Journal

Tuesday, July 13 - Inside Passage As we approached the ferry terminal on a two-lane road, we were greeted by a sign advising “Ferry traffic stay in centre lane.” Never did figure that one out.

The Queen of the North carries up to 700 passengers, but we were told that it had been running half full lately. The ferry left at 7:30 exactly; it took about an hour for loading. Many of the vehicles are long RVs and big trucks so the ferry staff has to juggle all the lengths to make sure nobody only gets half on. There are 7 decks; we had a two-berth cabin with a bathroom, as well as recliner seats in a lounge. Looking out the window, there wasn’t a lot to see until almost noon. There was fog all along the coast, which burned off as the day wore on.

One of the waitresses said that the weather had been miserable. We were in luck, however, as the whole afternoon and evening was gorgeous. Outdoors in t-shirts weather. The scenery is spectacular, and the boys got a glimpse of a pod of killer whales in the distance. The captain made an announcement about the whales, causing a rush of people to one side of the boat. This, of course, almost made the boat capsize. Just kidding – this is more stable than a sabot.

Inside Passage photos, click here.