| July 16: Seattle to Bellingham, WA (Alaska Ferry)
103 Miles |
Today we finally got started on our Alaska Marine Highway ferry journey. After a quick breakfast at one of the many Starbucks in Renton, Jane took the motel bus to SeaTac airport. There she boarded the 11:00am Airporter shuttle for Bellingham. I rode up to Bellingham on the motorcycle. Once again, using the HOV lanes allowed me to make good time on Seattle's crowded freeways. Clif and Marty departed ahead of us.
After waiting in a slow-moving check-in line we got our will-call tickets at the Bellingham ferry terminal. Jane waited with the other, non-motor passengers. Clif, Marty, and I waited with the other motorcycles for what seemed an hour before being called to roll aboard. It was pretty warm on the car deck and I was sweating by the time I got the motorcycle positioned and tied down. Let's hope it stays put until Monday morning when we disembark in Juneau. You can only go to your vehicle a couple times per day. I only go down to make sure the straps are still secure.
The ferry departed promptly at 6:00pm. Our first stop will be Ketchikan on Sunday morning. The ferry is the M/V Columbia. It's the largest ship in the Alaska Ferry fleet but not of cruise ship proportions. Some fast ferry facts:
This is not a cruise ship! Only four decks. No pool, casino, entertainment, shore excursions, or midnight buffet. Heck, you don't even have to have a cabin. As you can see, people pitch (OK, duct tape) tents on the aft decks. Some people just sleep in lounge chairs all the way. You make your own entertainment and that seems to be mostly reading. All of the cabins have bunk beds. I guess that works out for Marty & Clif, but it's less than ideal for Jane & me. We managed to find space for everything. The head is as big as any I've had on a cruise ship.
All in all, the ferry is better than I expected. There is a US Forest Service ranger onboard and she gives periodic lectures on a variety of topics. The Forward Lounge has nice chairs and a great view. There are other lounges as well. The ship has a bar, snack bar, and dining room. Unlike a cruise, nothing is prepaid. Last night we all ate in the dining room. The menu is heavily tilted to Alaskan seafood, which works out fine with us. Food isn't real cheap and the variety is small but it's passable.
The scenery is beautiful; miles and miles of forest. The sunset was spectacular and lasted for at least an hour, changing colors as it went. We slept very well.
