Travel on Lake Michigan is a breeze aboard the S.S. Badger and Lake Express, and each ferry service offers a unique experience.
The S.S. Badger began service in 1953 for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway as a rail car ferry on Lake Michigan. It was retired in 1990, but it was returned to service as a passenger ship in 1992. The railroad tracks that lined the belly of the ship were covered with 325 tons of pavement to make it easier to wheel automobiles in and out.
Sailing at 18 mph, the ferry offers a leisurely four-hour trip between Manitowoc and Ludington, Mich. The S.S. Badger can accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, and it is the last coal-fired passenger steamship operating in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016. For more information about the S.S. Badger visit ssbadger.com
The Lake Express ferry began service in June of 2004. It makes the lake crossing from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Mich., in two and a half hours. The catamaran is powered by four diesel engines, with a top speed of 39 mph. It was designed for passenger travel with a sun deck and outdoor seating areas, for a capacity of 250 persons. It can accommodate 46 vehicles and 12 motorcycles, and other types of vehicles depending on auto deck capacity.
In 2005, cabin upgrades, food service and new entertainment offerings were added, with top-deck seating for passengers who enjoy the wind in their face, when the ferry clears the breakwater and revs up its engines to cruising speed. For more information about the Lake Express visit lake-express.com
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Anchors aweigh aboard the S.S. Badger and Lake Express ferry services
Reporting by Elaine Rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Elaine Rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
