Muskegon, MichiganThe drive: 3.5 hours

I’ve been obsessed with ships for as long as I can remember. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in Iowa, and the largest body of water I saw as a kid wasn’t big enough for more than a rowboat. Even now, I still geek out over just about anything that floats. But it’s a little hard to be a boat nerd in the middle of the country, even living just miles from a huge lake.

So I was delighted to discover Muskegon’s treasure-trove of boating history. When I first visited the USS Silversides Submarine Museum, I expected to join a tour group and be hustled through the eponymous ship — one of the best-preserved World War II–era submarines anywhere (it was stored at Navy Pier for a stretch in the ’80s) — while a guide I could barely hear repeatedly warned me not to touch anything. Instead, I was handed a pamphlet and pointed to the jetty, where I climbed into the cramped sub by myself, free to roam, touch anything I wanted (except a few buttons that might, you know, make alarms go off), and marvel at one of the aces of the Pacific theater, with no time limit other than my attention span. (Another piece of naval history worth touring in Muskegon, not far from the museum: the USS LST-393, one of only two remaining tank carriers built during World War II that are still afloat.)

Just a 10-minute drive east along Muskegon Lake rests another ship I love to explore: the SS Milwaukee Clipper, a Great Lakes passenger steamer that was launched in the early 20th century and is now open for viewing in the summer. Exploring the Queen of the Great Lakes, as it was known, takes me to a more glamorous era of travel. Walking through the ship’s interior, I imagine crossing the lake on this comfortable ship — having a drink at the bar, dancing, watching a film projected onto its big screen. The Clipper is so well preserved, you can almost hear the revelers. It would sure beat the long, boring drive from Chicago I’m accustomed to.