car ferry Archives - Dad of Divas

I was lucky enough to travel on the Lake Express Car Ferry as I was traveling from Michigan to Wisconsin. For me the idea of taking the Ferry from Muskegon, Michigan to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to be greatly intriguing as it cut down the time to my destination dramatically (as this was a high speed ferry) but it also cut out the stress of traveling through Chicago with the large amounts of traffic and longer driving times.

I took my car on the ferry, but not all people do, there are some that simply walk on and walk off and the overall cost is less for these individuals. The process for driving into the ferry itself was easy and the individuals working on the ferry were pleasant to work with. Once we were on the ship, we were asked to enter the main cabin to find a seat (there was a premier class cabin but I was not in this). When I spoke to the crew about this they let me know that people in Premier Class were given free beverages, free headsets to watch the movie (In the main cabin these headsets cost $4.00/headset) and more comfortable seating. The overall cost was not that much different between the price of the cabins, in all the price difference was $12.50 one way and $30 roundtrip. Food was available throughout the trip too!

During the voyage, we did have quite a bit of pitching and rolling on the first leg of our trip but I was wearing a Seaband on each arm for the trip, and because of this I did not have any issues of motion sickness. I will suggest though that you should consider motion sickness remedies if you are considering passage on the Lake Express Car Ferry, as some days you will need this while others will be calm and serene and nothing is really needed to help your motion ailments.

The Ferry Ride that we went on went through some rain which made going outside a bit treacherous, so I decided to stay inside for the beginning of the trip. Once we got to the middle of the lake and it was sunny, I did go up to the sun deck and it was very windy and wet, but it was a beautiful view (even though it was windy). On the way back though Lake Michigan was crystal clear and we had no problems at all moving around or going above on deck, so it really depends overall on the day that you are traveling.

The trip otherwise was pretty uneventful, and we made it to Milwaukee and back. I would recommend this as a great alternative for those traveling between Michigan and Wisconsin and vice-versa. It does take a bit of time and money, but the lack of stress in driving is worth the effort and you can let someone else do the driving at least for part of your trip.

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If you are either from Michigan or Wisconsin, you may or may not know that there are other ways across/around the Lake that do not necessitate driving through Chicago (dreadful highway experience if you haven’t experienced it). I am specifically speaking about the Lake Express High Speed Car Ferry that goes between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon, Michigan and the SS Badger which goes from Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan. I had never ridden either of these till recently when I had the opportunity to ride both in a short period of time.

Both of these car ferry’s are great but very different…let me explain.

The Lake Express is a hydrofoil and takes half the time it takes on the SS badger, making the crossing of Lake Michigan in only 2.5 hours. This boat is a sleek and offers both regular and upgraded cabins. People can bring on their personal vehicles for an additional charge. During the ferry crossing a first run movie is shown but you have to pay an additional cost for this. In the past I had heard that if the water was choppy people ended up feeling very sick to their stomachs, but during our crossing, it was quite calm. The seating areas were comfortable and offered both tables and individual seats. The crew was friendly and willing to talk with passengers.

The SS Badger on the other hand is a huge boat which has been making crossing for quite some years. In the past the Badger also carried trains and other large vehicles upon it. On the crossing that I was on, there was a semi as well as a U-Haul with car attached. The SS Badger was definitely more family oriented with kids play area, arcade, movie lounge (first run movie), and game night (BINGO and TRIVIA –I even won one!). The SS Badger also tends to be a bit cheaper than the Lake Express. The drawback – it takes 4.5 hours to make the crossing as the boat tends to go at about 16 miles an hour or so. The SS Badger, or Badger as it is better known is steeped in history and even has a movie to talk about its history. The crew is friendly and willing to help in any way that they can. There were many areas to sit whether you wanted to brave the chilly lake air or if you chose instead to sit inside, seating was available on multiple decks and offered individual seating or tables depending on where you wished to sit.

Overall the trips were uneventful and pleasant. I had the opportunity to meet some interesting people with interesting backgrounds. Though both modes of transportation did cost more than simply driving the entire distance, I did enjoy the trip and the break from the hustle and bustle of driving through Chicago. I would recommend either if you had the financial resources to support the trip. I encourage you all to check out these for a alternative mode of transportation, especially if you are traveling between Michigan and Wisconsin or vice-versa.

That’s all from the Maniverse this week!

The Lake Express ( @lakeexpress ) #Car Ferry Saves Time and Stress In Driving Around Lake #Michigan

Maniverse – Don’t take your car – Take a boat!