Jacob's comment when we told him that we would be on the ferry for two nights was..."I'd rather be shot!" I didn't tell him, but I was feeling the same way. We had really enjoyed our first ferry trip to Ketchikan, but the novelty had worn off. At midnight while I was packing for the trip, I came across our itinerary and realized that I had read it incorrectly. We would only be on the ferry 28 hours instead of 52. I then calculated that we would be asleep about 8 hours and meals/snacks would take up another 4 hours so that would leave 16 hours. If wide life would cooperate, that would keep everyone occupied at least another two. To be honest, after viewing Banff and Jasper National Parks and the amazing scenes driving into Alaska, the inside passage was beautiful, but paled a bit in comparison.
It was about 2 hours into the trip when my thoughts changed. Not being heavy into tourist season, the ferry was rather empty, with just a few foreign passengers and lots of locals. Talking with them not only eased my mind concerning the Alcan Highway, but it also opened my eyes to the fact that what I was considering an adventure, they took as everyday life. A young family next to us lives in Dawson City. They were on their way home from attending a brother's college graduation in Seattle. To do that, they had to drive countless hours over hard roads from Dawson City in the Yukon Territory to Skagway, AK, they then had to board the ferry for a two night trip to Prince Rupert, BC , and drive to Seattle....just to turn around and do it again. As I talked to other people, I realized that this is truly a way of life for them. The owners of our home in Ketchikan were also heading to a cousin's graduation "south" and they had to fly or take the ferry. They opted to fly, but having seen the airport in Ketchikan, I'm not sure which would be the better choice. What I started to realize is that, in a small way, I was experiencing Alaska the way the locals do. As I stood in the car deck waiting to move my car, I saw Alaskans walking their huskies. They were on their way to a dog show. I saw people hauling campers, boats, and lots of furnishings. The 16 hours went by very quickly, especially when we saw whales puffing near Petersburg. We also saw sea lions, seals, sea otters, and lots of other creatures I could not identify. The other unusual thing is that one of the decks is set up for campers who pitch their tents right on the deck. There are showers and heat lamps for them. Most of them were newly graduated college students going to Juneau for their first jobs. All in all, an interesting way of life.
The kids, of course, missed most of the wildlife and interesting scenes on shore because they were in the cabin watching movies. Oh, well, they ended up having a great time.
Anna ordered oatmeal the morning we arrived on the ferry and the cook was very impressed.
Love you and miss you, Elizabeth
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