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Double-D is in da house
“Tell your papa, tell your mama, it’s time for a senator named Barack Obama.”
— Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), rapping at a Rainbow/PUSH labor breakfast in Chicago as he introduced the Democratic Senate candidate.
In plane sight
The best kept secret in American politics for the last three months or so has been who Kerry would pick as his running mate. And if it wasn't for that unfortunate jumbo-jet signage thing, we still wouldn't know.
I like Edwards. He's upbeat, funny, well-spoken and smart. The Republicans will make a great deal of his lack of foreign policy experience, while side-stepping the issue of how a former governor of Texas was able to grow into the job. The GOP hackmeisters will also remind us over and over that Edwards was a trial lawyer who made a living suing insurance companies.
Bring it on.
Lake Express ferry
If Lake Michigan was located anywhere else in the world, it would be criss-crossed with car ferries and passenger boats of all kinds. But this is the United States of Frickin' America, and we drive cars, even if it means being stuck in traffic for three hours on the Dan Ryan Expressway in downtown Chicago in 90 degree weather.
So there's only room for two car ferries on a lake which is nearly three times the size of Wales. One, the SS Badger, makes a four-hour trip from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, to Ludington, Michigan, twice a day, from June to October. It's been around for 50 years.
Then there's the Lake Express ferry, which has been operating between Milwaukee and Muskegon since June 1. The Lake Express ferry is everything the Badger isn't: modern, sleek and fast. Its double hulled design cuts through the water at 35 knots, which is fast enough to pull a water skier, and it makes the 80 mile voyage in 2 -1/2 hours, three times a day.
For my family, the Lake Express ferry is a miracle. We've been making the trip from Milwaukee to the Heraldblog family's ancestoral home in Michigan several times a year, enduring Chicago traffic, numerous bathroom stops, toll roads and the sights and smells of Gary, Indiana along the way. Now, the ferry docks near the Coast Guard station on Milwaukee's south side, about one mile from our house.
So we took the trip this past fourth of July weekend, leaving the Dodge Grand Caravan sitting in a muddy, overflow lot. Here's some photos of the boat.
Photos (clockwise from upper left): Visitors to Muskegon's harbor are mesmerized by mysterious sand piles, which archeologists date back to the year 1999; the main passenger compartment has tables and TV screens, plus a snack bar, and there's a first class cabin with larger and more spacious seats reserved for those looking to read and relax, two activities which are strictly forbidden elsewhere on the boat; four diesel engines provide 12,000 horsepower of thrust, nearly three times the thrust of Wales; the upper deck is very windy, much like this caption.
6.7.04 19:39
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Neill / Website (6.7.04 23:13) did you get any pics from your ride on the ferry? |
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(7.7.04 02:28) I took lots more than I posted, including some shots of the Milwaukee Clipper, which is docked on the Muskegon River. |
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ponnyj / Website (7.7.04 02:54) I really want to do that sometime! For what its worth, Racine almost was the Wisconsin launching pad. Was it smooth? As far as Obama goes, I almost wish he had ran for Senate about 6 years ago so he could be the VP (although I'm quite happy with Edwards). |
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(7.7.04 04:09) The boat was rockin' on the way back. It was hard to walk around, and those who tried were tossed from one side of the aisle to the other, which was pretty amusing. |
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Neill / Website (7.7.04 15:37) the boat looks pretty nice - almost too nice to be cutting through floaters. did you bring your car, or did you go by foot? im thinking i could afford transporting my own body, but a car would be a little too much for my liking. |
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Neill / Website (7.7.04 15:39) obviously i didnt read your last paragraph before the photos, or i would have known that you left your car in the lot. man im a dummy... |
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(7.7.04 18:18) Wow... sounds like a great time...  )
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(7.7.04 18:38) It costs about $60 bucks each way for a car, but you can rent one for about $25 a day once you land. The West Michigan shoreline is very nice. Lots of sand dunes. |
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Tara / Website (8.7.04 20:51) Yeah, isn't it expensive to take your entire family across? I heard this ferry isn't exactly cheap. |
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(9.7.04 04:30) I'll pay any price to avoid Chicago traffic, or to not drive by the Gary Wastewater treatment plant. |
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we are family (10.7.04 18:58) But where do I get tickets to waterski? |
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