WHAT'S NEW AT SHEPLERS?:

Best Ferry to Mackinac Island 2008!
The results are in and we wanted to thank all of our guests that voted us the Best Ferry to Mackinac Island 2008 in the Detroit News reader survey. Choose Shepler’s to Make Your Memories in 2008. First Class Service. Every Guest. Every Day. Let us prove it to you!

CHRIS SHEPLER TO SERVE ON ABA MARKETPLACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON -Chris Shepler, Vice President, Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry, St. Ignace MI has been appointed to the American Bus Association's (ABA) 2010 Marketplace Advisory Committee (MAC). MAC is the strategic group charged with improving the business and networking opportunities for all attendees at the premier group travel show in North America.

The Capital Region Marketplace 2010 is slated for Jan. 15-19, 2010, at the Gaylord National on the Potomac River just outside of DC in Maryland. The host community will be comprised of Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia tourism partners.

MAC member responsibilities throughout the nearly three-year planning process for the show include offering input on enhancing Marketplace to ensure it boosts the business value to attendees, elevates its networking opportunities to delegates in new ways to forge new business connections, and offers fresh educational seminars reflecting the top-of-mind business issues facing the motorcoach, tour and travel industries each year. Committee members are selected for their leadership, their enthusiasm and their commitment - both to ABA and the wide variety of regions they represent.  

"I look forward to working diligently toward another thriving and memorable Marketplace on behalf of ABA and each member," Shepler said.

"ABA is a member-driven organization and relies on volunteers such as Chris to help us in the planning process to help make each Marketplace better and better," said ABA President and CEO Peter Pantuso. "And being a MAC member has the added business benefit of raising the visibility of each committee member's company or destination as they act as an ambassador for it."

MAC also strives to reflect the diversity of the ABA membership, the committee and the ABA staff in working closely together throughout the year to provide industry vision and leadership to carry on another successful Marketplace event.

Meet one of our captains! In 2007, the Detroit Free Press website, freep.com, ran a series of interviews about summer jobs in Michigan and Shepler's Captain Kevin Coe was one of the people featured in July. See his interview about the life of a ferry captain and working on the Straits of Mackinac.

Who knows? Perhaps you will be inspired to join us and work here in beautiful northern Michigan.

US Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw Finds a Home

An old friend has come to live in Mackinaw City. An iconic fixture on the straits for over 60 years, the USCG Cutter Mackinaw has been decommissioned and will live out its days as a historical museum, permanently moored at the Railroad Dock in Mackinaw City.

The Mackinaw was built and commissioned in 1943 to help maintain the flow of iron ore throughout the winter months and proved essential to the World War II military campaign.

Captain McGuiness remarks, "Some folks think she won the war for us."

She has served the Great Lakes nobly ever since.

Mackinac Island ferry owner Bill Shepler stepped forward to spearhead an effort to purchase the USCGC Mackinaw and convert it to a floating historical museum. Shepler, along with seven other prominent Mackinaw area supporters created the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum committee to oversee its management. Bill Shepler also provided mooring space at his historic Chief Wawatam Railroad Dock in Mackinaw City.

On June 21, 2006 the Cutter Mackinaw made its final voyage taking about 5 hours to complete the trip from her home port in Cheboygan, Michigan. Upon arrival in Mackinaw City, her 600+ passengers were greeted by a large crowd and brass band.

The USCG Cutter Mackinaw isn't going anywhere. As the newly minted Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum, she'll stay right here where she can tell her own story in fascinating detail for generations to come.

MACKINAW CITY TOURISM PROFESSIONAL RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS.

MACKINAW CITY, MI. (JANUARY 4, 2005) - Bill Shepler, President of Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry has been named a recipient of both the Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement award from National Tour Association (NTA) and Travel Michigan's Outstanding Achievement in Tourism award.

The NTA Lifetime Achievement award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding, ongoing contributions to the association, its members and the industry overall. Bill Shepler is just the second person to ever receive this honor.