Not sure when I’ll get to post this, but I figure I’ll put some thoughts in print before they slip away.

July 21st was our 5th wedding anniversary. While I was in the shower in the hotel in Moses Lake, WA, Stephen wrapped my gifts in various travel maps and leftover wrapping paper from the kids’ state line presents. Oh, and duct tape. He gave me a cookie jar I’d picked out in Keystone, SD and a lovely necklace of Black Hills gold and heat-treated topaz. The necklace was wrapped inside the cookie jar.

I didn’t get anything for him as of yet. The 5th anniversary is apparently, the wood anniversary, so I’m keeping a lookout for something appropriate (and preferably free!).

We arrived at the Ferry Terminal in Bellingham, WA just before 2pm. We were supposed to be there to board our vehicle no later than 3pm. The ferry was scheduled to depart at 6pm. We checked in and were told to park our van in a line and remain with it until we drove it onto the ferry. The ferry would begin loading at 3:30pm. In an attempt to avoid having the pets sit in a hot van for any longer than necessary, we drove back into town to grab some lunch and walk the dog before parking in line. We arrived back at the line just before 3pm. We sat in that exact same spot with the a/c running on and off for the next 2 hours before they boarded us. Because we were going the furthest on the ferry, we boarded last.

We finally got all we thought we’d need (and we could carry!) unloaded from the van and hauled up one deck to our stateroom. We took a tour of the ferry and found where we would have pitched our tent, the recliner lounge where they show movies, several observation decks and lounges, the laundry room (which we used immediately), the gift shop, the arcade, the snack bar and the dining room. All in all, it’s a great boat. It’s called the MV Columbia and is the largest of the Alaska Ferry System fleet. It can hold 931 passengers. Our stateroom has 2 sets of bunkbeds (pretty comfy), a sink area, a private shower & toilet room. It’s nice to have a permanent place to go with a little privacy. Especially when the seas get a little rough and those of us prone to motion sickness just want to lie down in the dark.

We’ve been on the ferry for a day now. Tess and I have played some card games. We brought some groceries on board along with a cooler. So we’ve just been buying dinner at the snack bar (which is considerably cheaper than the dining room). We have yet to stop at our first port. That will be Ketchikan, AK tomorrow morning (July 23) at 7am. We get to go down to the car deck and check on the animals for 15 minutes at a time a few times a day. So far they’re doing as well as can be expected. It’s a little loud down there, and I worried a little about them during the rough seas (two stints). But they’re managing. We’ve got the van cleared out and lots of plastic sheeting under blankets and towels for them to sprawl out on. Plus there’s a kitty box in there for Elmo. Little Bit gets walked around the car decks on our 15 minute visits.

Note to self: Next time on ferry… bring binoculars. Lots of lovely scenery along the shores.