Continued from last week:
Traveling by the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry is a wonderful way to see this great state. The ferry will take you to Ketchikan, just like the cruise ships do, but instead of getting off the ship to sight-see for just a few hours with 12.000 of your closest friends you can drive your RV, car, bicycle or even walk off the ferry and stay for two days or two weeks! You make your own schedule. The best part is that at 6:00PM every evening you can go down to the harbor and wave good-by to those 12,000 cruise ship tourist! Now you can have the place, almost, to yourself.
Each port town has at least one campground and some have several. There are also plenty of B & Bs and motels. We spent two summers riding the ferry system while shooting our new video and are now convinced there is no better way to see Alaska. There are no dance shows, gambling, or more-than-you-should-ever-eat buffets on board. All the ferry offers is relaxation and a up-close look at some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. At times you’re so close to shore you feel as if you could reach out and touch the trees. Those of you who have a problem with sea-sickness don’t have to worry, the route is called the “inside passage” because it travels on protected waters and is more like sailng up a river than being on the ocean.
The official start of the Inside Passage is in the town of Bellingham Washington, 90-miles north of Seattle. The first time we were going to take the ferry to Alaska we went to the Alaska Marine Highway System website for information. On the reservations page we typed in we wanted to go from Bellingham to Haines AK, about a 3-day run. The next question was the length of our rig. At that time we had a 31-ft 5th wheel and pick-up which was 47ft long. We typed in the info and the price came up on the screen. When we regained conscious we realized that the $3400 one-way price tag was out of our budget range. The price did not include food or a state room to sleep in. We decided to do a little research to see if we could get the price down to what we could afford.
The first stop for the ferry in Alaska is Ketchikan, about a 36-hour run from Bellingham. This is also the most expensive leg of the trip. For our 5th-wheel combination the fee was $1800.00, one way. We did some research and learned that instead of leaving from Bellingham we could drive north, about 800 miles, to the port town of Prince Rupert, BC. From there the cost to Ketchikan would only be about $325.00 for our rig, and only a six-hour ferry ride. We saved about $1500.00 by starting our journey a little farther up the coast.
It would be great to take the ferry the entire route from Bellingham to Haines but if you are on a budget start in Prince Rupert. If you are heading south on the ferry get off in Prince Rupert, unless you have more money than you know what to do with. If that is the case please call me, I have some great inventions I’m working on!
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Rich writes:
Not for Big Rig RVs….all ships have a 20 Foot length restriction, so if you are a Class A or long Class C, this is not for you, as I read the restrictions.
Rich,
I think you are reading the ferry info wrong, the only size restriction on the ferry is the size of your wallet! They load 60ft plus semi’s on the ferries, that’s how the small port towns get their supplies. They even bring the circus to town on the ferry, but I’m sure shipping elephants can’t be done for peanuts! I would suggest calling the ferry to get the info, their website is not easy to read. Have a great trip!
Peter writes:
Thanks for pointing out some of the advantages of the AMHS for a trip to Alaska. I’d like to, though, add a couple more good points—it’s a great way to meet a real cross-section of people around and about Alaska. When we went up there, we met commercial fishers, European work-as-you-go travelers, neo-pioneers, even high-school athletic teams going from one town to another. We were able to spend extra time in several towns along the way, by simply waiting for another ferry; this enabled us to mesh into small port-town life. Also, if you want, you can bring simple foods—microwavable meals, for example—on board and save on food costs while on board. The ferry also offers quite a range of accomodations: some of the young and sturdy sleep up topside, beneath heat lamps, on reclinable lounge chairs; others pitch (and duct-tape down) tents on deck, or sleep in one of the thickly carpeted lounges.
Peter,
You are exactly right, on a cruise ship to Alaska you will meet nice people from Ohio and Florida, but on the ferry you will get to meet “real” Alaskan lumberjacks, real Alaskan fishermen and real Alaskan escaped felons (just kidding)! You will learn a lot more about the state if you ride with the local folks.
It’s too bad we can’t sleep in our RV’s on the ferry but there are many other options. For us “well seasoned” RV’ers though anything but a state room is a little tough on the old body. I suggest taking short hop trips from three to eight hours at a time so you don’t have to stay on the ferry over-night. That way you can sleep in your own RV bed every night in a port town and eat your own food.
PLESE EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION
To be continued next Thursday …. John Holod – RV Adventure Videos
John & Jodie will be leading a Born Free Caravan to Alaska this summer. For more information check out his website below.
John’s personal appearance schedule and videos can be found on his website, where he can be reached via email at www.rvadventurevideos.com
April Schedule: 2nd Glendora CA – 7th Fairfield Glade TN – 8th Huntsville AL – 14th Burlington NC – 20th North Bay Ontarion – 22nd Dundas Ontario – 23rd Oakville Ontario – 24th Missasauge Ontario – SHOW SEASON ENDS UNTIL SEPTEMBER – school’s out for summer, let’s go RV’ing!