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.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/06/possible-ferry-closure-on-north-lakes.html
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