Alaska Ferry

To save on driving all the way back home, we decide to take the ferries back to the Lower 48. Although we were warned to make our reservations way ahead of time, we made ours in Tok, Alaska  a month before leaving on the Alaska Ferry. Much to our surprise, we got the reservations we wanted and an outside berth to boot. It helped to be taking a route less traveled than the more popular Alaska to Washington state one, which fills up quickly. Our route was an Alaska Ferry from Haines, Alaska to Prince Rupert, BC. The next leg was from Prince Rupert on a BC Ferry to Port Hardy, BC which is at the northern tip of Vancouver Island.  After driving down the island to Victoria, BC. the final leg is taking a Black Ball Ferry to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.

We start off early in the morning as the ferry requires 2 hour check in before departure. We are amazed at the wide variety of travelers they board... everybody from walk-ons, motorcyclists, people with dogs in large class A RVs, tour buses and even semi truck/trailers.

Vehicles and passengers boarding ferry

All are aboard and the ramp lifts up for departure

We pull away from the dock and are on our way homeward.
Once we are underway, we explore the ferry.  It has a large observation room as well as a place for tent campers on the deck and of course a cafeteria with a separate bar (it is Alaska).  We meet a wide variety of people on board. Everyone from well to-do neighbors of Sarah Palin to a high school girls choir on their way to a performance. The Alaskan Ferry system is much like the Greyhound bus system in the Lower 48.

Observation Room

Lighthouse at entrance of Lynn Channel

Our first stop is in Juneau, Alaska.  We are looking forward to going downtown to eating at the Hangar for halibut burgers and Alaskan Amber on tap, which we very much enjoyed there on our 2009 trip. Unfortunately, the ferry dock is now 15 miles out of town and transportation consists of an expensive round trip taxi ride. With cruise ships taking over the downtown docks, the ferries were forced to move further out of Juneau. There's a five hour layover,  so we decide to take a much needed nap instead (we're very glad to have booked a berth). Besides we discovered the cafeteria makes a very good seafood chowder.

Docked in Juneau, Alaska

We pass a cruise ship in the night

Petersburg, Alaska at dawn

At 5:30am we stop in Petersburg where a young mother we met gets off. We noticed her car full of Costco supplies boarding in Juneau. She says it's well worth stocking up as her husband is a fisherman and is gone this time of year. As we are pulling away  a very late truck driver rushes up (over slept?) and loads several cargo trucks on.

Later that afternoon we dock in Wrangell, but since we're running behind schedule due to the late truck driver, the staff doesn't want any continuing passengers to get off so they can move on as soon as possible. Looks like we'll need to explore the areas around Petersberg and Wrangell on another trip.

Waterfront in Wrangell, Alaska We finally dock in Prince Rupert well after midnight. Fortunately we have already booked a nearby RV park and are glad to have a few days of rest. Several of the motorcyclists on board have decided to sleep in the parking lot as they are booked on the 7:30am ferry the next morning. Ouch - sure glad we're not traveling with them.