Cool Crossing of Lake Michigan and the living historic landmark the car ferry steamer Badger 

I used to work for the Ann Arbor Railroad. Had old pics of the car ferry’s with trains derailed in the ferry

Took this a couple of years ago from Manituac to Ludington. Brought the car. Got a private room. Great, great experience. I mean truly awesome. Amazing food, gracious staff. A really fine operation.

Loved the video, is a great reminder to make a trip specifically to use the ferry. Excellent research work on the gistory of these.

I've been riding the C&O ferries and their successors for over 57 years, since I was an infant. Thanks for the interesting history video.

Did this trip as a little kid with my family on a round the lakes tour. Very fond memories of having a very nice breakfast on the Badger. Early 1960’s I am thinking 🤔

Great video Wes! Lot of history behind the Michigan / Wisconsin car ferries. I enjoyed the video. Cheers!

I had the privilege of riding it from MI to the great state of Wi years ago.

Fun adventure!

We use to go Coho fishing in Ludington and I always liked seeing the car ferries. I remember the Badger and Spartan coming into port or leaving the harbor. This brought back a lot of great memories of those trips. Thank you for sharing this.

I really want to do a crossing on the Badger. In a few weeks, I am going to Muskegon with a group of scouts. We are taking them to sleep on the USS Silverside. Maybe I can sneak up to Ludington and catch a glimpse of the Badger. Also, on July 7th, I was at an outdoor concert in downtown Toledo. The Saginaw was heading upriver to the train silos. I snapped so really awesome pics of the ship going past the stage. Wish I could share them with you.

Wes, Thanks for your books and videos about ships of the Great Lakes. In the 50's my father ran the American Excelsior plant in Marinette, WI. He shipped 100's of freight cars full of bales of excelsior on Ann Arbor ferry from Menominee, MI, thru the Sturgeon Bay ship canal, to Frankfort, MI. We often rode the ferry, enjoying free passage & staterooms to visit family in lower MI. I remember the auto loading crew riding the endless belt lift to get on & off the car deck. Great memories! I still ride the Badger every couple years to rekindle the good times... Thanks.

Oh, just saw the damaged closing device, they say she is out for the rest of the season and possibly indefinitely. We will stay tuned.

We have ridden the Badger 3 times, and all 3 rides were so different because of the weather and time of day. The first trip from Manitowoc to Ludington was delayed a bit due to cargo loading issue, but the weather was great and it meant we got to see a beautiful sunset sinking into Lake Michigan just before we arrived in Ludington. The Ludington North Breakwater light was a beautiful sight glowing in the twilight colors of the faded sunset while we docked. The round trip we took in 2022, the trip to Manitowoc was packed in fog all the way across. You could barely see the Ludington and Manitowoc lighthouses as we passed by them, as it was so foggy. But we got some great photos as we passed by them, and the evening before the trip we stood in Ludington Harbor watching the green Breakwater lighthouse flashing as the Badger sailed past it in the gray gloomy peasoup fog coming in to harbor. That made for some spooky cool photos as she emerged from the fog and passed the lighthouse. The last trip back from Manitowoc was rain all the way but that just meant we spent more time playing Badger Bingo! 😍 And won some swag we display in our living room now

I cant wait to see you in Buffalo NY on the 20th for the J.B. Ford Speaking Event.

As always, Wes, a very interesting and informative video. I've sailed on some Canadian car ferries Norgoma, Normac, and Chi-Cheemaun.

Always wanted tO make this trip.

Excellent video with lots of great information. I grew up in Sheboygan Wisconsin and sadly have never been on the badger although I've seen it several times. Now I live 700 miles away in Springfield Missouri so it's not a easy task just to grab a ticket and go for a ride. 😭

Let's hope that the Spartan comes back as a modernized diesel powered car ferry, I understand that the chances of it happening are slim to none and that the Spartan would probably be more economical as a barge but it would be a better alternative than to continue sitting. We shall see what the future holds for her.

It MUST be a cool crossing to ride on America's last coal-fired steamship.

Hey Wes, good video. I hear the Badger drop anchor from my shop in Ludington, and watch her come and go often. One correction, both the Pere Marquette 18(I) and Manistique, Marquette, and Northern No. 1 (later Milwaukee) had full length passenger accommodations when built, long before the Cities of Saginaw and Flint.

Wes, I’m sure your itinerary was changed by the Badger’s issue but hope you made it to Oshkosh on schedule. Let your people know when you get a minute.

I was just checking out the Badger on Marine Traffic. It's doing almost 15 knots as I write this. Thanks for another great story Wes.

I know Spartan still exist as a part source for Badger but what happened to the other one City of Midland?

I wonder how many of these open stern car carriers suffered the same fate as that of the Pere Marquette number 18? Sure, they must be a lot of fun on a sunny day with calm waters, but they will surely sink like a rock in high following seas.

Does she run in November