Journey to the Heartlands

Our trip began in Ludington, Michigan where we boarded the SS Badger. The 4 hour ferry ride arrived in Manitowac, Wisconsin where our road trip destination to the Mall of America began.
The Badger is the largest car ferry ever to sail Lake Michigan in over 50 years. It was built originally to transport railroad freight. The ferry is a registered state historic site. Lake Michigan is like crossing an ocean, nothing but water for hours.

Our cost for the ferry ride for 4 adults and a vehicle was . The ferry is clean, well maintained and the trip is well organized.

Quick Tips:

The summer schedule to Wisconsin leaves at 8:00 AM & 7:55 PM returning to Michigan at 1:15PM & 12:30 AM.

There are restaurants offering buffet breakfast, bars, ferry museum, lounges, movie and tv area; staterooms are available. Discounts are offered for seniors, for booking on the 12:30 AM trip as well as for booking a round trip.
WWW.SSBADGER.COM (800-841-4243) for schedule information

Best Way To Get Around:

A GPS device guided us on our 5-6 hour ride from Manitowac, Wisconsin to our final destination in Bloomington, MN where we arranged for a two night stay. The scenery was interesting, farm and wheat fields, landscape a bit flat. Upon arrival we located a small eatery for salad and pizza, rested up for our next day venture to the mall.

Located about 20 minutes from the Mall of America, we had a large room with two queen size beds, AAA discount, nice shower and shower head, glass door on the shower but scratchy towels.
Continental breakfast offered, cereal, fruit, bagels, whole wheat bread, donuts, mini-muffins and a Belgian waffle maker. Coffee was adequate but the juice was a bit watered down.

On a weekend visit, the breakfast room was not large enough to accommodate the crowd at breakfast time. We had to sit in the lobby for breakfast as there were no seats in the room and you had to line up for your food.

The nightly rate of $62.99 + tax was great as well as the location close to the mall of America where it seemed everyone was on their way to visit. A free shuttle was provided and ran every two hours to and from the mall.

Plenty of brochures of local interests were displayed in the lobby.

The restaurant advertises street food from the hot zone. Very eclectic dishes featuring Asian to Latin type fusion dishes. On a very busy Friday evening, our group of 6 only waited about 10 minutes to be seated. If your palate is versatile and you are willing to sample a variety of spicy foods we highly recommend this restaurant. Order little dishes (appetizers) rather than too many entrees and share. Portions are huge and you probably would fill up on several of the little dishes.
Items on the little dishes to share like an Iron Pot of coconut curry steamed mussels $14, Pescado Ahumado, Potstickers, Nachos del sol average $5-14 a dish.
Bigger dishes to share feature carne asada ala moreliana, Phillipine paella, Laughing Buddha Miso Noodles, Fidels Capitalist Pig Roast. Prices are reasonable for the portions given.
Great way to sample many unusual and varied dishes from all over the world.
Very fun and upbeat restaurant appealing to college age and up but still a totally comfortable atmosphere. Very, very loud music blaring which was a bit annoying at first but then you got used to it; maybe it was the three pitchers of Sangria that made the difference.

Advertised in AAA tour book as a landmark since 1944 we couldn't wait to sample the fresh ice cream made daily with fresh milk, cream and high quality flavoring ingredients. Processing is still a family operation.
After having a medicore lunch which I don't even recall what we ate except that it was nothing special. We were a bit disappointed as we figured a nice homemade lunch would be offered. Our friend had chili but it was more like soup; also a disappointment.

But the ice cream was great; huge servings and very reasonably priced. I had my first taste of a Turtle Sundae and loved every mouthful of it.

Olson's was featured in "the very best ice cream" article and where to find it.

Skip the lunch but go for the ice cream; not to be missed.
Chippewa Falls is a nice small town and people are friendly; great mid-western atmosphere.

Our estimated driving time from MN to our ferry ride destination in Wisonsin was about 6 hours. After being on the road for about 3 hours, I referred to my AAA tour guide book to see what might be of interest for a brief rest. We found the Leinenkugel Brewery located about 20 minutes off the highway. The brewery was established in 1867. We couldn't wait around for the next scheduled hourly tour. However right next to the brewing plant was the Leinie Lodge which is a combination, beer museum, gift shop and sampling bar, ALL FREE. We received tickets for a taste of two beers. Just saddle up to the bar and make your choice. Try a shandy, lemonade flavored beer, a European favorite during warmer months. Beer was good, cold and on tap, what's not to like.

You can walk around the gift shop while sipping your beer. It was more like a department store than a gift shop and there was some interesting antiques and memorabilia all pertaining to the beer industry and the role the brewery played in this area. There were several fireplaces and couches and comfortable chairs where you could spend some time sipping beer and of course, shopping. I found this rather amusing. Appeared to be a very popular weekend stop for families.

There are Adirondack style chairs outside if you care to have a seat. Underneath a bridge crossing the Chippewa River to the brewing plant there is a lovely mural of the woods and animals of Wisconsin. A fun visit for our break in the driving. We were careful and didn't over-indulge.

Located on Lake Delton, Wisconsin Dells are Wisconsin's foremost natural attractions. The Wisconsin River has cut a channel through soft sandstone to a depth of 150'. One way to experience the wonders hidden away in remote canyons and narrow waterways is by riding on the Original Wisconsin Duck. Ducks are amphibians left over from WW II. They are built on the framework of a military truck and code-named DJKW, GIs quickly nicknamed it the duck for its amphibious prowess. Your journey begins in the sandy area that was once the floor of Glacial Lake Wisconsin. You travel across the main road, through the woodland trails. As you arrive at the water you descend with a quick splash into the river. Floating along with a narrative by the driver. Our driver was right out of high school and struggled to shift gears with his youthful muscles bulging and shaking under the strain. The ride gives you an opportunity to photograph the beautiful sandstone buffs that have formed into unusual rock formations along the river. Suddenly you are climbing out of the water again through the woods traveling through some windy roads and up and down some canyons with names like Red Bird Gorge and Black Hawk Gorge, a memorial to a famous Indian chief; the gorge is lined with fragrant ferns and rocky cliffs. Also a thrill is Suicide Hill and Roller Coaster Hill for a quick rush. We viewed the lower dells. There are other boat tours that visit both upper and lower dells. Prices range from $19.75 to $26.75 for adults and for children from $10 -$13.50 depending on the length of the trip. Our ride was about an hour and except that the rain blew in on us and it was a bit cold and wet the ride was a lot of fun and I would recommend everyone enjoy this adventure on the Wisconsin Dells.

Largest mall in the US with 4 levels, more than 500 stores, family friendly attractions such as the Amusement Park, Underwater Adventures, flight stimulators, Lego & Nascar silicon motor speedway. As you enter on the North side of the park at the mall, there is a guest information area where you obtain your map of the mall to help you get around this vast area of 7 acres & the largest indoor theme park. Free admission to the amusement park which is ever present as you walk around the mall. Tickets must be purchased for the rides. It is wonderfully thrilling to see a roller coaster whiz by over-head about 25 mph, watch the revelers on the Paul Bunyan log chute (a hollowed out log) racing through a cavernous mountain ending with a 40' drop; think water flume ride. Great fun and excitement. Many, many more rides for all ages. We spent about 5-6 hours in the mall. Besides the amusement park the highlight for us was the Underwater Aquarium. Admission is $16.95 for adults & $9.95 for children. You can even have a shark encounter. (www.sharky.tv)952 883 0603
At the entrance to the underwater aquarium,there is a small but interesting display of the animals & fauna native to MN. To enter the aquarium you walk on a motorized walkway in a tubular tank with wide variety of fish and sharks swimming all around you and overhead. Great fun!!

The food court offers over 50 restaurants from the usual fast food and everything else from Dave's BBQ to Bubba Gumps.
There is an AMC theatre with 14 screens.

The mall was more than just shops; it was really a happening being there. We were amazed at the people who make the mall a vacation must-see. We met people from Canada who come every year more than once.

There is free parking and the mall is located about 15 minutes from downtown MN/St. Paul. The international airport is about 10 minutes away.
Visitor info (ww.MOAspecial offers.com) or 877-998-2600
Another bonus to visiting the area was catching up with friends who live about an hour away from the mall. After exhausting ourselves at the mall we arranged to meet for dinner in downtown Minneapolis.

Back in Grand Rapids, we enjoyed visiting the Meyer May House, one of the most complete Frank Lloyd Wright houses in existence. I was familiar with the Prairie style of architecture as displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York but have never seen an actual house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. What a treat to experience the wonderful ambiance of this home which was built & commissioned in 1908 for a prominent Grand Rapids Clothier, Meyer May. All of the Wright homes were customized specific to the owners taste. The house was restored by the Steelcase Corp. and opened to the public in 1987. Before viewing the house, a 30 minute film was presented showing the renovation process of this magnificent house. Extensive research was conducted to determine the original building design before restoration began. No details were over-looked in the renovation right down to matching the paint colors and wall coverings. The film was a real eye-opener and laid the ground work for what we were to see once we stepped into the house.
The docent explained how everything in the house works together to create unity and harmony right down to placement of the dining room chairs so that everyone had a "good" seat. Interior of the house emphasized the horizontal line remininscent of the prairie.

I suspect this house is much over-looked as a great place of interest for residents and visitors to Michigan. I truly enjoyed the visit and am eager to visit other Frank Lloyd Wright homes.
The guided tour lasting approximately 45 minutes is free. The docent was entertaining and very knowledgeable.

Museum hours Tuesday-Thursday 10:00 AM -2:00 PM and Sundays 1-5:00PM

(616) 246-4821

Lovely display of art and nature at this year-round botanic garden and sculpture park. The design promotes deconstruction of the barrier between art and nature. There are 30+ acres with an outdoor amphitheater presenting evening concerts all summer. Gardens designed to change with the seasons with changing sculptures and exhibitions.
A tram car guides you through the outdoor park for about 45 minutes for $2. The driver narrates. Indoor tours are also available guided by a knowledgeable volunteer docent.

The Tropical Conservatory is more than 5 stories high and the largest in Michigan. Tropical plants from five continents of the world, waterfalls and wonderful plants.
In March and April thousands of tropical butterflies are imported from Central America and fly free within the tropical forest making it the largest temporary tropical butterful exhibit in the nation.

The Sculpture Park is the most comprehensive collection of outdoor sculplture within the Midwest. It contains significant works of art by world-class artists among them Rodin, DiSuvero, Moore, Juan Munoz and Goldsworthy all displayed in natural settings connected by waterways, quiet walkways and paths.

There ae approximately 25 sculptures with space for up to 80 sculptures eventually. Discovering the sculptures in and through meadows and trees, valleys and hills from many different vantage points is charming.

The changing seasons are all recognized. An annual exhibit during Christmas time of Holiday Traditions Around the World features more than 300,000 lights, trees and displays from all of the world, outdoor horse-drawn carriage rides and entertainment.

Lovely bright cafeteria inside for a light lunch.

Provides for a relaxing day viewing the exhibits both indoors and outdoors as well as the plants, flowers and trees.

www.meijergardens.org

(888-957-1580)