Destination Circle: Day 11

May 24, 2016

I saw a Safeway yesterday that had a Starbucks, so I headed there after checking out. I had to be at the ferry dock at 2:30 p.m. I bought fruit and a few other things to eat on the ship, sorted out my car and packed stuff I would need since I wouldn't have access to my car and would be on the boat for two nights. I then went to the Museum of Northern British Columbia which was right across the street from the grocery store. Small but informative and nicely done as many museums are. 

I headed for the ferry. I was early and figured I would read in my car but then noticed my tire pressure warning light was on. F____! I have a tire gauge, checked the tires and one was low. I used Gas Buddy to find the nearest gas station, tried to put air in, kept getting inconsistent readings, put more air in, nothing improved, googled “how to put air in a tire” which explained exactly what I was doing and which wasn't working but also suggested going to a tire shop and have them do it. I googled "tire shop," found one right across the street from the hostel, went there and they checked the offending tire and put air in at no charge. Of course, I worried that there was a REASON the tire is losing air, but at least for the next four hours, no warning light came on.

Several vehicles were already in line at the Alaska Marine Highway terminal. They measured the length of my car. I went in and got a boarding pass, showed my passport and got a form to fill out for customs as once I got on the boat, I would be back in the US...sort of. 

Various middle-aged men came and talked to me. One, whose wife had passed away recently was returing to Juneau (where he had lived for 62 years) to see if he wanted to go back since he and his wife had moved to Tennessee before she died. He was driving a huge motor home Another guy was from Minnesota, traveling alone and we talked routes and highways. Another one had built a hot rod truck which I had noticed as it was nosiy and bright orange and was towing a travel trailer. He was carrying a small poodle. He had written a book (So You Want to Build a Hot Rod) and was planning to write the last chapter on this trip. He also told me how desparately his wife wants to dress in her elf gear (“She just LOVES Christmas!”) and get photos taken at North Pole, Alaska. HE wants to be above the Arctic Circle in "Coldfoot on June 21" to see the sun circle (motioning with his hands) the sky at the solstice. We also talked routes and travel. There were many large RVs, some pickup trucks hauling trailers, vans and one small bright green sedan with a bright green canoe on top.

A found a $20 Canadian bill under my car. The bills are weird-feeling, like plastic with a transparent section. Their one dollar is a coin with a loon on it and is called a loonie. 

A guy came by asking about fruit, and since the apples and oranges I had just bought were not from the US or Canada, they were not allowed. He said they would be donated to the local food bank. I had a HAZ sticker for my bear spray but no one seemed concerned about that.

Me and one other car were last to load as we are going to Skagway, the end of the line. My destination for the ferry was either Skagway or Haines, and Dave and Ellen said they were an hour apart and wouldn't matter much for my plan.

a Cosco container ship...much more impressive than this photo shows

A huge Cosco container ship was parked near us, and gigantic cranes were loading and arranging shipping containers, hundreds of them. And a train was bringing more. 

Inland waterway along the BC coast

After an interminable wait, we finally left. The sky had cleared, and it was exciting to be moving. I got a stateroom on the outside for a reasonable rate. Some people put up tents or hammocks on the open deck; many sleep inside as there are several lounges and the ferry is not yet crowded this time of year. There is also an open air but covered solarium with heat lamps, so we had several options for moving about. The ship was the MV Matanuska, an older vessel in the AMH system.

After a couple of hours, I took a preemptive Dramamine because I live in utter terror of being the least bit queasy, and we were rolling some as the wind was up. We started this trip in more open water before getting behind the coastal islands. I didn't really feel nauseated but was neurotically nervous about the possibility. 

So I then fell asleep with my clothes on until we reached Ketchikan where it seemed we dawdled for hours. It was 00:16 when I woke up, got on pajamas, ate 15 craquelins with cranberries, read until I got drowsy again and slept OK, barely tolerating the loud rattle above my head that sounded exactly like rain on a tin roof except it waxed and waned with the boat motion – loud, softer, loud, softer – every 10 seconds.  

the MV Matanuska