Lake Michigan beaches in Northern Michigan are the only place in the world, aside from a few inland lakes in that region, where one can find Petoskey stones, the state stone.
If you aren't familiar with the Lake Express, it's a high speed ferry that travels between Milwaukee, Wis. and Muskegon, Mich. A one way trip takes about 2.5 hours.
First, the benefits of crossing Lake Michigan by ferry
The Lake Express high-speed ferry across Lake Michigan travels about 45 mph and covers the trip in approximately 2.5 hours.Jim Dreyer (born August 16, 1963 in Grand Rapids, Michigan), also known as 'The Shark', is an ultra marathon athlete, because his swimming accomplishments are often tied to extensive running and cycling feats. He has swum across various lakes, among others: Lake Superior 59 miles (95 km), in 2005.
Marilyn Bell waded into the frigid waters of Lake Ontario at Youngstown, NY, at 11:07 p.m. Wednesday, September 8, 1954. It wasn't supposed to be a race, but she made it into one. The Canadian National Exhibition had offered $10,000 to American swimmer Florence Chadwick to swim the lake.
A crossing is going to be around 40 nm, which at your boat speed of about 4 knots is ten hours. The Lake can change a lot in that period. If, as you say, you're new to sailing you might want to stick closer to home for your first forays.
Paula Stephanson, 28, of Belleville, Ontario, finished the 20-mile swim about 7:40 p.m. Saturday after 13 hours and 15 minutes in the water. The swim was Stephanson's fourth Great Lakes crossing.
The average depth of Lake Erie is 62 feet. Lake Erie is very shallow on the Western Basin, but deeper on the eastern side of the lake near New York, northwestern Ohio and Pennsylvania. The deepest point in Lake Erie is 210 feet and is located within the Long Point Escarpment in the Eastern Erie Basin.
There have been reports of dead sharks apparently washed up on the beaches in Lake Huron, Erie and Ontario, but there's no way to tell whether they came on their own or were planted there as pranks. A big sturgeon does have a healthy, shark-like dorsal fin and tail, and they have been known to swim near the surface.
It's So Cold You Could Walk Across Lake Erie. Especially considering that, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 95 percent of Lake Erie is now covered by ice. That's an enormous amount of ice: The lake's surface area is around 9,940 square miles. The hike has been done before.
CLEVELAND – Scientists say it's a mirage, but others swear that when the weather is right, Clevelanders can see across Lake Erie and spot Canadian trees and buildings 50 miles away. Eyewitness accounts have long been part of the city's history.
The sandy beaches, washed by the clear waters of Lake Erie, provide visitors with the only surf swimming within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Beaches are open daily from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day, unless otherwise posted.
There are ferries between Lake Erie ports such as Sandusky and Port Clinton and the Lake Erie islands. There is no ferry service from Cleveland to Canada, but you can catch a ferry from Sandusky to Pelee Island, and from there to Canada. A passport is needed.
How many miles across is Lake Erie?
To a novice, a winter walk across frozen Lake Erie to Canada is almost certain death. At its narrowest, the lake's width is only 30 miles — a comfortable two-day jaunt if you're in shape. Most years, its surface freezes solid all the way across, to a thickness that will usually support a party of hikers.
There's no markers separating Canadian waters from American in Lake Erie. You can cross the invisible boundary line on your boat, no problem. But you must report to customs when you dock or drop anchor in the waters of the other country. Both the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards patrol Lake Erie.
The Great Lakes are all dangerous, but Lake Michigan is the deadliest for one big reason. The dangerous secret behind Lake Michigan is the lake's configuration. It is 307 miles in length north to south, with uninterrupted shores on east and west sides. This exposes the shorelines to deadly longshore and rip currents.
No sharks in Lake Michigan. Bull sharks live in fresh water all over the world, mostly in rivers that are adjacent to the open ocean. It is thought they give birth in fresh water to keep predators away from their pups, and that the pups stay there for a year or so before moving out in the open ocean.
There's also the Bull Shark, but there have been no confirmed reports of such a creature being caught in Lake Michigan. Although it's possible since it already has Sea Lampreys and Snakeheads – a shark would just be a common thing to see among those two terrifying species of fish.
There are no whales in Lake Superior, big or small. Reports of whales in Lake Michigan are also patently untrue. The truth: There are no whales, no dolphins or sharks, and no squid in the Great Lakes. However, there are some creatures in our freshwater seas with oceanic counterparts.
So far, 110 people have died in the Great Lakes, including 39 in Lake Michigan and 35 in Lake Erie. Though many of the Lake Michigan drowning deaths happen on the Illinois and Wisconsin side of the lake, eight people died on the Michigan lakeshore this year so far.
The blue in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is sediment brought to the surface when strong winds churned the lakes. The green in Lake Erie and in Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay is algae, which builds on the surface when winds are calm. The white sand looks milky blue when viewed through the water from space.
Generally the water is clean and safe for swimming. However, to ensure public safety, the national lakeshore regularly tests the water for contamination by bacteria. If problems are found, signs advising the public are posted at affected beaches.
A port and security fee of $8.00 will be added to the base fare for each passenger and vehicle crossing ($8.00 per one-way ticket, $16.00 per roundtrip). Bicycles and infant tickets are exempt from port and security fees.
$117.00* standard fare). Summer Saver Adult Premier roundtrip (using any Milwaukee departure and the 11:00 pm Muskegon departure) just $185.00* (vs. $207.00* standard fare).
It cost us $192 for 2 seniors, a car and 2 bikes--one way.
The four-hour, 60-mile cruise between Manitowoc, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan has all the comforts of home and more. The 410' S.S. Badger carries up to 620 passengers and 180 cars, tour buses, RVs, and semi-trucks. Congratulations to the S.S.
A faster crossing
Lake Express closes the 80 miles between Milwaukee and Muskegon in as little as 2 1/2 hours. The Badger takes about 4 hours to cover the 60 miles between Manitowoc and Ludington.A spokesperson for Chicago's Navy Pier said it lost contact with LEF after 2004 but remains open to the idea of hosting a cross-lake ferry. Today, the only passenger ferries on Lake Michigan travel between Michigan and Wisconsin. The Lake Express runs from Milwaukee to Muskegon and The S.S.
The Lake Michigan Shortcut
The Lake Express ferry docks at terminals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon, Michigan. Both terminals provide fast and easy connections to area attractions and major interstates.Badger offers the largest cross-lake passenger service on the Great Lakes and an authentic steamship experience. The relaxing four-hour, 60-mile cruise takes passengers, autos, RVs, tour buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and commercial trucks across Lake Michigan between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Driving across a frozen lake is exceptionally dangerous and could lead to your death by drowning. So, don't try this at home - or anywhere else. At some undetermined date in the near future, Lake Michigan MAY freeze enough to bike or drive from Milwaukee to Muskegon, MI.
