today isn't so much about the riding, it's about the ferry.
delayed starting so that i could have one more meal with guido and juli while waiting out the rain in the morning. finally said goodbyes and headed down the road around 1:30. made it about 10 miles before the rain started again. a light rain. i started to wait it out, but after 15-20 minutes, i decided to just ride. country roads and rails to trails. rolling hills and farm land. wisconsin dairy and corn. this time i had the satisfaction of having eaten a bunch of that corn already.
i made it to manitowac around 6pm. lake michigan and grey skies. the ferry wasn't boarding till midnight. there's not much open on a sunday at 6pm, but i did manage to find, yes, a cafe open till 8. then it was down to the ferry and camp out in the waiting room. got a lot of reading done.
the badger is a historic ferry. somewhat controversial, i'm told, because it burns coal and dumps the ash in lake michigan. not to mention the black carbon cloud that follows it around ala pig pen from peanuts. classic conflict between historical restoration and modern standards. the lake ferries were original built to carry railroad cars across the lake. you can still see the rails in the concrete deck of the badger. the lower level is a large gaping hold for vehicles, very tall. there are two levels above for passengers. they include snack areas, open tv seating areas, movie room, a 'quiet room', arcade area, and private cabins. the seats are like a movie theater: roomy, padded, and tilt back.
after standing on deck to watch the departure, i headed to the quiet room. i managed to get an hour or so of sleep before waking to snoring. Serious snoring. the man had a problem. i was sorely tempted to wake him up and tell him he was violating the 'quiet', but i moved to the movie room instead. no one was watching a movie and it was indeed quiet. might have caught a few more minutes there, but it's hard to tell. around 4:30, arrival was anounced. by the time we docked and unloaded it was 5:30.
the only cafe in town opened at 7:00. my warmshower host was available between 7:30 and 10, when she left for work. i had some more time to kill. so i rode around town, checking out the beach and marina, taking morning photos. after i store my gear, the rest of the day will be spent walking around and just enjoying the town. lunch or dinner will be at the one brew pub in town.
good to be back on the road again. glad it's a little more relaxed schedule.
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