Lighthouse Voyage - Part 13

[Tannerman]

Nightlife in Ludington

After another day of visiting 5 lighthouses (we had now seen 10 total on our trip), it was time to head to our hotel in town. Given that we had to be at the car ferry docks at 7:00 a.m., we made the decision to make reservations in town for the night rather than staying 30 minutes away at a potentially cheaper hotel. I just felt better not having to worry about traffic. This decision led us to Stearns Motor Inn.


The Inn was built in 1901 by lumber baron Justus Stearns as Ludington's first major hotel. In a word, it's "historical." In a word by Steve Tanner... it's "creepy." This hotel is very historic... if you consider stuck in the 1960's historic.


It was very Hitchcock-esqe ... very wide hallways, musty smell, odd hotel layout, creaky elevator, and room keys with those vintage keychains that say "If found, please place in any mailbox." Classic.


That said, the place did surprise us. For example, the rooms were actually very unique. The TV had over 75 channels, including TLC (so Amy and I could get our Trading Spaces fix before bed). The air conditioning was awesome... no rattling, just lots of cool air. And the queen-sized beds were very comfy.


What we also found funny is that on the first floor was the only nightclub in the entire town of Ludington. And it was Tiki-themed at that! Now, I'm a big fan of the whole Polynesian, tiki, island culture thing (I mean, who doesn't love The Enchanted Tiki Room?). But having this type of evening destination in such a "historic" hotel was too much!


We quickly left the hotel looking for a local restaurant for a late dinner, hopefully near the water. Initially, a place titled House of Flavors caught our eye. I mean, with a name like that, how could you lose? We changed our minds quickly once we saw what their four specialties were on the outdoor sign: ice cream, breakfast, soup, turkey. Boy, they sure have a broad focus there, don't they?


We ended up next to the harbor at a quaint place called PM Steamers. They have a tradition there where they ring the Captain's Bell each time a car ferry arrives or departs from Ludington Harbor. That's a pretty neat idea! It was quite late when we arrived, thus we had no problem getting a table. In fact, our waiter was the son of the Park Superintendent for Ludington State Park. How about that!


The atmosphere of the restaurant was pretty unique. In the rafters hung inverted wooden canoes that were lined with white lights... created an intimate, yet nautical, atmosphere. Amy ordered the Shrimp Linguine (sautéed in seasoned butter with mushrooms, tomato and garlic on a bed of linguine; served with warm garlic toast) while I feasted on a personal BBQ Chicken Pizza (featuring Steamers' BBQ sauce topped with Pepper Jack, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses; chunks of grilled chicken and red onion). Good eating.


Upon leaving the restaurant, we drove to the docks where the car ferry would dock so we could figure out the best way to get there in the morning. It was quiet and desolate, highlighted by small lights here and there. Back to the hotel we went to prepare for our voyage on the S.S. Badger the next day!

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