We are certainly glad that we did not have this kind of ferry ride for our exit from Alaska. This picture was posted on the Matanuska, and we think that it was taken in Lynn Canal north of Juneau some years ago. Pretty big waves for a round bottomed boat. Our trip was smooth sailing--even the crossings of Dixon Entrance and Queen Charlotte Sound were pretty mild. A little bit of rock and roll, but nothing like we have both experienced in the past.
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| Moon Over British Columbia |
We had a long layover in Ketchikan (about six hours) and we took that time to do some computer work on our laptops with our MiFi wireless internet card. It worked like a charm and we were able to get caught up on a few things. We also did a lot of reading, playing of cards, and "resting". A long ferry ride can be a good way to decompress if you let it.
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| This Canadian Lighthouse Is Near Bella Bella, British Columbia |
As you can tell by the lighthouse and moon pictures above, the weather was very good for our trip down the Inside Passage. There was a lot of scenic views, a few whales, and some great sunsets. We really enjoyed the trip, but were happy when we got to Bellingham on Friday morning. We arrived about sunrise, and it was a frosty day with a mix of fog and sunshine all the way down through Washington state to Oregon. The roads were in good shape, but we did pass one accident where someone spun out on an icy stretch. The GMC and Fiver behaved well and we had no issues.
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| Pamela's View for Most of the 291 Miles to Molalla, Oregon |
There is an Alaska saying that "Unless you are the lead dog, your view is pretty much always the same". And not all that pleasant, we expect. Pamela had a rear view of the Fiver for the trip down I-5 and into Molalla, but she was able to play "blocking back" when Neil needed to move over a lane in traffic, so it worked out just great. We made great time, with Neil getting behind some big trucks that were moving about five miles per hour over the speed limit and we probably averaged 60 mph for the trip.
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| Smokey Point Rest Area on I-5 on the Way South |
We got through Seattle traffice without incident and just missed the start of rush hour in Portland as we pushed through on I-205 into Oregon City. We pulled into Molalla around 1530, and had time to back the Fiver onto the new RV pad that Seth Finney built and get the utilities set up before dark. We were even able to use the newly installed satellite TV mast that is mounted the the rear RV ladder.
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| Our New Home for the Next Several Months |
We had a great welcome dinner with Seth and Cathy Finney and their son Samuel and Lindsay at the Arrowhead. Since Neil and Seth were not driving, they took advantage of the opportunity of some "social lubricant". It was a great time. We are still unpacking things in the Fiver and setting some things up, but we have TV, internet, and all the comforts of home--as we should since it is home. Our cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses have not changed and we will keep them for the foreseeable future. We would love to hear from you, as we have from some other Alaska friends recently.
Thanks for your interest and for visiting,
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Nice entry, good to have you "home".
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