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.