Will Heaven Be Boring?
After a while we become saturated with the beauty and wonder of nature, taking it for granted that around each bend is another snow capped mountain with green forests below, and the day will always be sunny. Last trip it got to where no one would walk to the other side of the boat to see another whale. This time it’s the scenery.



Vacation Money
The most valuable forms of money to carry on this vacation are quarters, and dollar bills. These small units of money will get you things that larger bills will not. The dollars make great tips when the driver of the shuttle lifts your heavy bag into the van. They will also get you a coke from almost any coke machine. The quarters operate the lockers on the MV Columbia, and the laundry machines, and, of course, enough of them will get you a coke. For major purchases, like dinner, there are credit cards.

Sleeping
The Alaska Highway Ferry ships operate on a somewhat casual basis when it comes to sleeping. People were sleeping everywhere. Not a bench wide enough to lay yourself down upon went unlied. (unlayed?) Sleeping bags were unfurled behind every row of seats in the “recliner lounge” and in most of the other public rooms. Of course the tent areas were full, as were the solarium lounge chairs, despite the heaters not operating on this trip. Its about 45 at night, outside, and a bit windy in the tent areas. The message: if you are traveling overnight on the Alaska ferry, either book early or bring your air mattress and sleeping bag. Why? Because sleeping in the reclining chairs in the movie lounge is not comfortable.

What is in your Cabin, what’s on the Ferry?
Two bunks, one upper with a ladder, sink, electric plugs, toilet, shower, nice window.Here's Mary Alice (left) and her roomie (see earlier posting) Barbara.



How do you bathe, if you don’t have a cabin? There are public showers with private stalls for men, and across the ship, for women. Washing machines and dryers are there too – coin-op. There is a video game room on board too. A cocktail room, a snack bar with sandwiches, cereal, and some hot foods, and a dining room. Tonight the dining room is serving an all you can eat buffet: $14.95 seniors, $17.95 others.

There is wi-fi on the MV Columbia, but it is pretty slow. Its like the monkey’s typing Shakespeare. Are you amazed at how close they are coming to being accurate, or upset that they can’t spell better? I’m going with amazement for the wi-fi on board issue. Most people seem to have some electronics with them - cell phone, iphone, ipod, laptop -but not too many wi-fi users.

We took I-5 north from Grants Pass, but nearing Portland suddenly were directed to 205, a by-pass freeway. We took it, and stopped at scenic overlook which gave views of a set of waterfalls in a major river. On the wall at that overlook I found this inscription celebrating the author’s flight from then-red Romania. Remember the cold war?



The motel in Seattle was also where we ate. The restaurant had life fish in a large acquariam as you entered. I was surprised during my meal to see that one of the fish was attempting to communicate with a diner. Perhaps it didn't want to be a dinner for the diner.



Across the street from the motel was a cemetery. One of the modern ones with no tombstones or other things that make mowing the grass difficult. I think this was a recent interment.

We made it to the Ramada, and left the car there for the duration of our trip, locked in the basement. Now we find out if my internet bookings really worked. The motel shuttle driver knew where gate 00 was at the airport, and took us there. The shuttle to the Alaska Ferry was there, and we got to the ship on time. One miracle after another.

One fly in the ointment is that we have nowhere to sleep on the ferry and we'll be on it for 3 nights. All the cabins were booked when I got the tickets on the web. We are going to sleep in the lounge chairs in the solarium next to the tents of the people camping on the open deck. If we can get to one before they are all taken. But, I have this thought in the back of my mind, that maybe on the ship in one cabin there is a woman alone who would sell the other bunk to Mary Alice. As i'm thinking this, a woman from the bus starts up a chat with us as we walk in to get our tickets confirmed and label our bags. She says she is going to Ketchikan, but had to book a cabin without a room mate. "Take it" I said to Mary Alice. She did. So now i am in the forward lounge on the 200 deck waiting for "Lions and Lambs" - a movie about Afghanistan - to end so I can lean my seat back and go to sleep.

I'm wait-listed for a cabin, but I am so far down the list that I'm still 4th or 5th in line. When we get to Ketchikan some people may not claim their cabins for the 3rd night. if so, I'll get one possibly. if not, the chair next to mine will have my sweetheart in it for the last night before Juneau (arrival 6 am Monday more or less).

The views from the ship as we left Bellingham were incredible. Here's Mount Baker. It looked like this from the onboard restaurant as we ate dinner, too. Nice cabernet from California, too.

The drive from Grants Pass to Seattle is quite beautiful, at least at this time of year. Les Scher said "don't buy your land in the spring' because that's when it all looks good. From Grants pass to Eugene you go over a series of mountain passes, lots of trees, the valleys lush and green. When you get into Washington state, the speed limit gets to 70 and the trip is shortened.

We had last night's dinner for lunch today, at a reststop. Saw some birds.



We checked into the Sea-Tac Ramada Inn, got our long term parking set up, and had dinner at their lobby restaurant. The service was erratic, but the food was really good. I had the ribeye steak and even my sweetheard admitted it was delicious.

Packing expands to fill the time you allow for it. We began packing this morning (well,I began by finding all my Alaska 2002 photos and putting them on this computer, making room for the new ones. There were last minute phone calls from people in trouble hoping I could get them out of it, or people wanting to be sure they weren't going to get into trouble, or people wanting the courts to say their trouble was over. And, of course, the '99 Volvo had broken yesterday - nothing big, just the passenger window, which is electric only of course, won't go up. So we're taking the '94 and drove the '99 to Sandera's where it will live during our vacation, getting oil changes, electric switch repair, and maybe even the dashboard squeak fixed. Sad note: Steve who ran the front desk is moving to Florida - he was really a warm and helpful person. We'll miss him, but fortunately he was there so we could say goodbye.

Then by 4:30 we pulled out of Fortuna to drive till we dropped. Well, except for the stop in Eureka at Costco to pick up a few essentials. Then, it was north and kidding.

The drive up 101 from Arcata to Crescent City is one of the most beautiful drives in the state. There are forests, sea shores, and flowers everywhere: lupin, scotch broom, and in the redwoods, azelias, not to mention roadside blooms. Some lawyers from Eureka don't like taking cases in CC, but I'm not one of them. For that drive I should cut my prices (just kidding folks - that's an expression of the intensity of the drive's impact on me, not a business thought.)

In Crescent City my sweetheart saw the Thai House (105 N St ) and it being dinner time we gave it a try. Out of 6 cars parked outside, 3 were Volvos. Inside it was a cross between a cafe and a restaurant, if you know what I mean. The wine came in 1/20th bottles but the Thai tea came in a colored plastic glass. The food was great. I had the shrimp on noodles with bok choy,a Syrah, and a Thai Tea (figured they'd average out). My sweetheart had wonton soup and vegetable rolls. We ordered a couple of pork buns to go, as breakfast. Then we had left overs anyway. So for about $40 we got dinner,breakfast, and lunch the next day- and that includes the tip.

As we neared Grant's Pass it began to sprinkle - just enough to show that the driver's windshield wiper had seen much better days. But we got to the Best Western, negotiated the internet price, and now we're snug as a bug in a rug, and going to sleep. Night all.