A Journey Aboard the SS Badger

Summer’s end: Labor Day is widely considered the unofficial end of summer. Despite the calendar officially marking the end with the autumnal equinox on September 23, most people recognize Labor Day as the concluding celebration of the season.

The SS Badger concludes its service for the year on Labor Day. This passenger ferry has been a significant presence on Lake Michigan since 1953, and it remains the sole steam-powered ferry on the Great Lakes.

This unique overnight journey across Lake Michigan offers a singular experience. The trip traverses the lake in the middle of the night, during which passengers witness almost complete darkness. Standing on the bow of the ship, you will find an overcast night with only distant tankers breaking the void. It can be disorienting, presenting a sensation akin to traveling through a wormhole.

Travelers arrive in Ludington, Michigan, as dawn breaks, a town with a population of 7,634. It’s the winter home of the Badger, making the trip a poignant farewell to summer, as it combines the chill of autumn with the lingering aromas of the warm lake.

The ferry offers more daytime crossings until its season draws to a close on October 11. The overnight passages, which first began in the 1990s, cease after Labor Day but return the following May. The 1:30 a.m. boat journey serves as an adventurous way to celebrate the end of summer, starting from Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Manitowoc, at that hour, offers serenity. Streets lie quiet and still, with traffic lights flickering yellow, and the air carries the scent of barley. Here, the dock awaits the arrival of the Badger, its lights aglow, smoke drifting from its coal-powered stack.

This ferry, originally built in the early 1950s, transports both passengers and commercial freight across Lake Michigan. Although it was initially designed to carry rail cars, changes in rail traffic led to its decline until the early 1990s. Charles Conrad, a businessman from Ludington, transformed the ferry into a passenger vessel.

The SS Badger achieved recognition as a National Historic Landmark in 2016, notable for its unique mobile status. Few landmarks possess this distinction.

Clear nights on Lake Michigan offer stargazers a pristine view of the sky, attracting meteorite hunters and those seeking lunar phenomena. Truck drivers also favor this ferry schedule, as do day trippers who wish to avoid hotel expenses. Amish and Mennonite communities frequently utilize this mode of transport.

The overnight ferry can feel eerie. On one such journey, few passengers were present, and various parts of the ship remained vacant. The vessel possesses an arcade, cafes, and even a children’s playroom, all empty during the trip.

A documentary about the ferry’s engine room broadcasted in a quiet screening room. The rail cars that once shipped coal across the lake no longer do so, due to an EPA agreement that now mandates offloading coal ash.

Midnight also shines a light on personalized experiences. Timothy Merrick, working the gift shop at an hour when nobody else roams the ship, prefers the peace that comes with overnight shifts.

Amid gentle rocking, some passengers opt for extra-cost private staterooms to sleep. Others wrap up in sleeping bags and hoodies on the deck, lulled by the ship’s rhythmic sway.

One traveler even paced continuously throughout the night, repeatedly crossing paths as the air carried a scent of bacon from the crew quarters.

On clear nights, the Badger offers quiet passages across the lake, with limited passenger numbers. Nevertheless, some do seek out this unique experience, reveling in its captivating solitude.

Rumors of haunted rooms circulate among crew members. Some claim the ghost of an elderly woman who died on board in 1997 haunts a particular room. There’s little evidence beyond hearsay, though.

Finally, as the Badger docks in the Ludington harbor on Sunday morning, Coast Guard boats maneuver about the ship, dispersing fishermen from its path. Pouring rain accompanies passengers disembarking, while the early hours lead to seeking warmth in a local diner.

A return trip back to Wisconsin presents an opportunity to rest and recharge.