Across Lake Michigan

Today was a very different kind of traveling day. First of all, we got to sleep in late. We still had to load our stuff in the truck. Then, we had to find something to do to pass the time until we were to gather at the ferry dock. Our riding route was about 4 miles to the dock, but most of us rode around the beautiful waterfront area near the Maritime Museum. I rode out to the marina, then found a group of our riders at a little cafe having "second breakfast".



At the requested time we found our way to the ferry dock. I stopped off at Subway to get a nice sub sandwich to take along for the four hour ferry ride to Michigan. I still got to the dock plenty early, and it was a "hurry up and wait" situation. Here are some of the "waitee's"

Stu, looking fashionable as usual.

Kent and Ilkka, wishing they were as dashing as Stu.


Fianlly it was time to board the SS Badger. This is the ony steamship operating on the Great Lakes today. While we were waiting, they had loaded four large truckloads of coal, which soon turned into large clouds of black smoke after heating the boilers.

They let us load our own bikes against one of the walls, correctly called a "bulkhead" on board the vessel.


The voyage was mostly pleasant, although the quartering seas made me mildly seasick for awhile. I did find relief when I lay on one of the deck lounge chairs and took a nap. Here is Kent on deck.


He took a picture of me, with the approaching bluffs of Michigan visible behind me.

As we docked, several swans sailed by, oblivious to the ferryboat.



After disembarking, we rode the four miles from the harbor to the motel, and grabbed a late dinner. I later walked up to Wal-mart and exchanged my defective camera (the one I had bought in Idaho Falls as a snapshot camera). I now have a Fuji camera for that purpose. It at least has a viewfinder, so that I don't have to use the stupid little LCD screen while wearing dark sunglasses, hoping I am pointing at the intended subject. I got to bed late.