Cruising the Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway is a ferry system that transports people and vehicles across water to get to the many cities along the inside passage, that are otherwise accessible only by air. When we realized we could make it to the ferry for the weekend boat, we decided to leave and we rode hard to Haines, AK (U.S. to Canada, back to U.S. in a single day). It turns out that riding hard was a little unnecessary. Google maps and my GPS way overshot the time necessary to get there. And we were about 5 hours early. But better that, than a single minute too late.

After enjoying some leisure at the local library (read, free wifi) and a taste of the local fare, our giant ferry bat arrived. We rode into the belly of the white and blue, 8,000 horsepower beast and strapped our bikes down to the floor. After they are strapped down, we are free to go upstairs to enjoy the ride. And it's fantastic.

It's wonderful to be making progress toward home while being able to nap, drink a beer (I'm enjoying a delicious Alaskan Amber as I type this from the onboard bar), or step outside into the cold and drop our jaws at the indescribable scenery.

 

And while taking a bus or plane to get somewhere might detract from our motorcycle riding adventure, my dad was right about the ferry. That it only adds to our adventure. We still have our bikes underneath us (by a couple decks). We're still moving forward. To places we've never been. To things to we've never seen. And let's be real, with a bar, cafe and movie theater onboard, traveling couldn't get much better.

 

Posted with Blogsy