Technically between leaving Haines and docking in Sitka, we also docked at Juneau around midnight. I thought it was crazy that people were getting on/off a ferry at this hour and then I remembered that we'd traveled via Amtrak in June 2017 and got onto the train around 3am in Yuma, AZ with a 4 and 5 year old! Guess it's only crazy to those who really don't do this stuff like we do!!
This is pretty much what it looked like today on board the ferry:
We were able to disembark in Sitka, so it was nice to get off the ferry for about 2 hours. There is a tour guy who works with the ferry system (not for it) and takes passengers round trip into Sitka for $20 each. Steep price but when you have a short time to visit and don't know when you'll come back (even if you love it enough like we do and want to visit again), you pay it so you can see/do as much as you can.
Stop #1--lunch. Found a great place with burgers and crab, but we had a hangry child so we went next door to Subway since it would be faster! It was actually perfect though because not only did we all love our sandwiches, we also got to walk around more to sightsee!
Stops #2-???: whatever we felt! The area of Sitka had a lot of influence by Russians when it was forming. One of the churches downtown had the familiar "onion dome" so of course we (I) needed a picture!
Flowers everywhere have been beautiful and so bright (like fake flower bright for some of them). I've taken tons of pics of flowers 💐.
The best surprise during the game was the captain (or someone) announcing there was a small pod of orcas in front of us! We haven't seen any on the trip prior to this so that was fun! We all raced to the windows to see! I was so excited this is all I got:
Day 33 (July 23): ferry to Ketchikan, AK
During the night we stopped at Petersburg and Wrangell, AK. More people got on/off. I don't think the car area is completely full though. This is the Alaska Marine Highway and it's so different to realize that this is one of the ways people up here get around. We met a guy from Juneau who had come up to the Haines area to buy a car for his son and bring it back on the ferry. (We forgot to ask where he bought it. Anchorage and Fairbanks are the only 2 areas large enough for dealerships that we saw.)
We docked in Ketchikan an hour early and it shocked us because Jeff was still working and I wasn't even done chatting with a new friend/drinking coffee when they made the announcement that we'd dock in 30 minutes! We had to rush and wake up the boys to get ready.
Now...we were spoiled in Sitka with a driver/bus. We were told that if cruise ships were in port we may not be able to get a cab. We figured we could walk to downtown from the ferry terminal. Mid-way we were able to catch the free bus. NOT fun! The boys hated it with people crowding and pushing and wanted to walk again after 2 stops. It actually ended up being a perfect drop-off spot for us so win-win!
I did a tiny bit of research last night on where to eat in Ketchikan and found a crepe place. We are lovers of crepes, so as soon as I told Bennett, he was gung ho! They were delish!!
This is the "ladder". We didn't see any fish in it.
The 5 types of salmon and how to remember them based on your hand! We've heard this a few times this trip.
Imagine this picture is divided into 9 boxes. You can just see some lighter colors where boxes 5 and 6 would touch. That's some salmon!
Can you believe they can get through this? After watching for 5-10 minutes we couldnt!
Dang sideways pics again! The black spots are fish.
We had a 50 minute walk back to the ferry so we headed back. (People I spoke to back on the ferry said they waited 45 minutes for the free bus. My people don't wait well so it's a good thing we walked! Plus, we had to walk off our crepes! We saw a totem eagle (I made that up but it really is an eagle!) and walked through the Nob Hill Tunnel on our way back.
Once we got back on the boat, cooled down, etc Jeff got to work and I got to reading. We did end up finishing North Pole-opoly. It was touch and go for all 3 of us, but in the end, Bennett won! No pic.
Day 34 (July 24)--all day on the ferry
No getting off today. You know what that means right??? Sleep in!!!! Except for when both you and the hubby wake up around 6am thinking it's 7am!
Our ferry stays on Alaska time but our watches and phones change time zones. We haven't known all day which is which. Our biggest family disagreement today was what time we should eat dinner--Pacific time or Alaska time! I don't even know which one won out in the end! Since I bought my phone in Fairbanks, it thinks AK time is my "home" (I think). Here's why I've been confused all day:
Anyhoo...what to do, what to do?? Well, Jeff suggested we treat ourselves to breakfast since the boys were sleeping, so we made our way to the dining room with our coffee. I made breakfast burritos and we also brought cereal on board so that's what we've done the other mornings. There is a passemger microwave in the snack bar. That's where breakfast and dinner ( chili) get heated up. Lunch on board today was sandwiches. Gotta keep it cheap when we can!
I got laundry done today so I didn't have to play catch-up once we got back on the coach. Jeff worked while I started a puzzle. There is a forward viewing area on two decks and there are puzzles/games for anyone to use. I got started and after Ry woke up he joined me to finish it. And...that was our morning!
We've had a great ferry trip. It's so similar to a cruise--just missing the entertainment, pools, catering to you, etc. It's been a perfectly relaxing way to end the Alaska portion of our trip!
Last random note for Alaska:
I've noticed the locations we've visited on the ferry have TONS of totem poles. They have totem parks, historical areas, etc. Now surely totems are not just special to this area of Alaska???? All areas we've traveled through in Alaska have been heavily influenced by native tribes. The areas we've disembarked have also been major tourist traps due to cruise ships. Are totem poles mainly an attraction for tourists? Do they really have significance in the time we live in to the native people of Alaska or have they become something of lesser importance and a tourism gimmick? Just random thoughts as I sit at the front of the ferry typing this in my pj's while my people are showering and relaxing in the room!
We are all excited (yet not) to be almost home. Our stop tomorrow is Oregon. Prayers for things to go smoothly when disembarking and heading south.
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