Over the past 20 years, a 65 ton steel lady has become an icon on the Saginaw River, plying the waters from downtown Bay City to the edges of the Saginaw Bay.  Originally built as the M/V Wm. M. Miller in 1954, and re-christened the Princess Wenonah upon her Bay City debut in 1998, this popular excursion boat has been hard at work for 64 years.

From her very first season, the 150 passenger Princess Wenonah has been a popular attraction for children and adults, attracting attention wherever she travels on the river. Three partners originally joined forces to purchase the ship from Miller Boat Lines in Ohio, converting her from a car and passenger ferry to a full-time passenger excursion use. A few years later, the Princess Wenonah was joined by Islander, a 53 foot former ferry which lay dormant after operating on Lake Superior and on the Chicago River, but found new life in Bay City.

Over the past two decades, over 250,000 passengers have enjoyed cruising aboard the Princess Wenonah and her fleet-mate Islander. Original partner William Fournier, his wife Elaine, and daughter Michelle Judd still play host to public guided tours, dinner cruises with entertainment, and private parties each season. A dedicated crew (to which several grandchildren have now been added) takes pride in welcoming guests onboard from May to October each year.

Showing off the beauty of the local waterway, sharing the area’s vibrant maritime and lumbering history and entertaining guests with dinner and dancing is a job the entire staff is proud to take part in. Guests delight in opening each of the city’s four bascule bridges as the Princess Wenonah ventures through town while the Islander specializes in leisurely guided tours and smaller gatherings. Bald eagles, egrets, deer, a great many bird species and small mammals are regularly spotted in their natural habitats along the banks.

Since Bay City Boat Line’s inception, many areas of the riverbank have been improved and developed with charming trails, riverfront parks and new developments.  Three outstanding hotels, hip restaurants, unique boutiques and cultural venues have sprung up and turned downtown Bay City into a growing destination for visitors. First-time visitors marvel at the entrepreneurial spirit of this city, which has managed to blend renovated historic structures with complementary new construction, gradually reworking it’s lumbering and blue collar roots into a small urban gem.

An easy drive from metro Detroit and minutes off I-75 (the main route heading “up North” for many Michiganders) you can find tickets for Bay City Boat Lines’ public events most days of the week in July and August at www.baycityboatlines.com. Tickets range from free to under $50.

What are you waiting for? Come see what has made the Princess Wenonah and Islander one of the most beloved summer attractions in the heart of the Great Lakes Bay Region for 20 years.