Clearly, based on my last post, I am in Wrangell, AK; however, I want to share a summary of the ferry trip up here! 

The boarding process dragged on for hours. First I had to leave the car in line and walk about ¼ mile to get boarding passes for the car, myself, and Tango. Then, I walked ¼ mile back to the car to wait for another half hour. Then, I was directed to a U.S. customs line since I was heading back to the US from Canada. Then, the truly brutal part: waiting another two hours in one of 6 lines waiting to board. The ferry holds 120 vehicles and about that many waited with me.  

Maybe the ferry crew is rusty? It is the first ferry out of Prince Rupert in over a month. Some boats have been in dry dock for repairs, leaving Prince Rupert without a ferry. The ferry fleet is aging and service is declining, according to an older woman I met later. This boat, the Malaspina, is over 40 years old. The various lounges are comfortable enough, but it looks and feels old.

Finally, I drive into the underbelly of the Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) ferry. It is 11 AM and we were supposed to depart at 10:45 AM. It took another two hours after that. I was so excited to be on the ferry, after a lifetime of dreaming, so none of the delays bothered me much. Too happy after driving 4000 miles to be upset.

I learned the ferry layout quickly. Cars and pets stay on the Car Deck, which is the lowest level.  I had been told earlier when I received my boarding passes that my propane and butane canisters for the camping stove had to be removed from the car and stowed in the paint locker.  I popped the trunk, dug out a big blue Ikea bag partially unloaded the trunk to gather up all the canisters that I had so carefully positioned at the bottom of the trunk. I hauled them over to the locker, then returned to the car. After setting the parking brake and saying goodbye to Tango, who would sleep away the day in his comfy bed inside Alice, I headed for the elevator.

One floor up: Cabin Level, where those undertaking long trips can reserve a room. Another level up from there: the Forward Lounge, with decent seating and a view straight ahead. The cafeteria was on the same level as the Forward Lounge.

Another level up: the Reclining Lounge. This large room had – of course – reclining chairs, set out in rows. Like an airplane; however, the chairs were much larger and the area much more spacious than an aircraft cabin. Along the perimeter, under the huge picture windows, lounge rows had been set out around long tables where people played cards, chatted or napped.  

I found the Solarium outside and down the corridor from the Recliner Lounge. This area had outdoor deck loungers with a covered rooftop, like a pool lounge area without the pool.  In warmer weather, many who have overnight trips sleep on the deck loungers or put small tents on the deck just past the covered seating area. A few people sat in the Solarium huddled under blankets on that chilly day. I could enjoy time up there and may on future segments during warmer weather.

Ferry travel is slow and gentle, made for relaxation and reflection. At one point I saw a dolphin, which I did not expect this far north. It is everything I hoped for. We passed dozens of small islands, and I could see mounds of driftwood piled on the shorelines. Beyond the islands, I saw smallish, snow-covered mountains. Hour after hour of mountains, islands and pine trees. Seemingly endless. I think about how far I have come already and how much further I will go in the upcoming months. My world feels small as I travel through this never-ending landscape.

Five hours later, our first stop, Ketchikan (6 PM). I take the elevator to the car deck to check on Tango. It is a tight, awkward space for walking a dog. Some vehicles are pulling off the ferry and I need to walk around them and then navigate around people with other dogs. I feed Tango only a small amount of food, replenish his water, tuck him back into the car, and offer some encouraging words. What a good dog you are, my friend. Thanks.

I settle back in at the Reclining Lounge, in one of the areas with a table. I take advantage of the 4 G service out of Ketchikan and catch up with online news., I read an article about possible legislative funding cutbacks for the AMH ferries.The AMH is a vital transportation link for many AK residents and heavily subsidized by the state. I wonder what will happen if the ferry service cuts way back? That leaves only plane travel, which severely limits what people can bring back home to the small towns in AK. And what will happen to all the dewey-eyed tourists who have long dreamed about a summer adventure along the Inside Passage? If that is you, I suggest taking that trip soon! The ferry is already pricey and I wonder what will happen if the service is reduced?

Speaking of pricey, the fare for my 14-hour (probably 16-18 hour) trip from Prince Rupert to Wrangell was $347. Only $120 of that is for my person, $20 is for Tango, and the other $207 is for the car. Vehicles are charged by length; mine is only 15 feet. Compare that to someone with a 30 feet RV (I saw quite a few of those) and a tow vehicle of 20 feet! That 50 feet would be sky-high. That is why I left my RV at home. I am willing to live without it for the summer if it means travel to AK!

I also paid for my Homer to Kodiak reservation in advance, a total of $240, one way. I should probably be thinking about making a return reservation from there in the near future. I am told that they fill up in the summer, especially if you have a car.

I watch cars moving around the harbor in Ketchikan as the ferry slowly heads out. It is fascinating to me that each car was brought in by boat. There are no roads to Ketchikan, and the closest U.S. dealer would be in Bellingham, WA, several days south on the ferry. What a long way to go to buy a car.

At 7 PM, the ferry pulls away.  The skies are overcast and a patchy fog settles in over the water.  All I need is an Orca breaching a few yards away. I slip my heavier fleece pants over my lighter ones, and I toss my blanket poncho over my fleece top. Time for my picnic dinner of cheese, wine, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and crackers. I will be up most of the night because I slept most of the day after taking motion sickness medicine this morning. I forget that it always makes me drowsy. No matter.  I look forward to working on my computer until we land in Wrangell.

Wrangell.  A town that requires a 14-hour ferry ride after a 3-day drive through British Columbia is my kind of town (yes small jets do fly in but I am ignoring that for right now).  A lady that I met on the ferry tells me it is extremely quiet up there. She should know: she is older than me and lived in Petersburg – the next ferry stop after Wrangell – her entire life. I tell her I am looking for quiet so that will be just fine with me. I ask her what she bought while in the U.S, and she confessed that she got 6 months worth of butter at Costco. She also told me she has lots of junk because she hits up the yard sales in Anacortes, WA (Seattle area), where they live now about 4 months during the winter

I met another gal before the Petersburg resident. Karen is closer to my age and is heading to Ketchikan for seasonal work with Holland America. She is involved in cruise ship tours during their Ketchikan stop. Before that, while waiting in line to get onto the ferry, I talked to a young woman who was also headed to Ketchikan to do seasonal work as a hiking guide.

Now, only one other person is in the Recliner Lounge. The ferry is dark and quiet (For Navigation, Lights off at Sunset, On at Sunrise, according to one sign) and I fall asleep.