On the Matanuska

Hurry up and wait.  We needed to be in line at 9:00 am for a noon departure on Tuesday 6/25.  Waiting in line to get measured (pay by the foot) we saw wildlife up close and personal.  A deer decided life would be better on the other side of the parking lot and walked right in front of our parked RV.  After waiting for what seemed forever, they finally boarded us.  The boat is large enough that they had me do a “U” turn inside the ship and get the Winnie pointed so I could drive out.  This trip is a good test of my driving skills.

Southeast Alaska is in the Tongass National Rainforest.  Well we know why they call it a rainforest.  Our cab driver in Juneau said they had 300 days where it rained last year and 250 inches of snow.  All that moisture makes for a lush environment but not a great couple of days for photos.  We did get a few worth sharing.

What are all you people doing here?

  

An assortment of RVs waiting for the ferry

And yes the weather was frightful

The Matanuska loading from the side

Our first stop was Ketchikan.  Even though there was a mist coming down we decide to catch a bus to downtown.  What they didn't tell us was that there were no cruise ships in port and that the sidewalks were all rolled up.  We got to downtown before six pm and not a store was open.  Luckily Annabelle’s saloon was open and we popped in for drinks and appetizers.  Had some amazing sourdough wheat bread that must have come right from the oven and of course we had to have some baked crab dip made from fresh locally caught crab.  So even if the stores were closed, it made the trip to town worthwhile.

Where is everybody?

It was a pretty long day and we were ready to get some sleep.  Our berth was located in the stern (back of the boat for you land lubbers).  This is a diesel driven ship with electric motors running the props.  Between the diesel and the props, it created quite a vibration.  Sort of like sleeping on a massage bed only you didn’t have to pay the quarter.  It was up again before 5:00 am to watch the ferry maneuver through the Wrangle Narrows.  Not only were we twisting and turning through the channels but a dense fog bank rolled in.  The captain must have had his GPS turned on because he surely couldn’t see where he was going.  Ferry fog horns are thankfully very loud.

We spent much of the day on deck and in the forward observatory watching for marine life.  It was a good day as we encountered at least a dozen humpback whales.  Though we didn’t get to see a full breach, they would spew water from their blow holes, raise their backs out of the water and then dive showing us their tails.  Along the way we also saw porpoises, seals, and sea otters.  Through the mist we were able to spot a few glaciers.  One of them had shed some calves (pretty blue icebergs).  Unfortunately or maybe fortunately they were too far away to get any good pictures.

Petersburg in the fog

The last manned lighthouse in AK automated in 1984

We got to Juneau in the rain.  This time there were four large cruise ships in port.  The downtown was bustling.  Even with the rain, there were plenty of shoppers to contend with.  But we still managed to do our part to enhance the economy.

Bustling Juneau