The SS BADGER: 

She is the largest car ferry ever to sail Lake Michigan, and has provided a safe, fun, and reliable shortcut across the huge inland sea for more than fifty years. The S.S. Badger is a national treasure, offering a cruise experience that links us to an earlier time when a sea voyage was the ultimate travel and vacation adventure.

As the only coal-fired steamship in operation in North America, the S.S. Badger operates on domestic fuel, and the company has  an extraordinary commitment to maintaining a unique propulsion system that has been designated as a national mechanical engineering landmark. The S.S. Badger offers an authentic steamship experience unmatched anywhere else. 

The LAKE EXPRESS:

She is the first high speed auto/passenger ferry to operate on a route on both the Great Lakes and within the Continental United States.  The aluminum hulled catamaran was built at Austal USA, LLC's  aluminum shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Alabama and was launched on March 20, 2004.  The ship began service on the route between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Muskegon, Michigan on June 1, 2004.

Both are impressive ships, carting people and their rides across Lake Michigan to avoid the travel around the lake, or just for plain fun.  But which is the best way to travel?  How do they compare?  The following information was mostly gleaned from their respective websites:

http://www.ssbadger.com/home.aspx

http://www.lake-express.com/default.aspx

SIZE:  SSB:  410' X 60'

          LX:  192' X 57'

--Winner:  Badger

SPEED:  SSB:  18 mph (avg)

               LX:  40 mph

--Winner:  Lake Express

CAPACITY:  SSB:  600 people/ 180 cars

                    LX:  248 people/ 46 cars

--Winner:  Badger

CREW SIZE:  SSB:  50-60

                      LX:  8

--Winner:  Badger

TIME TO CROSS:  SSB:  3.5-4 hrs.

                             LX:  2.5 hrs.

--Winner:  Lake Express, if in a hurry

               Badger:  if not

COSTS: 

ADULT (1 Way/Round Trip):

          SSB:  $69/$109

          LX:  $85/$129

--Winner:  Badger (by $16/$20)

CHILD (5-15 y.o.)

          SSB:  $24/$39

          LX:  $15/$24

--Winner:  Lake Express (by $9/$15)

SENIOR (65+, 62+ for LX):

           SSB:  $63/$99

           LX:  $68/$103

--Winner:  Badger (by $5/$4), if over 65 y.o.

               Lake Express(by $1/$26) if 62-65 y.o.

AUTOMOBILE/ SM TRUCK

           SSB:  $59/$118

           LX:  $92/169

--Winner:  Badger (by $33/$51)

BICYCLE:

           SSB:  $6/$12

           LX:  $9/$18

--Winner:  Badger (by $3/$6)

MOTORCYCLE:

           SSB:  $38/$76

           LX:  $38/$76

--Winner:  Draw

TRAILER:

          SSB:  $45/$90

          LX:  $93/$185

--Winner:  Badger (by $48/$95)

PARKING FEES:

          SSB:  None at terminals

          LX:  $5 at MILW., $4 at MUSK.

--Winner:  Badger

At a score of 10-4, the SS Badger wins in the head to head comparisons.  Other comparisons could include that the Badger allows you to bring your own food on board, they offer more activities on board, they ride more smoother in rougher waters, and can travel in weather in which the Lake Express can't.  The Lake Express is a sleek vessel and very helpful if you are in a hurry to get to Wisconsin with a cleaner fuel.  But for the consummate tourist, the nostalgic feel of the Badger, the slower pace, and the value seem to make it the clear choice. 

If you haven't rode either, get out and do so before the season is over.  For two adults and a car it would cost you $197 on the SS Badger, $262 on the Lake Express, but check out the discounts and deals on each site.  A mini cruise on the badger could cost you under $160 for a round trip if you leave the car at home and come back within two days, and you can even bring four kids along for free.