Roughly the size of West Virginia, Lake Michigan is the fifth largest lake in the entire world. Because we live in Wisconsin, yet still consider Michigan home Lake Michigan kind of, well, gets in our way. A beautiful, powerful, majestic body of water, our family is from a long line of Coast Guard officers and light house keepers. We love the Lake, but sometimes wish Chicago had fewer traffic jams.

SS Badger Lake Michigan Car Ferry

Probably best known most for the tag-line, Big Ship, More Fun! the SS Badger Lake Michigan Car Ferry has been sparing families from automobile exhaust fumes since 1953. I’ve, personally, been riding the ferry for the past 33 years (34 if you count in utero), as a kid and now with my own three first mates. Hands down the best part of the entire trip is SS Badger Bingo run in the Main Lounge by an energetic activities host. So groan-worthy are the bingo jokes at times, I’m hoping Big Ship, More Puns! catches on soon. With opportunities to win food, pencils, and even a massage from the ship’s masseuse, make sure and pack your lucky bingo charms! (Trust me: we all still remember the day my sister won a SS Badger sweat shirt back in 1991.)

Surrender yer booty!

I can’t remember a trip where we didn’t rent a state room on the SS Badger. Regardless of the time of day (or night) you sail, a state room offers you a quiet place to nap, re-group, and have a little privacy (including your own bathroom). It’s worth the couple extra bucks. Because our kids are still young, we tend to hover around the Boatique Gift Shop, Movie Lounge, Video Arcade, and Kids Play Room. Some day we’ll venture out into the TV Lounge areas or even up to the second-story Cabana Room for cards or board games. Opportunities for scenic views and fresh breezes can be found on both port and starboard sides of the ship, with the biggest space for sun bathing in the bow seating area at the front (here’s a photo from last summer; we were looking for Leondardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet). The SS Badger is getting hipper-and-trendier, too, with free WiFi and wireless trivia consoles. We even shared a table with someone answering trivia questions AND playing SS Badger Bingo (!).

Blue Harbor Resort Waterpark

With ports in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Luddington, Michigan, the SS Badger Lake Michigan Car Ferry has the potential to knock hours off travel time (and gallons of gasoline) on your next road trip. But what if you just want to ride the boat and come home? Or ride the boat to one side of the lake, stay for a day or two, and come back home?

Located a short 45 minutes drive in nearby Sheboygan, Wisconsin the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center is a lovely place to get your feet wet. Practically opening up onto the beach, families will enjoy views of sail boats almost as much as the Breaker Bay Indoor Waterpark. Just outside the frame of this image is a toddler-perfect pool with “one bumpy red slide and two blue regular slides.” I have officially lost count of how many times the kids have asked to go back to the place with the “one bumpy red slide and two blue regular slides.” We loved Breaker Bay for the complimentary life jackets, variety between the different pools, and the “one bumpy red slide and two blue regular slides.” Outside Breaker Bay is a very warm outdoor pool, open to both guests of the resort and waterpark patrons.

Boathouse Suite

Honestly, though, my favorite space at the entire Cape Cod-like resort community was the Crew Club craft and activity room located on the second floor directly above the waterpark and adjacent to the Northern Lights Arcade. With age-appropriate toys, a variety of free and affordable crafts, coloring sheets for a coloring contest, and other parents with waterpark hair, we played in the Crew Club for at least an hour without even noticing the time passing us by. Later on in the evening, the Crew Club staff helped kids roast marshmallows at the camp fire pit by the sand dunes and paved walking trail. With family-sized suites and impressive villas (family reunion, anyone?), we loved the Boathouse Suite. I don’t think hotels came with boat-shaped beds when we were kids, did they?

Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark

On the opposite side of the lake in equally beautiful Traverse City, Michigan is the Great Wolf Lodge and Waterpark. Frequent visitors to Traverse City, we’ve driven by the Great Wolf a number of times. Completely worthy of begging to go there, Road Trips for Families has thoroughly enjoyed the lodge and water park on a previous road trip. With a four-story tree house smack dab in the middle of the indoor aquatic fun, what kid would want to leave? Well, maybe ours, but only if there wasn’t “one bumpy red slide and two blue regular slides.” Just kidding!

Lake Michigan is part of what makes the Great Lakes great. In the water, on the water, or near the water, cruising the Midwest is Big Fun any way you float your boat.

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