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Published: April 16th 2013
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Hello at last, dear friends and family!
I am sitting here in the greatest of luxury and happiness aboard the Alaskan ferry, Columbia. I am in total bliss as I lie in my lounge chair on my thermarest with my grandmother’s down comforter over me, watching the most glorious land and waterscapes drift away behind us. Two humpbacked whales just bounded by minutes ago. I have not felt this relaxed and at peace in many months (since before January 21
st at least…). For all who have ever considered it, the ferry from Bellingham, WA to Alaska is a destination in itself. It is important, however, that you don’t get sucked into the idea of sleeping indoors, be it a cabin or on the floor of the lounge. The heated and covered solarium is the spot to be. While not warm, it is comfortable, and with a pile of blankets and the fresh air, it is the recipe for bliss. I don’t know what the remainder of my journey will entail, but there could have been no better beginning.
It turned out the ferry does not have wifi, and to be honest, I am grateful. While we sailed through Canada,
there was no (affordable!) cell coverage either, so I have been unplugged, and just left to breathe in the scenery, meet fascinating and very friendly co-travelers (including a wonderful older woman named Janet who is here with Road Scholar/Elder Hostel. Turns out her grandson goes to Roosevelt, and is a favorite of mine there!), and wander the boat exploring all that it has to offer (which includes a movie theater, cafeteria, restaurant, and gift shop). Sorry for the run-on sentence, but I feel almost out of breath in how much I want to convey!!
When I first arrived on the boat, my only goal was to find the heated solarium. I first met some guy who claimed he was a steward, and told me this boat has no solarium. He told me he would show me the deck, and proceeded to step over a “do not enter” sign, and show me some engineering deck. He then convinced me that I would NOT want to sleep outside, so, disappointed, I staked out the best indoor spot I could find. (Incidentally, I have never seen this guy again). Later, I was talking to my friend on the phone and describing how
I was going to have to stay inside, and a guy said, “sorry to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but hear you say there was no solarium on this boat. That’s not true! There’s an awesome solarium on this boat”. He led me upstairs, and there was my new home! Lounge chairs in every direction, with people staking claim to the best spots. I had arrived 2 hours early to make sure I got a good spot, and here it was practically time to shove off, and I was just looking for a spot! Luckily, everyone was awesome, and this great guy Gary gave me the lowdown on the dryest, warmest spots with the best views. I managed to move some chairs around, and score myself a sweet spot under a heater, looking out at the panorama. Gary is my “housemate”, since we are sharing the same little area, and we made another lounge chair our coffee table. Just an example of the kind of wonderful folks I am meeting and bonding with. My first night, I slept like a baby (after only having 2 hours sleep the night before I left..). The fresh air was great, and the movement
of the boat and engine just rocks me to sleep.
Tomorrow morning at 4:45 we land in Juneau, and I have to get off the boat and layover for 2 days before boarding my next ferry to Whittier. I met a woman sleeping on the next lounge chair over; she is also headed to Anchorage, so we are going to share a hotel room in Juneau, and she’ll also give me a ride from Whittier to Anchorage. We load onto that boat on the 17
th, and arrive in Whittier on the 19
th at 1 pm. There is a one-way tunnel from Whittier to Anchorage, so we may have to wait an hour for our turn to go through it. We should arrive mid-afternoon, and I have a friend who will meet me there, and hopefully take me shopping. I have to stock up for a few weeks of food, since there are no real stores near Denali. I’ll stay with a friend that night, and head off on the 8 am Amtrak train to the park. It’s an 8 hour, scenic route through the Alaskan wonders, and I am so excited to sit in the Vista Dome and watch
it all go by! I’ll arrive at Denali at 4 pm, settle in, and have all day Sunday to orient myself before I begin our staff training on Monday.
I’ll take lots of pictures, and keep you all posted on every step of the way. Love to you all, and thanks for sharing my journey with me through this blog!
Love,
Suzanne
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Jenny Schoenberg
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Awesome!
So glad you sent me this! Looking at it now, love the pictures. Have a great time Suzanne.