It was all about the ship

Early this morning Dennis and I returned from our trip to Alaska.  A Road Scholar tour focusing on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry.  Dennis was originally going to go with his mother but then she decided not to go.  So I went.  Really fun, in an understated Alaskan sort of way.

We made stops along the way but really this trip was about the ferry which traveled up the Instide Passage along the British Columbia coast to southeastern Alaska.  The Southeast it's called.

We spent he majority of the trip on the boat, the MV Malaspina, the oldest ship on the fleet, that's why she has the golden smokestack.  So we followed the rhythms of the ship.  Utilitarian, people on the ship getting things done.  Alaskans use this boat to travel between towns and back south.  Southeast has very few roads so if you need to go somewhere, you take the ferry.

We had a small room and we ate in the cafeteria.  Lots of interesting rough and ready folks with interesting stories. Riding the ferry, I felt much more in tune with the rhythms of Alaskan life.  None of that sissy cruise ship stuff.  People working all around us.  So the stops were short, no time to mess around.  Sometimes longer but mainly focused on the tide.

We did get off the boat and see things.  But it mostly was about the Malaspina, where she was going.

Here's the ship as we had a quick stop in Wrangell to see some petroglyphs.  The Wrangell dash.