We were recently alerted to the pending closure of the Lake Michigan car ferry serviced by the SS Badger. This ferry is an integral part of the Northern Lakes Route, whether a cyclist wishes to travel the route as a loop, or incorporate it into their Northern Tier Route cross-country journey.
The SS Badger is an older, coal-fueled ferry, and the Environmental Protection Agency is shutting it down due to the coal-ash it deposits in the lake. The intended end date is December 2012. There is an option on the table to convert the ferry operation over to natural gas, a cleaner fuel alternative. A group has been formed -- S.O.S. (Save Our Ship) -- to help explore this option and gather support for the continued ferry operation.
While it's not super cheap ($76/one way), a ferry ride is a novel experience to include on a bicycle tour, and we think it should remain an option for all who want to travel between Luddington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. If you agree, we encourage you to support S.O.S. in their efforts.
Photo by milesizz on Flickr.
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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.
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My feelings are mixed on this one. (Point of clarification the ticket is $70, bringing a bike adds $6). But for that $6 you get pretty much nothing. My laden touring rig was smooshed among 10 other bikes that were falling over each other, all heavy with gear. I felt bad for the gentleman on the recumbent who had to wait until bike after bike was lifted off. I can't imagine his bike was unscathed.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I definitely appreciate the convenience of crossing Lake Michigan at that point, rather than an urban excursion through Milwaukee and Chicago, so I'm on board and will probably try to get another trip in to NW lower Michigan before the potential closedown.
If anyone wonders if the trip is worthwhile:
http://problemsolversbike.com/blog/comments/bike_camping_trip_pics/