#3 - The Ferry

There are cabins and roommettes on the larger ferries and on some ferries passengers are allowed to pitch tents in designated areas. This was a budget trip, so I had planned to sleep on the enclosed, heated deck or in the solarium on the lounges that are provided for that purpose. But the lounges were incredibly uncomfortable so I rented a small roommette, a very small room with two very small bunks. I was grateful to have a room to go to for catnaps as I was very tired. My days and nights on the bus had caught up with me. Plus the constant motion of the ferry lulled me to sleep at all hours of the day and night. Unfortunately, the roommette was only available to Juneau. So, at 2:30 a.m. when we docked at Juneau, I had to vacate my room. I spent the next four hours in the lounge, along with everyone else who had been evacuated. Once the ferry had set sail and all passengers had accepted or upgraded their reservations, I was assigned another roommette. If you know you don't want to sleep on the deck, then my advice is to reserve a roommette or cabin at the time you make your ferry reservation. 

The ferry dock at Juneau is 14 miles from the city center and as it was raining and dark till shortly before the ferry embarked, I didn't get to see Alaska's capital till almost four weeks later on my way back. 

My five days on the ferry were very enjoyable. The Forest Service provides rangers who conduct several informative programs each day regarding our upcoming ports of call, the sea life or the surrounding geology. The scenery was incredible: waterfalls, trees, glaciers, mountains, sunsets, bald eagles, dall porpoises and orcas. At one point along the Inside Passage ferries must pass through the Wrangell Narrows. These trips have to be timed with high tide because the channel is not deep enough otherwise. Christmas Island is unique as its only inhabitant is a lone Sitka pine tree. The further North we went, the more spectacular the glaciers became. 
 

There are free showers onboard the ferry and a cafeteria. Food prices are fairly high, but food is high everywhere in Alaska. It is permissible to bring food on board. You can't cook in your rooms or on the deck, but hot water is available in the cafeteria. So, if you bring packages of dried soups and beverages (tea and hot chocolate), bread, crackers, bagels, muffins and fruit, you can save a lot of money. 

On July 22nd we docked at Valdez, the southern terminus of the 800 mile long Alaska Pipeline. This picture shows the storage tanks and a tanker loading up with oil. Valdez was the first land that my feet had touched in five days. It was wonderful to get off the ferry and walk around. Joan and Helen joined me for a leisurely stroll. The dock was a couple of miles from the city proper so I didn't get see Valdez other than from the ferry as it came in to dock. The ferry photo is the M/V Kennicott, the newest and largest of the Alaska ferries and the only one that makes the trip north from Juneau, as it sat docked in Valdez.
 

Of course, the further North we went, the later in the day the sun went down. The photo of the moon was taken about 11:45 p.m., just after sunset on the last leg of my ferry trip to Seward.