Alaskan soil

Truth be told, my very first impression upon setting foot on Alaskan soil was a bleak one. Of course, a rainy day at a public transportation terminal anywhere might partake of a similar bleakness. Later we would see how the sun changes everything here. In a state so massive, first impressions of what is really just the tip of the iceberg don't amount to much.

if Amtrak were a boat...

If Amtrak were a boat, then it would be the Alaskan ferry. The good news was arriving in Ketchikan. The bad news was that the ferry slip was occupied, so our boat had to kill time by going back and forth in the Tongass Narrows. Of course this wasn't all bad since we could get a glimpse of the city as well as some bald eagles. And of course, cruise ships. The island directly across from the downtown is Pennock Island, but it took a little research to figure that out.

MV Kennicott part 9

Sunset on the Inside Passage - a memorable magic moment.

 

MV Kennicott part 8

It's already not every day that you find yourself sailing through the Canadian section of the Inside Passage, but when you see an entire building being transported via barge through the same passage, that is rare - at least for you.

MV Kennicott part 7

Later in the afternoon the sun came out, the air got warmer and the whole world suddenly became colorized. All of this made standing outside in the front of the boat a pleasure.

MV Kennicott part 6

Every once in a while, a glimpse of a house, a boat or snow. Somewhere near Campbell River BC someone on our ferry had a medical emergency and had to be taken ashore. This caused a delay of course. I wonder if the passenger, if American, received free Canadian healthcare? 

MV Kennicott part 5

 

As the day progressed the scenery got better - mile after mile of mostly the misty islands of British Columbia. Some of these landmasses were possibly the mainland, but without a map it was impossible to tell. There were not a lot of boats or wildlife - just scenery.

MV Kennicott part 4

 

Ferry food: not bad, although the table was possibly the best part. The omelet and croissant were delicious, but perhaps not the healthiest breakfast on the planet. While in Alaska we would eat a lot of eggs, cheese, potatoes and fish.

MV Kennicott part 3

That first morning presented us with a somewhat bleak picture out our cabin window; of course the rainy weather didn't help. The damp decks were just slightly more interesting. All of that would get better in time.

 

MV Kennicott part 2

While at times it was frustrating to get information while aboard the ferry, there were many informative displays throughout the ship, such as the native artifacts seen above, and the live nautical map seen below. I found that the more I looked, the more I learned. In some cases it was necessary to pick the brains of the purser and our fellow passengers. Geographically, the Inside Passage is a matrix with thousands of islands. One good thing about the ferry is that it can go through the narrower channels closer to the mainland, whereas the big cruise ships tend to take the open sea, which is faster but rockier.

Bellingham Bay

 

Bellingham Bay from the Kennicott prior to departure...

MV Kennicott

As we suspected, the MV Kennicott - our first Alaska Marine Highway ferry - was like a smaller, no frills cruise ship. There were pros and cons, but looking back on it our room was pretty comfortable, spacious and user-friendly. The "MV" stands for Motor Vessel - whatever that means.

lovely lobby

 

Lovely lobby of the Chrysalis Inn, which is also a spa. It always gives me faith to see a well designed contemporary building; reminds me that the field of architecture is still alive. From my research the inn was built around 2001 and renovated in 2019, and is mentioned in Patricia Schultz's "1000 Places to See Before You Die" (USA & Canada edition).