Inside Passage

August 8 & 9: This was hurry up and wait day. Got Escape To ready for the ferry and found a Safeway that sold blocks of ice and emptied the refrigerator into a cooler and taped shut for the ferry ride, as they turn off your propane before loading on the ferry. Put a third block in small cooler with wheels with our drinks, chicken wraps for lunches, crackers, cheese and pepperoni to take with us on the ferry. Next step was waiting line for the ferry. Everyone was measured (you pay by the foot for vehicles) and assigned a lane #. Ours was 9 and we decided it was based on your destiation. Sure enough we were the last to load. You load on the ferry on a very narrow ramp with the help of a guide who directs you. We were almost down the ramp to ferry, when he stopped us and said we needed to back up. They needed to adjust the ramp as they decided the ramp was too steep for us. They raised the ramp and changed the angle and on to the ferry we go where the crew directed us where to park. We gather what we want to take onboard as we will be on the ferry for the next 44 hours and we are off to the next part of our journey.


It was an experience and we saw the entire inside passage. Our ferry stopped at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Kake, Sitka and Juneau. All the stops but Sitka was during daylight and we saw all the small towns, and would love to spend time in Petersburg. At Sitka the ferry docked around 1 AM and left at 4AM, we got up to see it leave Sitka and while still dark, we could see how narrow the Peril Straight is. You feel that you could reach out and touch the mountains one either side as they come down to the water with no beach. The ferry system and flying is the only way to travel between these locations as there are no roads. The ferry is very inexpensive for people and they bring their sleeping bags, inflatable mattress, and sometimes tents and sleep on the ferry deck for the trip.

Between Petersburg and Kake we saw hundreds of whales blowing, breaching, and feeding . We also saw eagles, gulls, black quillemats, common murres, and some scotters.

Whale breach

one of several light houses we saw from the ferry

Our Ferry

The ferry is great fun and the people that work on the ferry are great and the ferry is very clean. Stopping at each town and spending some time could be a trip in itself.

Banff & Jasper

August 6: Started out raining, so it was a good day for traveling. Decided we would photograph the Canadian road signs, so Edna became the official photographer for the day. There signs are nicer than ours, as they have no words, just pictures that are very descriptive.

But the time we stopped at Beaumont Provincial Park on Fraser Lake the sun had come out. It was very breezy , but the kids were swimming, but no adults, we wore jackets. We stopped at Huston which had a community farmers market where Edna bought a folding table made of several types of local wood which is very nice. Then on to the Huston information center and the worlds largest fly fishing pole, with several other sculpture. The fishing pole is 60 feet long designed by a local fisherman and built by volunteers. The pole is a “Skykomish Sunrise”, and I am sure a fly fisherman knows what that is, we don’t. Campfire ban is in effect in the area, as a large fire is out of control near hear.

Spent the night at Tybee Provincial Park, a lovely provincial park just past Huston. The provincial parks we have seen are unbelievably well kept with marvelous sites. Few have hookups. The sign said ranger would be around to collect fees and deliver fire wood, but with the fire ban we knew that part was out and no one ever showed up to collect fee. So we just left the fee and a note in the box the next morning. Only wildlife spotted was a coyote early AM this day.

August 7 We do not have a long drive today, as we get on the ferry tomorrow. Edna still taking pictures of road signs and has now expanded to the town flags that most towns display on their light poles. I can see a project taking pictures of road signs and has now expanded to the town flags that most towns display on their light poles. I can see a project in the future.

We stopped and visited Ksah Indian Village, and took a tour. To get to the village we had to cross a narrow single lane suspension bridge over Hagwilget Canon, and only a sign for traffic control that “yield to on coming traffic”.

Our guide was from the Wolf Clan and explained how they have a great emphasis on teaching the upcoming generation their heritage and customs. On the grounds they have a Kitanmus School of Northwest Coast Indian Art, which offers four year program dedicated to the renewal and passing on of Northwest Coast design to future generations.

The drive from this point to Prince Rupert was beautiful, steep mountains covered in lush green with remains of glaciers on the steep rocky tops. As we got closer to Prince Rupert the river started to widen and reminded us of tital rivers back home.

Staying at Prince Rupert RV Campgrounds, not far from ferry. Have hookups, no wifi and owner not a person you would want to get to know. Everything is very neat, sites are very close and sometimes several RV’s in one site. Edna said one load of wash was $2.00, but it cost $4.00 to get almost dry.