Our next day is meant to take us most of the way
to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where we'll take the Badger
across Lake Michigan, the last coal-fired ferry on the
Great Lakes and a piece of carbon dioxide-belching
history that's being dragged into the 21st century by
emissions standards. But first we stop to see the bizarre
collection of fishing paraphernalia at the Freshwater
Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward before moving on.
Counties in Wisconsin identify their roads by letter rather
than number. At first I thought this may be in an effort
to limit counties to 26 roads, but you'll find them with
double and triple letters too, and most of them are a
good bet for motorcycling. As straight as they look on a
map, on the ground they bob and weave around lakes,
trees, barns and farm animals. We take B, W, Z, S and,
I think, sometimes Y. We have coffee and pie made
from local berries and tasting of mum's kitchen at the
Crystal Café in Iola, and then we head to Manitowoc
to board the ferry. At the time of our crossing, Lake
Michigan is what mariners call "a bit lumpy." Both my
wife and I take Dramamine and the experience turns out
to feel a little like a party I went to back in 1975. I can
The National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin, is a chilling reminder of what evolution might come to.
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SPRING 2017 ISSUE 01 / VOL. 02
