The Ferry to Canada

A stop in Petersburg

We’re on the final leg in Alaska – the Alaska Marine Highway System (AKA Alaska Ferry) from Sitka to Prince Rupert, Canada. We're on the M/V Taku, one of the original ships when the AMHS was launched in 1963.

This is a new – and pretty cool – experience. Long-distance ferry travel. I am lovin’ it.

We had a cabin, but you can pitch a tent or lay down a sleeping bag on deck

We got on in Sitka at 7:00 a.m. – drove right on without any harrowing turns, backing up or hitting bottom. Since it’s a 36-hour trip, we opted for a two-bunk berth. Cozy, but has a private bath and shower. 

I had to do "the worm" to shimmy onto that top bunk

And, we brought snacks onboard so we don’t have to get all our meals in the cafeteria.

Who wants to waste time indoors with scenery to watch?

The beginning was rainy and misty, but it eventually cleared. 

I was going to miss this scenery

We saw a few whales and the usual smattering of eagles an otters on our way to Kake (pronounced (Cake). 

A brief stop

It’s the one stop we haven’t been to before, but with a 30-minute stop, we didn’t get off.

After Kake, we entered Frederick Sound, known for humpback whales and we saw quite a few. The skies started to clear and we actually had some glorious sunshine. 

A close-up Humpback Whale

We had quite a show from two humpbacks who seemed as excited as I was to see the sun. They were pretty far away for photos, but it was really fun to watch them breach (once), tail slap and fin slap.

These ones were fun, but far

Then, we stopped in Petersburg just as the most magical evening light hit the town. It’s a pretty town with a harbor, boats and a cannery. 

Petersburg

It was so gorgeous in the golden light that photos do not do it justice. 

The light!

Petersburg Fisheries was in full swing processing salmon! 

Too bad the town smells like Fancy Feast

By the way, Petersburg is one of Alaska’s more affluent SE Alaska towns. It was founded by Norwegians who figured out that they could use glacial ice from the LeConte Glacier to preserve and ship fish. They did quite well.

Looking across the water from town

After Petersburg, we entered the Wrangell Narrows (very tight) and wound our way to Wrangell as the light faded. Yes, by this time in July and at this lower latitude, we get dark again. 

We crashed (us, not the boat), so we missed Wrangell. I was actually planning to go on deck to witness some night cruising, but the top bunk was very tricky to get in and out of and I didn't want to wake Scott. So, I slept.

A Sunny Day

We woke up early to a gorgeous, sunny day in Ketchikan - and that doesn't happen very often.

 

It rains 233 days a year in Ketchikan; not today!

The ferry had a six hour stop, so we walked into town. I was surprised that it took 40+ minutes to get there - a combination of the fact that we walk slowly and Ketchikan is much bigger than I thought.

Ketchikan has about 8,000 residents

After we got to town, we realized that we don't like Ketchikan that much because it has been taken over by the cruise lines. There were four giant ships in port and all the cruise-line-owned shops were open hawking jewelry and crappy souvenirs. 

Big cruise lines "own" the town

So, we took a bus back and hung out on the ship watching float planes land.

Lots of planes came and went using the channel as a runway

Ketchikan knows

Even though our foray into Ketchikan was a bit disappointing, the stop itself was very pleasant.

Just standing on the deck of the ferry in some of the most brilliant sunshine we had seen in weeks was fantastic.

Then, add to that the Bald Eagles flying overhead and the one that landed right on the dock next to us. 

Super cool!

Leaving Ketchikan

The Last Leg

The six-plus-hour trip to Prince Rupert was beautiful - sunny and warm.  

Leaving Alaska was somewhat anticlimactic because we had to guess the moment we passed into Canadian waters. 

Good-bye 'Merica

We saw lots of boats hauling in salmon and lots of salmon jumping.

An industrial town

Prince Rupert is a bit threadbare. 

Everything looks like it was built in the 50s and 60s and many buildings are boarded up and vacant. 

It's kind of depressing in such a beautiful natural setting. 

But there was an incredibly impressive automated ship container unloading facility that fascinated me.

We breezed through customs and checked into our hotel. 

After dinner, we saw dark! Actual dark!

We had dinner at an odd little Greek restaurant that also featured pizza, seafood and east Indian cuisine. Plus, our waitress was working her first day and didn't know what anything on the menu was! 

I had hummus, pita that looked more like ciabatta, tzatziki and a samosa with what may have been a plum sauce. Interesting.

Tomorrow, we start our trip home.

Trip date: June 3-July 20, 2013