Rose survived the last ferry ride!

Rose ( and the rest of us) survived the last ferry ride from Juneau to Haines!We changed our last ferry ride to an early morning departure instead of afternoon because the tide would be high and the ramp wouldn’t be as steep. We’re happy to say it made all the difference! Plus the crew on the ferry was the same crew that we had in Petersburg when we had so much trouble getting Rose on the ferry sooo they were ready for Rose this time! (We actually thought they might all call in sick the morning we boarded the ferry but they were all there!) After they got Rose on board the crew asked Gary if he would open up Rose’s ramp and show them the garage with Scooter in it! So here we are on the ferry with Rose’s ramp down - not your normal boarding procedure!

The ferry ride from Juneau to Haines was stunning! We were in the Lynn canal – the longest fjord in North America. We saw 16 glaciers on a 2 hour ferry ride, several whales, seals and eagles too. It was a lovely sunny day! But looming ahead of us was the more difficult exit off the ferry since the tide would be lower when we arrived in Haines and the ferry we were on had a sloped deck to add to the challenge. The crew had arranged to have a ramp specialist in Haines to operate the ramp to raise up Rose’s behind – they learned from the mistakes of the last ferry ride and fortunately it worked!!! It was really tight maneuvering but we made it off the ferry without any problems – what a relief!! ( I closed my eyes but it’s a good thing Gary didn’t) !!Juneau and Haines are in beautiful settings with glaciers, rivers, waterfalls, and snow capped mountains plus lots of wildlife – eagles, seals and whales.We celebrated the summer solstice in Haines at a beautiful campsite right on the fjord. We met another couple from east Tennessee at the campground and enjoyed the beautiful scenery right from our campsite!The sun rose at 4:12 and set at 11:43 but it is never really dark – it’s more like dusk. We can really pack a lot of activities into each day when the days are so nice and long!

Highlights of Juneau

 • Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Tidewater Glacier - beautiful 30 mile long fjord, seals, icebergs

Click on the arrow to see the video of the mama and baby seal on the iceberg

• Mendenhall Glacier – great hikes and close up views of the glacier

• Mt Roberts – alpine flowers, eagle’s nest and views above Juneau

• Mt Roberts alpine meadows and views of Juneau

• Alaska State Museum

• Alaska State Museum - fascinating exhibits about the Alaska natives and the gold rush

• Ferry ride in the Lynn Canal fjord

• Scenery in the lynn Canal fjord from Juneau to Haines on the ferry

Highlights of Haines

• Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

• Dungeness crab pot luck at the campground on the summer solstice

• Dungeness crab potluck at the campground - fresh crabs right off the boat next door at the marina

• Chilkoot Lake State Park and salmon river• Chilkoot Lake and river

• Hike along the coast in Chilkat State Park

• Coastal hike in Chilkat State Park with views of two glaciers

Next stop is Valdez and the Prince William Sound. No more ferry rides for Rose – we need to keep her happy! We are heading up into the mainland of Alaska on the Alaska Highway ( our first time on the highway). To get to the Alaska mainland you have to drive through an area in the Yukon Territory called Destruction Bay – appropriately named because we’ve heard from other campers who have already driven it that the road is REALLY ROUGH with gravel sections and potholes as it is apparently ALWAYS being repaired! Since Rose isn’t exactly built for “off-roading” we’re not sure what to expect….Assuming we get through Destruction Bay with no issues ( fingers and toes crossed!), we’ll head south to Valdez taking our time and stopping along the way for scenery, animals, hiking and whatever else peaks our interest so we’re not sure how many days it will take us to get there - we’re not on a schedule anymore!