Airstreaming ACROSS Lake Michigan on the SS BADGER Ferry!

Episode One of our Blessed Midwest trip - "The Last Steamship"
We travel across the state to Ludington and the shores of Lake Michigan to the dock of the SS BADGER ferry boat. The SS Badger is the last operating coal fired steamship in the United States.
Built in 1953, the SS BADGER celebrates 70th Anniversary this year. We were fortunate to get a complete tour of the BADGER by Shelby Soberalski, the Director of Marketing & Sales.
Join us on this journey across Lake Michigan and learn about the BADGER, how steamships operate, and what it's like to be aboard the Last Steamship. But first, Michelle needs to retire from the Library.
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#airstream #puremichigan #ssbadger #lakemichigan #steamship #pureludington #camping

[@airstreamer]

Have you ever crossed Lake Michigan on a ferry boat?

[@michellefisher724]

Our first long trip with the airstream was an awesome experience! Jim you did such an incredible job putting this together. You nailed the music and the heart and visuals were perfect. Looking forward to making more memories ❤

[@airstreamer]

🥰😘

[@gregpriddy8595]

Shelby was awesome! Good job, G

[@airstreamer]

She absolutely was awesome!

[@kdyooper28]

I live on the Wisconsin side. Not a boat person but love The Badger and trying to get up the nerve to get on it. Yours is the most “comforting” video I’ve seen. We greet Her often, someday, I’ll get on.

[@airstreamer]

Thanks so much for your kind words. It was a great trip and highly recommended. The cruise was so gentle, we didn’t even realize that we had left dock in Ludington! The crew is highly skilled. 🛻+⛴️=🥳

[@pattibouck6407]

This is so cool! Really interesting to learn about and hear the history of the Badger. I really enjoy your music!

[@airstreamer]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching.

[@michellefisher724]

Hi Patti 😊 Thank you for watching! Shelby is SO knowledgeable

[@nikegirl1]

That looked like it was a really fun adventure.. Thank you for sharing. You 2 are a adorable couple by the way. Stay safe on your journeys.

[@airstreamer]

Thank you for watching! The SS Badger is a great way to travel. Thank you for your kind words. - Michelle

[@boyo2012]

The production value in this…deserves an Emmy! Absolutely beautiful and captivating!

[@airstreamer]

Thank you! Jim's background is in videography and photography, and he invests a lot of time into editing our videos. - Michelle

[@janetopatrny3466]

Watching this video encourages us to make that trip across Lake Michigan on the Badger one day. So much great information, thank you! Safe travels and happy retirement! 👋🏻 Jan and Dave

[@airstreamer]

Glad it was helpful! FYI, the Badger is shut down this year due to loading dock problems. 🥺

[@paulcookphotography]

Congratulations on your retirement from the library Michelle! That's awesome! I've been to Ludington before, my family used to vacation there, but I've never crossed the lake on a ferry. Looks like a great experience for most normal people, at least in good weather 😅 I would have been puking my brains out even in calm waters though. Looks like a great start to your Midwest trip! Looking forward to the next installment!

[@airstreamer]

Thanks so much Paul. The trip was amazing. This was the smoothest boat ride I’ve ever been on. We never felt the Badger leave her dock! Hope you’re fully moved and settled in WV.

[@michellefisher724]

Thank you Paul 🎉

[@AndyandRachel]

What an epic experience! No, we cannot say that we have taken a ferry boat across Lake Michigan, but we would like to spend some time in the Upper peninsula of Michigan. We hear it might be an excellent year for viewing the northern lights. It was so sweet to see the joy on your face and your co-workers at your retirement party. Seems like an end to a beautiful chapter and a start to an exciting one as well.

[@airstreamer]

Thank you for watching and commenting! Yes, I loved my job, so it was bittersweet. We are having a pretty exciting adventure though. :) Michelle

[@draytonblackgrove]

Shelby is the best.

[@airstreamer]

She was so knowledgeable! - Michelle

[@Howoldareweanywayyipes]

SS Badger... been there, done that. Great trip.

[@airstreamer]

It is a great route to avoid the driving through Chicago!

[@daleschneider7090]

I was born in Traverse City Michigan. Mom and dad let my sister and I ride the ferries several times over to Milwaukee from Ludington to visit cousins. I was 16 sis was 13. Rode the Badger, Spartan, City of Milwaukee (which is now docked in Manistee.) Thank you so much for that very detailed tour!

[@airstreamer]

Thanks for sharing! This was our first trip on the Badger. We hope they get the dock repaired so she can continue to sail Lake Michigan.

[@georgekn3mp]

We have ridden the S.S. Badger three times, and the weather was so different on all three rides! One ride was sunny all the way from Manitowoc to Ludington, and the round-trip ride was completely fogged over on the way from Ludington to Manitowoc and the return trip to Ludington was wet and rainy. The first ride had a beautiful sunset view from the back deck as the Badger had left late due to a cargo conflict, so the Sun went down into Lake Michigan just as we crossed the state line into Michigan, an hour or so from Ludington. We love the Badger, they have good food, lots to see around the ship, and it was even more interesting in the foggy weather as we left Ludington...you could barely see the Ludington North Breakwater light as we passed by. We got some great photos and video of that, posted on our KZbin channel. The Badger was a great shortcut on our way home from our Keweenaw Peninsula vacation so we didn't have to drive along the Seney Stretch across the U.P. again 😁

[@airstreamer]

The Badger is a great experience. For us it removed the dreaded drive around Chicago. Thanks for sharing your experiences about crossing Lake Michigan on the SS Badger.

[@mikeboyer2421]

a really well done, well edited 'film' !!

[@airstreamer]

Thank you very much!

[@AndrewHamiltonPhotography]

Fabulous Jim and Michelle ! Loved the history and tour - was super impressed with your reversing skills at the intro but then it became apparent it wasn’t you after all 😂 Really looking forward to the adventures - our van should be arriving soon and can’t wait to start our travels. What was the 360 camera you used btw? Ive been looking at the Insta 360

[@airstreamer]

Hey, Andrew! Thanks so much for watching! So exciting to travel and be on the road. I'm looking forward to see some adventures from your side of the Atlantic. Yes, I used a 360 camera for many shots. I picked up the Insta360 One RS. That model fit my needs the best. The ability to frame and pan the image in post is amazing. The thumbnail is a still frame from the Insta360 video I shot.

[@AndrewHamiltonPhotography]

@@airstreamer Good to hear about the Insta from someone who has one and the footage was amazing ! Thanks 😊 We have a build date of September and delivery October so fingers crossed 🤞🏻

[@michellefisher724]

Hahahaha Andrew! Their backing up skills were amazing to watch!

[@GoingNoWhereFast]

Did the badger Sponsor you on this video? I notice there is noting about cost, which usually means they had some control over it.

[@airstreamer]

No. We paid the same as everyone else for the trip. A discount would have been nice! The video does show that we got a partial refund because Jim had measured the truck plus the Airstream. They only needed the Airstream length. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@GoingNoWhereFast]

@@airstreamer How did you spend so much time with the Marketing person? How much did the trip cost you? I'm thinking of going in August 2024. By the way, great video, good camera work and editing.

[@airstreamer]

@GoingNoWhereFast I did reach out to the SS Badger in hopes of getting a tour and discount. Shelby did obviously give us a tour and a great interview, but no discount. I’d need to check our records, but I think it was about $400. One way is $96 for the vehicle and $10 per foot of trailer.