Like Chicago, Manitowoc shares its name with a river that divides the town into northern and southern parts. Manitowoc also has a Lincoln Park Zoo on its north side, a Division Street, a State Street, and a parkway along the lakefront. But the similarities end there. The Manitowoc River runs out of town in a hurry, and so do most thrill-seeking visitors. Indeed, as you come into town (take I-43 north from Milwaukee about 75 miles to exit 149), winding past the Penquin Drive-In and the Wal-Mart on Calumet Avenue (highway 151), you don’t realize you’re in a city until Calumet spills into Washington Street. There a giant bottle of Bud towers over the landscape, flanked by two huge beer cans painted on the side of a plant that processes barley into malt for Anheuser-Busch. This is downtown Manitowoc, just three Buds short of a six-pack.
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But I rather liked Manitowoc and found plenty to see and do there. The city has been depressed over the past few years, but it’s taking steps to build outside interest. It has recently rebuilt its lakefront, attracted a huge but partly empty shopping mall, and just reinstituted ferry service to Ludington, Michigan. If you were going to Michigan from Chicago, it would be senseless to do it this way, but if you’ve always wanted to ferry across the lake, this is the place to go. It’s a four-hour crossing on the S.S. Badger, which comes complete with cocktail lounges, shops, a game room–even a cruise director. The ferry service has just returned after a ten-year hiatus; reopening ceremonies took place on May 15 with a parade and a polka band. You should call ahead before you cruise (800-841-4243). Adults 16 years old and over go round-trip for $50 or one-way for $30. Children 5 to 15 ride half price Tuesday through Thursday, and kids under 5 travel free. Vehicle fees are $40 for a car, $30 for a motorcycle, $10 for a bike, and $120 for a 40-foot bus.
You can get a decent burger at the aforementioned Penquin Drive-In (3900 Calumet Ave., 414-684-6403). Just look for the picture of the big penguin, or penquin, I guess. Or try Fatzo’s Sub and Pizza Shop (2001 Washington Street in Two Rivers, 414-794-1333). I can’t vouch for this place myself, but it’s now known to some Manitowockeans as the “Historic House of Fat.”
If you like your history to go, there are copious rummage sales every weekend, and the junk goes cheap. I saw a working slide projector, never used, walk for $10, and I got a colorful rug depicting Jesus in a holy pose, never stepped on, for a buck. The prices at these sales make Amvets seem like a boutique. Check the classifieds in the local paper, the Lakeshore Chronicle, for times and places.
