Written by Laura

Day 59 – July 26 – 43 Miles, 1,050 feet climbing (Near Wrightstown to Ludington, MI)

Laura is our guest author today but I’ll start with a few comments about the pre-ferry bike ride part of the day. We had about 40 miles to cover before the ferry. We rode through more of the same nice rolling dairyland hills and scenery. Our campground this morning smelled like a bit of a sewer and we learned why on the ride. For most of the morning when we passed dairies there was a very strong odor and there were also a good number of effluent-hauling trucks that passed us on the road. Even with all the smells, we didn’t see too many cows in fields. As idyllic as the farms look, it appears that the farming is pretty industrial. Kind of sad but I guess we all enjoy our $2 gallons of milk and that’s what the farmers have to do to make this happen – darn…

We passed though an area of farms with a good number of anti-wind farm signs as well. There were some wind turbines to the north of our route but in the area we were in it seems that at least some of the farmers don’t want them. Most of the signs talked about their children’s health being affected by the farms and how people needed to stick together to prevent them. Later I looked up the source of Wisconsin’s electricity and found it comes from natural gas, coal and nuclear. I don’t get how those forms of electricity generation don’t affect someone’s children somewhere. Perhaps it’s not the farmer’s children – Not In My Backyard. People are funny.

We eventually reached the ferry where I could get off my soapbox and hand the blog off to Laura. Thanks Laura for making today’s post happier. Take it away…

Fifteen years ago, Dad and I decided to celebrate my college graduation and his 50th birthday by biking as far as we could in 3 weeks. We made it to Cody, Wyoming, and wanted nothing more than to keep going all the way across. It wasn’t a self supported ride, Dad’s friend Jim McClellan came along with his motor home, so it was downright cushy compared to what these guys have been doing the last 2 months. When Dad, Dave and Nancy started to work on their plans for Chris Crossing, I definitely felt some FOMO, and knew I wanted to be a part of the experience in some way. I’ve enjoyed meandering around exploring northern Wisconsin and playing the part of bag carrier and support vehicle, and have a tad less FOMO after a couple less than stellar campgrounds and at least a dozen mosquito bites. 

I’ve been tasked with writing about the ferry experience. The SS Badger is one of only 2 mobile National Historic Landmarks. It was launched in 1953, can carry up to 600 passengers and 180 vehicles (including RVs and trucks) and does about 450 crossings each year between May and October. It is the last coal fired steam ferry still in action. We boarded in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, took off at 2, lost an hour a somewhere in the middle of the lake, and landed in Ludington, Michigan just at 7pm, Eastern time. 

This ferry is unlike any I’ve been on before. After I got my car sniffed by the security dog and my ticket scanned I was told to cut across the offloading traffic, leave my keys in the car with the driver side window down, and take what I needed for the ride. Someone would load and unload the car on and off the ferry for me, and there would be no access during the crossing. Luckily we’d packed what we’d need for the boat ahead of time, so Dad was able to come grab bags and I joined them in the queue. The whole thing seemed chaotic and haphazard, with young people running around loading and unloading vehicles, including backing trucks and trailers in. My rental was the 6th put on, and I’m writing this on the ferry, so we shall see if I’m one of the first or last unloaded. The cyclists may beat me to the hotel. Nancy said she has everything she needs to fly home if all their gear and/or my car disappear in the crossing, and Dave said the ferry company needs to send some folks to Japan to take lessons in ferry loading efficiency. 

The advantage to traveling with cyclists, besides the fact that they prioritize regular meals, is how in awe of them everyone seems to be and the special treatment they receive. Actually, I have no idea if they get special treatment most days, but the awe is definitely real. I’ve talked to baristas, campgrounds attendants, and many others about why I’m in Wisconsin, and everyone is always so impressed. Today we got to load first, and were able to get prime seats. We are outside in a shady area, and right at the railing. The fresh air, wind, and anti-nausea drops are the only reason I’m able to write this right now. I’m not a fan of boats. The delicious ginger tumeric tea I picked up at Retro Eighth Coffee & Acai also helps. 

We’re now in the middle of a sea of blue, with no land in sight. I cognitively knew the Great Lakes were big, but I never really realized how big until I saw them with my own eyes. It almost is like being on the ocean. I think it’s time to sit back, put on my sweatshirt, and listen to an audio book. If unloading is anything like loading, it’ll be a bit anxiety inducing so I should take advantage of this time to relax. Tomorrow morning I get to explore Ludington before driving to Grand Rapids and flying home. These guys have a rest day and then about 1000 miles and 3 weeks to go before they too will be Oregon bound. I know it’s been an experience of a lifetime for my dad. 

Thanks Laura – well written. Yes, the cyclists reach the hotel first even though unloading on this side was less Keystone Cop-ish. We got quick showers and headed for dinner in town. It’s a sunny summer night on the shores of Lake Michigan. Restaurants were busy and we had trouble getting a table. Once we got seated, we had a shockingly poorly serviced meal and called it a night. The meal’s a story for another night. As we say, all part of the experience.

I’m not sure if we’ll get a rest day blog out tomorrow – we have heaps of forward planning to do and some rest is required.  We just finished 9 days straight riding, covering some 540 miles – phew…. Signing off from our 8^th state and our 4^th time zone of the trip.