Alaska Ferry Snafu. Juneau-Haines.

[EEWally]

We're midway on an island hopping 2-week, 5-layover trip through SE Alaska with a problem on the last leg.

The Alaska Ferry Columbia is coming back into service later than planned after repowering in Portland, OR. As a result, they have taken the Malaspina off the Juneau-Haines run to do Columbia's run from Bellingham north.

Upshot? Things are tight in Juneau and our scheduled May 31 Juneau-Haines trip has been cancelled. The May 30 and June 1 runs on the LeConte are filled so we're going June 3 on it.

This is more time in Juneau than we wanted and my cousin waiting with his motorhome in Haines for the rest of Alaska trip might not wait! We'll have to catch up to him before he gets to Denali where we have reservations.

Our daughter says things like this are part of the charm of SE AK.

[EEWally]

Thanks for the advice.

So far we've had:
Prince Rupert(1 night)
Ketchikan (2 nights)
Prince of Wales Island (3)
Ketchikan (2 more)

Still to go is:
Ferry Cabin (1 night)
Sitka (4 nights)
Juneau (4 nights now)
Haines (1 night and onward to Denali, Kenai, etc.)

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day so we got a half-day rental of a 20-foot boat and fished for kings near the Clover Pass RV Park where we're staying. Nothing caught but a beautiful day on the water.

Today is the start of the month-long Ketchikan Salmon Derby so it's really busy on the docks. Fun to watch.

[sue_t]

If you have some dollars burning in your pocket, you may want to try this combination tour that starts with a helicopter ride to Herbert Glacier, then a dog sled tour on the glacier, then a flight back to Juneau.

It is a full day, once in a lifetime experience, for sure.

http://www.blue-kennels.com/tours/juneau-dog-sledding-tour/

If you go, say hi to Sebastian for me. He's a good guy!

[Twomed]

If you haven't been to the State Museum there in Juneau that could easily take the best part of a day.

If that doesn't work for you there is always beer and halibut nuggets at the Red Dog Saloon. 🙂 🙂

[fanrgs]

Charm, huh? In 2000, we had a trip scheduled on the Columbia from Sitka to Petersburg and Wrangell. But the ferry had an electrical fire two weeks before we arrived and was towed dead-in-the-water back to Juneau. We used the refund from AMHS to fly back from Sitka to Juneau, so still enjoyed that part of the trip immensely.

If you have never been to Sitka, you might want to take an overnight trip there while you are in Juneau. It is our favorite town in Alaska--tiny, tree-covered islets dotting the harbor with dozens of bald eagles flying overhead, a perfect little volcano sitting on an island just outside the harbor, huge Sitka spruce everywhere, gorgeous sunsets over the ocean, a beautifully decorated Russian church, a totem pole park, a wonderful museum, and on and on. Even in a pouring rain, it is one of the most magical places in Alaska!

[HappyKayakers]

Since there's nothing you can do about it anyway (except flying out), relax and enjoy the salmon.