Floating badgers and rooftop goats

Honestly, I’m not ashamed to say I still know every word to “Thank You for Being a Friend,” the theme song from NBC’s 1985 sitcom “The Golden Girls.” You know how it goes:

“Thank you for being a friend

Traveled down a road and back again

Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant

I’m not ashamed to say

I hope it always will stay this way

My hat is off, won’t you stand up and take a bow“

I’ll spare you the rest, but if you’d like to hear more, there’s a YouTube video out there somewhere of singer/songwriter Andrew Gold performing his classic 1970’s hit song.

You remember the show’s characters: Blanche, Dorothy, Sofia and Rose. Four women of a certain age living together in Miami experiencing the joys (and “oys”!) of their golden years.

Lusty Southern belle Blanche, strong-willed Dorothy, space cadet Rose and matriarch Sofia, who is also Dorothy’s mother. All lovable in their own ways despite distinct personalities that sometimes clash.

The actresses who played them are no longer with us, but they’re forever in our hearts: Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White, who died in 2021 at 99.

Last Monday, three of my Michigan golden girls and I hopped into the Beast (our Sprinter Winnebago RV), drove four hours west to Ludington, then boarded a ferry to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, drove north to Sturgeon Bay and later saw goats grazing on a sod rooftop at a restaurant.

Whew. And that was all by Wednesday!

Who’s who among our traveling group of golden girls? We haven’t quite sorted that out yet. But could Rebecca be Blanche, Linda Sofia or Corky Rose? Maybe. That leaves me as Dorothy, who I am definitely not like at all.

Of course, I’m lying. Sometimes, though, I’d say we’re a little bit of each.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time to grab your seats and enjoy the ride:

Ludington

First stop, the Ludington House Bed & Breakfast, one of southwest Michigan’s best-kept secrets. Our rooms – the Nook and Wicker – were on the third floor of this lovely Victorian-style home. That’s two flights of narrow stairs that were built for very small people before carbs. Let’s just say once we went up, we stayed there.

Innkeepers Bob and Ellen Alderink recently sold the place to new owners Chris and Jenna Simpler and their dog, Carson the Butler (yes, from “Downtown Abbey” fame). The Simplers also own the dog-friendly Cartier Mansion B&B and Carriage House on the adjacent corner.

Our rooms were tastefully decorated with vintage Queen Anne wingback chairs and delicate lace curtains. Being there took us back to another era, when there was no AC, which we had but wasn’t quite enough to cool our perspiration. So, we regrouped and rested.

We had dinner in town at Jamesport Brewing Co., a gastropub behind a Victorian storefront that serves beers and hearty grub such as fresh perch. The food was decent, and between bites we watched the S.S. Badger ferry dock nearby. We would be on that same ship Tuesday.

Not surprisingly, we had room for dessert at House of Flavors, founded some 94 years ago and a parlor/restaurant that has become a Ludington institution. They have 3,400 different ice cream recipes. We tried most of them – and barely made it up the two flights of stairs back to our rooms.

The S.S. Badger

Our Tuesday morning began with a delicious breakfast by Chef Bob at 7:15 sharp for guests catching the 9 a.m. ferry. Over coffee, fruit with yogurt, a salsa quiche and cinnamon scone, we met Joan from St. Paul, a veteran Badger passenger who was headed home to Minnesota after visiting family in New Hampshire. Joan was kind enough to tell us where to sit on the ferry to avoid motion sickness, something my sister Corky insisted was likely only possible by remaining on dry land.

We arrived at the ferry promptly at 8:15 (fashionably late, per Joan, because being first on often means last off). Security guards with drug-sniffing dogs walked around the Beast. They asked if we had any weapons or ammunition. No and no. Suddenly, I was horrified that I’d left some of Maddie’s dog treats in the overhead bin. Surely these hungry K-9 killers would find them. But they did not care.

We were asked to turn off the RV’s propane, to which Rebecca asked, “Um, do we know how to do that?” (Oy. Um, yes, we do, sweetie. And these dogs don’t play.)

So, we left our Beast in the lot along with the other 200 vehicles. Unlocked and with the driver’s side window down and keys (and our human treats) inside for the taking.

Sometimes you just have to let go and let dog. (See what I did there?)

Workers on this 410-foot, seven-story high steamship apparently have a motto: “Big Ship, More Fun!” If that’s true, we were going to have a blast.

At nearly 60 feet wide and 6,650 tons, this baby is the largest cross-lake passenger service on the Great Lakes. It’s the last coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the United States. Back in the day, the ship’s mission was to carry railroad cars 365 days a year.

Aside: The Badger’s sister ships, the S.S. Spartan and the S.S. City of Midland, were purchased by Charles Conrad in 1992. Conrad formed the Lake Michigan Carferry Service to carry on the tradition they were built for.

This floating national historic landmark holds as many as 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, including cars, tour buses, RVs, motorcycles, bicycles and commercial trucks. There are 50-60 crewmembers on each trip.

Built and launched in 1952, the ship’s two steam engines are rated at 7,000 HP and burn domestic fuel. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers designated its propulsion system as a mechanical engineering landmark. (Michael, that fun fact was for you, dude. Go, Huskies!)

For you coal-burning boiler fans (Cheryl J.!), it is a Four Foster-Wheeler “D-type.” The Badger’s average speed is 18 mph, and she sails daily from mid-May to mid-October between Manitowoc, Wis., and Ludington.

Our voyage across Lake Michigan from Ludington was highlighted by a very tall tireless ukulele player who sang for nearly three hours an eclectic playlist, including “Over the Rainbow” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” (I thought I heard “Free Bird,” but I could be mistaken.)

The four-hour, 60-mile journey didn’t seem that long, since we explored the ship, got queasy, sat and played cards (Five Crowns), and ate popcorn.

Once the ferry docked – a mechanical engineering marvel that was fascinating to watch – we waited like everyone else for our vehicle to be driven off. There were trucks, RVs, campers, motorcycles and bikes. But where was the Beast? Hmm.

And then, just as we were about to call for Good Sam Road Service to Manitowoc because that darn thing probably didn’t start … there she was. Did I mention that the Beast RV was the very last vehicle off the ferry? Yep. Very. Last. One.

Sturgeon Bay

On Tuesday afternoon when we got back in the RV, we had a 1.5-hour drive north to Sturgeon Bay. My niece Maureen suggested we take Highway 42, the scenic route. We saw lots of corn fields and intermittent peeks of the lake on our route through towns named Two Rivers, Two Creeks, Kewaunee and Algoma.

At last we arrived on their property featuring a lovely main house that once belonged to DJ’s Grandma Ethel, another relative’s small abode by the dock and Aunt Lynn’s quaint two-bedroom cottage on the bay, where we stayed.

Tonight’s dinner: grilled brats, Wisconsin cheese and wine on the porch of the main house. Delicious!

With our tummies satisfied and our minds calm after a full travel day, we settled in for a good night’s sleep. That is, until one of us who insisted on taking the sleeper sofa suddenly got sandwiched between the sheets and rolled up like a fajita! We laughed till tears streamed down our legs.

Door County

On Wednesday, DJ, a Sturgeon Bay native, led our guided tour of “The Door,” as it’s sometimes known among locals. He and Mo spend most of the summer in Sturgeon Bay with their youngest child, great-niece Grace, who also works at a local candy shop.

They drove us from Sturgeon Bay northward to the tip of the Door County peninsula where we could see Washington Island in the distance. Then we headed south past Gills Rock, Newport State Park and into the village of Sister Bay.

What a quaint little town! I could go on about the shops, but I’ll focus on one special landmark: Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik. If you’ve never heard of it, you aren’t alone. We hadn’t either. But the first question we all had was this: How in the world did those goats get on the roof?

Indeed. There are goats grazing on the sod roof. Obviously, they used stairs. No kidding.

Seems everybody knows about these world-famous goats.

The story goes that in 1973 “Wink” Larson walked into the restaurant owned by his good friend Al Johnson and gave him a goat named Oscar for his birthday, complete with ribbons tied to its horns with a clever note: “Happy Birthday, Al.” The rest of the story is sketchy, but suffice it to say, there was probably alcohol involved.

Al passed in 2010, and his wife, Ingert, still owns the business, which is run by their three children.

To get your goat fix, there’s even a live-streaming “Goat Cam.” (See YouTube link below.) They go up on the roof by 9 a.m. and come back down around 3 p.m. (Must be a well-organized goat union.)

The food at Al Johnson’s included Swedish pancakes (like crepes, only square) with scrambled eggs and a side of Swedish meatballs. Lingonberries, which taste like a cross between a cranberry and a currant, go well on Swedish pancakes. And no doubt just about anything else.

Another thing that struck me during our time in Sister Bay were the flowers. They were everywhere. Lush, colorful and beautiful. Hollyhocks and other incredible blooms filling every corner.

I love Door County Candle Co. products and always wanted to visit their store. We did. The company’s owner, a Ukrainian-American, has raised more than $1 million for the people of Ukraine by producing more than 100,000 handmade vanilla-scented candles in blue and yellow, their country’s flag colors.

From Sister Bay, we drove south through Ephraim and passed Peninsula State Park on our way to Fish Creek, where we stopped at a market to buy our dinner: fresh whitefish. Then we made our way down to Egg Harbor and back to DJ and Mo’s house in Sturgeon Bay.

Back in town

Thursday was our last full day in Sturgeon Bay, so we decided to chill out in the sun on the porch for most it. We were able to see off great-niece Kim, who had to return to work. Later that afternoon, we went into the town of Sturgeon Bay and walked around getting a glimpse of some shops before they closed at 5 p.m. We visited a cool book store (with a banned books table, no less!) and a few other shops, but then of course we were getting hungry again.

That’s what brought us to Kitty O’Reilly’s Irish Pub. And the cheese curds and a Black Cow beer. It’s a dark/light combination of Guinness and Spotted Cow, the Wisconsin-brewed farmhouse ale only sold there. The two beers separate perfectly in the glass when poured just right.

With a bit of luck of the Irish, we also were fortunate to get a good look at Miss Kitty herself and walk around the marina as the sun set.

Our return voyage

On Friday morning, we drove from Sturgeon Bay back down to Manitowoc to catch the 2 p.m. ferry. Arrived a little after 1 p.m. (again fashionably late, thanks to Joan from St. Paul). We waited and waited this time, first inside the RV, then outside in oppressive heat before lining up like ducks in a row waiting to board the Badger at last.

Again, RV unlocked, driver’s window down, keys in the vehicle. Check.

We finally made our way to the ferry, up a flight of stairs as vehicles entered the Badger’s bowels below. (None of us took the stair chairlift, even though I thought about it for a hot second.)

Once aboard, we were old hands at this and knew the drill: cards, popcorn and bingo!

Linda “Fajita” (oops!) kicked our butts at Five Crowns. We pouted a bit and got over it.

Of course, Rebecca won a prize at bingo: a tiny portable fan that beams “BIG SHIP, MORE FUN!” that is digitally projected on its tiny blades. Perfect for her.

And, get this: After we docked, the Beast was the second vehicle off the ship. Perfect for us!

All in all, we had a wonderful time. I mean, where can you spend your summer vacation on a Badger, see goats on a rooftop and patronize a feline-owned restaurant all in five days?

Only with my Michigan girls, friends. I hope it always will stay this way.