Day 31| Manitowac, WI to Ludington, MI

Today is going to be an interesting one with a very different pace and set of activities. We are definitely in return mode now but the next 3 days will be determined by another force.

Pretty morning again but with a threat of rain so everything outside was packed up as soon as we got up… not that it wasn’t all wet anyway due to early morning fog. We have gone from extremely low humidity in the west back to what we are accustomed to.

This morning, with a little bit of ingenuity, the towel rod and a 3M command strip, I was able to retrieve my ear buds that had fallen under the lounge seat two weeks ago.

This afternoon we take the ferry ‘The Badger’ across Lake Michigan but first we have to get our covid-19 tests at the Walgreens in Manitowoc. We made appointments a couple of days ago.

So why do we need these? We decided before we left home to take the Canadian route home so we can visit our daughters and grandchildren in Ontario and Quebec if we could get back across the border again. We did this already in July so we know what had to be done…. get a negative covid-19 test within 72 hours of the crossing, fill in the online ArriveCan app and include proof of vaccination, and present our Canadian passports and our quarantine plan. We don’t exactly know the turnaround time for the rPCR tests so the plan is to get to Port Huron, MI and sit / stay there until we receive the test results.. could  be a couple of days, who knows.

Manitowoc has an interesting history. It stated off as a Northwest Fur Trading post in the 1700’s. Then it became a renowned ship building port that included submarines and tankers during WW2 and today, luxury yachts. It’s second industry is malt brewing for craft beers importing 2100 rail cars of barley annually.

We walked the charming farmers market and picked up food for dinner. We get into camp late tonight so a ready made dinner is a good thing. Lunch was hamburgers from a market stand at a picnic table with a lovely view of the Port.

The SS Badger is the largest car passenger ferry service on the Great lakes. And the last coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the United States. She has provided a fun, reliable and affordable shortcut across beautiful Lake Michigan for more than 60 years and has transported millions of passengers since her re-birth in 1992. Her unique, bold character takes you back to a period of time when things were simpler. Her mission has changed from the days of carrying railroad cars 365 days a year.

Watch the documentary: https://youtu.be/HqZleHUaZ2k

I love ferries. I am so looking forward to this.

So far we are seated outside and socially distanced from our fellow passengers. Just might get out my laptop and watch a movie.

And it might be nostalgic but the air pollution it generates is unfortunate.

And 4 relaxful hours later… the captain is backing this boat into the ferry dock… amazing 👏 . We stayed outside the entire crossing because once boarded most people ditched their masks. The onboard amenities were, shall we say, basic. But I enjoyed it.

We are now back in the Eastern Time Zone. This will be the latest we have arrived at a campground on the entire trip but it’s still light but barely. Our campsite tonight is just south of the ferry on Lake Michigan in sand dunes. Very similar to Lake Huron. Reminds me of my childhood.