A Change in Plans

Sunday August 17th we got up and out about 9 AM and took a drive over to and up the Old Mission Highway on the Old Mission Peninsula in the middle of Grand Traverse Bay, a large bay on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.  We drove through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park.  This is an amazing area of very large sand dunes and forests that is a popular spot for tourists and young families.  Again this is something that we both recommend people take time to see.  Those able to climb on these large dunes will particularly enjoy the area.

When we left Sunday morning we had plans to spend the entire day and evening with the Whites and then to leave Monday to drive south through Michigan and around the southern end of Lake Michigan to Dick’s older sister Maryanne’s home in the western suburbs of  Chicago, a long days drive.  Barb and Jack’s son-in-law had made a suggestion during dinner on Saturday that we consider taking a ferry boat across Lake Michigan instead of the drive around the lake.  So, while visiting the dunes Dick asked Jack and Barb about the ferry ride.   The ferry goes from Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI.  Jack suggested we consider taking it and Pat got the phone number for the ferry using her I-phone.  Dick called and found that it makes two trips a day with the next one leaving Ludington at 8:30 Monday.  The cost for two senior passengers is $62 each, the car for $66 and the RV for $5.95 per foot length (our being 36 feet or $214.20 plus a security fee of $13.50 for a total of $392.70.  Taking the ferry would shorten the drive to Maryanne’s from 9 hours to only 3 ½ hours plus the ferry ride of 4 hours and save a lot of fuel that would be needed to drive the RV around Lake Michigan.    So, even though we had our plans to stay at the White’s tonight and play some more cards for a chance for the guys to win, we did not want to get up and drive the 100 miles to Ludington to be there by 7:30 AM!  Then the ticket office clerk told us we could park overnight for free in the lot adjacent to the ship pier and get into line for the ferry at 7:30 so we changed our plans with the Whites.  We drove back to their farm and about 5:15 we bid them a fond farewell until we see them in Frostproof, FL this winter and started driving to Ludington.

We were thinking about dinner when we passed an Indian Casino and stopped and had a nice buffet dinner, and played the slots for an hour or so.  We then drove on to Ludington, arriving about 9:30 and found the pier area and parked the RV for the night along the edge of the ferry boat parking lot.

The Ferry Ride over Lake Michigan

At 6:30 Monday morning we awoke to the sound of trucks and cars arriving for the ferry trip on the SS Badger.  The Badger was built in 1953 and used originally to transport rail cars across the lake, was taken out of service in the 1990’s and then refurbished as a car and truck ferry.  It only operates in the summer months. We quickly got ready, gobbled some toast and juice and got in line for the ferry.  We had been told we could leave the van attached to the RV but checked and found out we needed to detach.  The ferry provides drivers to drive all vehicles on board and we watched as they backed the RV

down the pier and onto the ferry. The Badger crew was all very friendly and they offer several activities for folks while making the approximately 4 hour crossing over Lake Michigan.  We played Badger Bingo, free, in one of the lounge areas with lots of others and Pat even won a game her choice of the little prizes they had. She chose a yellow SS Badger carrying bag.  The crew also did free face painting for kids and performed a few songs.  Upon arrival in Wisconsin the RV was one of the first vehicles off but the van took a while.  We hooked the van up and were off on our drive to Chicago Northwest KOA campground in Union, IL.  It was late enough and we were tired enough that we did not go on to drive the additional hour it takes to drive from the campground to where Dick’s sister lives in Carol Stream, IL.