Aug 19, Manitowoc, WI

Today we moved in flat calm waters, on Lake Michigan, from Algoma, Wisconsin, about 35 miles south to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. On our cruise, we passed the town of Kewaunee, the 888 Lighthouse and the town of Two Rivers before entering the basin at Manitowoc. We note the water temperature of Lake Michigan is 60 degrees here.

Yellow crop on the shore. Sunflowers?

Kewanee entrance channel.

???Lighthouse

Approaching Manitowoc

The large passenger and car ferry, the S.S.BADGER, is in the harbor as we enter and makes a daily run between here and Ludington, Michigan.

S.S.BADGER is the car ferry to Ludington, Michigan

Manitowoc Marina

We are docked at the Manitowoc Marina with 50 amp but no Internet. We are spoiled and miss having the Internet. We do find free internet at the library.

Wisconsin Maritime Museum
with USS COBIA in the water

Maritime display

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is here and is rated a GEM by AAA. So, we take the tour. Most of the exhibits were about shipbuilding in Manitowoc and how shipping and shipbuilding evolved here over the years. Manitowoc is the home of several large shipyards that built freighters for the Great Lakes and later battle ships and submarines. Berger Boats built a variety of ships and fine yachts and is still operating here. The museum has good exhibits and story boards. There are full sized boats and engines and several rooms full of models.

The highlight of the museum is tour of the WW II submarine, the USS COBIA, which is here as a permanent exhibit. Our submarine tour was about 45minutes and led by a very personable young man. We had a complete tour of the forward torpedo room, officers quarters and ward room, crews quarters and mess area, engine room and aft torpedo room. There is also a movie of the submarines history including it's record of battle actions in the Pacific.

'Loop' exhibit shows our route

We find an exhibit devoted to 'the Loop' which is the trip we are taking.

Downtown Manitowoc

County Courthouse

Budweiser is brewed here

The town of Manitowoc is like many others in the area, suffering as businesses close or move from the downtown. We estimate the downtown vacancy as 30% here.