Sunday 7/24-Saturday 7/30

We boarded the ferry with Harvey on Sunday. We really could have departed from Whittier and saved us the first two days of sailing but I was new to the Alaska Marine Highway System and didn’t realize the option.  Our first two days were on more open water to Kodiak Island and we both got seasick the first day.  It was pretty crazy to try to walk down the hall and careen from side to side.



This is our ferry, the Kennicott. The open section on the right is where the vehicles enter.  There’s even an elevator for them. We got there real early and Harvey was the first one on.  Then it filled up.  You can see Harvey peeking out on the far right.







This is definitely not a cruise, but a no-frills conveyance that saved us 2800 miles of driving back on the roads that we took up in early June.  Steve was happy not to have to revisit the gravel sections and frequent pot holes.  





Our cabin was minimal but efficient.  We actually had more room to move around than we do in the living area of Harvey. We brought lots of snacks but didn’t need much as we often ate in the cafeteria.  The food was tasty, plentiful, varied and inexpensive.  The entire crew was relaxed, friendly and accommodating.  They seem to enjoy their jobs.  







We saw many kinds of boats on the water 



We had four hours in Juneau. It’s the capital of the state but only accessible by air or water. Despite the crowded cruise ship main drag with one jewelry store after another we enjoyed the less touristy side streets and had wonderful salmon crepes for lunch. We only stopped for a couple of hours in a few other towns.  We saw some good sights though!





Our last stop was Ketchikan a sweet little town on the south east edge of Alaska.  It was a beautiful, sunny day. 







We explored a lot in all these towns and here we left the main street where the cruise lines docked and found the sweetest little boardwalk area called Creek Street and the Married Man’s Trail. You can google the history of this area.  It’s an entertaining story!  There was a determined fisherman along the rocks across from the boardwalk and many spectators watching, hoping he’d catch the salmon that were fighting their way up the rapids (and possibly through the fish ladder).  





The final 40 hours of sailing were in the Inside Passage with beautiful glassy waters and sunny days.  







Yesterday we arrived early in Bellingham, WA and drove off the ship with no problem.  We had a short drive to Seattle where we played tourist and went to Pike Place Market. 









Now we’re at a campground for two nights in Bellevue, WA just east of Seattle.  We’re relaxing and remembering what hot weather feels like.  We’re out of our layers of warm clothing and into our shorts again.