manitowoc area by visiting their website at www.manitowoc.info
The gray vapor you see coming out of the smokestack of the SS Badger is a good time to mention that it is the last coal-fired passenger vessel operating on the Great Lakes.
Finding the entrance to the ferry boarding area is easy, as one just looks for this giant red/white fishing bobber along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Manitowoc. The ferry boarding area is adjacent to the giant landmark.
As I drove into the gated passenger boarding area, a crew member was there with a list that had my name on it, indicating I had paid the fee over the phone with my credit card, and was cleared for boarding. They gave me this yellow card with my name on it, which they said to leave on the dash, along with my car key, and the driver window rolled down, as I said "Adios" to my vehicle.
The entry level deck of the ferry is for vehicles, so this means passengers must walk up steps, to get to the upper levels that are for people. 
At another checkpoint, this lady found each person's name on the passenger list, and clicked on their name to show they had boarded. This device also had alerts to say if the passenger had indicated they needed mobility assistance. There was another set of stairs, that had a chair lift, that could carry one handicapped person at a time, to the upper deck. 
Passengers who wanted to enjoy the outdoors, but be in partial shade, could opt for sitting along the side decks of the ferry.
Passengers who wanted full sun could stretch out on the comfortable lounge chairs along the upper deck. Notice the beautiful blue sky, and the very flat blue water---those were both answers to prayers I had repeated frequently before my trip, because I get motion sickness, which is greatly aggravated by rough, choppy water!
Speaking of motion sickness, the blue, disposable buckets were located throughout the ship, for persons suddenly overtaken by the nausea/vomiting that some people experience on the water. It is appropriate that a Gideon Bible is sitting next to it, because it can also be of help when a person is in "uncharted waters". At the front of every Gideon Bible, there is a section that refers to which pages to read if you are sick, tired, scared, discouraged, lonely, etc.
Another remedy for motion sickness that some people find helpful are pressure point wrist bands, like the black one shown in this photo. This is the wrist of the cruise director, who had the devices available at her reception area, that passengers could either buy or "rent" for the day. When she saw I was trying to take a photograph of the wrist bands while they were still in their plastic container, she put it on as a demonstration of where they should be worn. I did not use the wrist bands, as I had taken the over the counter medication, Meclazine, for motion sickness. Thankfully, I did not have any issues related to this. 
While wondering around the ferry, I came across this small room, that looked like it might have once been living quarters for crew members, as it had a private toilet and sink, and was the location where the Gideon Bible was found.
I guess the reason I was so impressed by the fact there was a Gideon Bible on board, is because I once took a Carnival cruise into Mexico, and requested a Gideon Bible for my cabin The maid told me they did not have any Bibles on board. Furthermore, when I went to the Sunday morning chapel services, the priest who led the services said he did not have a Bible, and asked if anyone attending had one!! This was before the days of Bible apps on phones, so it made me thankful I was part of a program called First Place 4 Health, ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com) that emphasizes Scripture memorization!
As you would expect, this big ship had a gift shop, full of toys, souvenirs, and nautical-themed gifts of every description imaginable. Also, if you decided later you wanted a souvenir, you can order SS Badger items from their website at www.SSbadger.com
This is a photo of the museum that is a part of the ferry. The television screen has a video running continuously that gives a history of the SS Badger, and details about its unique Skinner Unaflow steam engines. This design enables the steam engine to provide efficiency that approaches that of a diesel engine. (Apparently, this is a big deal, as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated the Badger's propulsion system as a mechanical engineering landmark.) When chatting with the couple watching the video while I did, I learned that if you arrive at the ferry by motorcycle, you get to drive it yourself onto the ferry. That is probably reassuring to both the owner of the motorcycle, as well as the crew members who are tasked with getting all the vehicles onto the ferry!
One of the activities passengers can enjoy to pass the time, is bingo, and that is what this group is doing in this photo. Notice also, the silver post sticking up from the center of the floor. Those are charging stations for your electronic devices, and I made use of it, while watching the bingo winners claim their prizes, such as SS Badger mugs, t-shirts, etc. 
These clocks tell the story about some unusual features of the SS Badger. When it leaves Manitowoc, Wisconsin, each day at 1 pm, May through October, it is on Central Time. When it arrives in Ludington, Michigan, four hours later, it is on Eastern Time. It travels a distance of about 60 miles, in about four hours. Its top speed is about 24 miles per hour. It is unusual, as it is a registered historical site in two states: Michigan and Wisconsin. Although I had a vehicle on the ferry, it is possible for someone to spend the entire day on the SS Badger, with no need for a vehicle. They would board the vessel in Michigan in the morning, disembark in Wisconsin around noon, then get back on the boat at 1 pm, to return to their starting point in Michigan. If you had this plan from the Wisconsin side, however, you would need to plan on spending the night in Michigan, before your return trip to Wisconsin the next morning.
Some of the amenities of the ferry were not in use, because of the COVID19 Pandemic. The last three items on these signs were accessible for seating, but there was no movie, gaming, or organized toddler activities scheduled on the day of my passage.
In addition to being on the National Register of Historic Places, the National Park Service also designated the ship a National Historic Landmark. The Badger is the only operating ferry of its kind in the world, and the ship is an icon of car ferry heritage on the Great Lakes. 
This photo taken on the upper deck, gives a good view of the area where the "brains" of the ship guide it on its course.
The ship has its own cafe, and if you know the meaning of the nautical flag alphabet, you can read the name of it, spelled out in flags, below the letters. The date of "1953" written on the life saver ring, references the fact that the SS Badger has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. 
The motorcyclists were some of the first to leave the ferry when we arrived in Michigan, so I was able to hear the familiar roar of those Harley V-twin engines, as they continued on the land portion of their journey.
I snapped this photo from my car, to prove that I had, indeed, made it safely across the lake to the state of Michigan!
This highway sign as you leave the ferry, is a reminder that you have been on U.S. Highway 10 your entire time on the ferry. It is just that this particular segment of Highway 10 goes across the waters of Lake Michigan!Once getting my bearings, I headed for the lakeshore, so I could get a sunset photo before I went to my hotel. I had put a photo on Facebook when I was on the Wisconsin side, stating that if I made it to Michigan, I would post a similar photo, on the Michigan side. So, as I approached the perfect spot along the lakeshore, I noticed a young woman there, who was just gazing into the horizon, as her companion talked on his phone. Since the girl was not involved in his phone conversation at the time, I asked her if she would take my photo. She said "yes", and that is the photo you see here with my hands uplifted in praise to God for a safe journey . Then I asked her if she would like a sunset photo of her and the guy. He was off his phone call by now, and they posed for a photo together, where she had her left hand extended, showing off a big, beautiful diamond engagement ring. As I handed her phone back to her, I complemented her on the ring, and she told me, her boyfriend had just asked her to marry him, minutes earlier, just before he got the phone call. So I asked if they would like a photo "re-creating" the proposal, in front of the setting sun. They said , "sure"! So that is the very last photo of this blog.
This photo shows the staff member (Shane Lee - email: slee@wisconsinmaritime.org ) who gave us a guided tour of the museum, and told us some of the history of shipbuilding in the Manitowoc area. 
A big draw of visitors to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum is the fact that it is the permanent docking location for the USS COBIA submarine. The ship is 312 feet long, and 27 feet wide. It is permanently docked at the Manitowoc River's mouth, where it empties into Lake Michigan. 
Because of the construction of this submarine from the 1940's, it is not handicapped accessible. In fact, one has to demonstrate they can crawl through the "template" of a submarine "door", before they even start the tour of the submarine.
This is a photo of the toilet in the submarine, which on a boat is called The Head. Our guide told us there were several different steps involved in getting rid of the waste, so knowing the proper procedures was very important. It is important to note that guests who purchase the SUB BnB overnight experience do not have to use this complicated contraption. Instead, the clean and modern restrooms of the museum are left open for that purpose. 
The top of the museum is a great event space. It looks out over the Manitowoc River, with a newly-opened entertainment district occupying the opposite shore In the distance, Lake Michigan is visible. 
Our guide told us that this rooftop of the museum is a great place to enjoy the music, whenever a live band is playing on the entertainment stage across the river .
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is full of exhibits that commemorate the maritime heritage of the Manitowoc/Two Rivers cities. These two cities are famous for being where submarines were built during World War II. The museum has over 60,000 square feet of space. This photo shows the room with model ships in it.
Another room is a gallery for Wisconsin-built boats. That is where one can read about some historic vessels, as well as marine engines. 
One section of the museum tells the story of the many shipwrecks that have occurred off the coast of Lake Michigan. The Bible on display here references the sinking of the SS Phoenix in 1847. It is significant because many of the passengers on board were immigrants from Holland, who were traveling to the Midwest, seeking religious freedom. 
The SS Phoenix was a wooden steamship, and the theory of its demise states that the boilers overheated, causing the wooden beams above the boilers to catch on fire. The painting on the right depicts the fact that the ship burned down to the waterline. This would explain how a Bible could have been saved from the fire. 
The museum likes to provide interactive exhibits that students can actually touch, and experiment with. The items shown in this exhibit enable the visitor to choose what they could fit into a trunk, knowing that whatever was in that trunk, are the only things they would have when they arrived at their destination. There would be no "Walmart" at their destination, where anything they wanted could easily be purchased.
I have a wooden trunk that belonged to my grandparents, and is similar in size to the one shown in this photo. I imagine they had it in the back of their horse-drawn covered wagon, when they relocated from Arkansas to Oklahoma, during the early 1900's, when my mother was just a toddler. My imagination goes on a trip down memory lane, as I try to conjure up what they might have put in that trunk, for their arduous journey to a land that was very strange to them---known then, as "Indian Territory". 
Of course, like most museums, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum has a fantastic gift shop. It is full of items related to boats, ships, maritime history, nautical decor, and tee shirts to remind you of your visit. They also sell an updated version of "Torpedo Juice", which is a non-alcohol-containing beverage, that gives a nod to the concoction that some sailors made to "lift their spirits" as they endured the many hours of being confined to the small, cramped space, required for submarine service. When the American slang phrase was coined during World War II, it referred to the mixture of pineapple juice and the 180-proof grain alcohol fuel, used in U.S. Navy torpedo motors. 
