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Old 12-17-2011, 08:51 PM
 
Location: Bel Air, California
23,766 posts, read 29,048,781 times
Reputation: 37337

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If you wanted to use the Alaska Marine Ferry to travel from Bellingham during July where would you go if you only had a week for the trip and back?
  • Although this will be our first visit, I wouldn't presume it would be our last.
  • Realize we may only have 3 or 4 nights at our destination.
  • Perfectly happy to hit one city/town and explore from there, tho we'd probably be limited to ferry/boat service because of an aversion to flying.
  • Not a deal breaker but, we would like to have some time when we wouldn't be in town with a big cruise ship.
  • Like to hike.
  • Don't need upscale accommodations but don't want to stay in a dump, funky is OK.
  • Would like to have sightseeing options that could include historical, whale watching, cultural or pub crawls.
Ketchikan would seem to fit the bill but there's the cruise ship deal that seems less than ideal.
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Old 12-17-2011, 08:53 PM
 
Location: Bethel, Alaska
21,368 posts, read 38,123,667 times
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Haines!
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Old 12-17-2011, 09:23 PM
 
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Haines is good, but if it's the rain forest you want to see, you're a bit too far north there.

Consider Petersburg.
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Old 12-18-2011, 07:46 AM
 
Location: Dangling from a mooses antlers
7,308 posts, read 14,688,413 times
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Have you already checked the ferry schedules to make sure it's possible to do a round trip in the 1 week time frame you've allowed?

Alaska Marine Highway System :: Official Site :: Alaska DOT&PF
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Old 12-18-2011, 11:13 AM
 
Location: Bel Air, California
23,766 posts, read 29,048,781 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stiffnecked View Post
Have you already checked the ferry schedules to make sure it's possible to do a round trip in the 1 week time frame you've allowed?

Alaska Marine Highway System :: Official Site :: Alaska DOT&PF
Thanks, if we were to go all the way to Haines, we could extend to 11 days unless we head back the same day we get in (that would be quite a tease). The Bellingham trips seem to leave on Fridays and gets up to Haines on Mondays, the return from Haines, leaves later on Mondays and gets back to Bellingham on Fridays.

The Bellingham to Petersburg gets into Petersburg on Sundays and the return comes back through on Wednesdays. Leaving just two full days to explore.

I think we could find a way to extend out to 11 days round trip without much difficulty. It looks like we'd have many options throughout the week to jump around to a couple more destinations on the smaller ferries once we go up to Ketchikan and beyond before we caught the return trip back to Bellingham.
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Old 12-18-2011, 11:38 AM
 
Location: Dangling from a mooses antlers
7,308 posts, read 14,688,413 times
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Are you planning on just walking on the ferry or will you be taking a vehicle?
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Old 12-18-2011, 11:58 AM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
11,839 posts, read 28,951,581 times
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Definitely take the ferry over a cruise ship. The Inside Passage is amazing. When you take the ferry you'll also have a chance to talk with locals who can give you much better tips on what to see & where to eat.
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Old 12-18-2011, 01:32 PM
 
Location: Bel Air, California
23,766 posts, read 29,048,781 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stiffnecked View Post
Are you planning on just walking on the ferry or will you be taking a vehicle?
we will not be bringing a vehicle
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Old 12-18-2011, 01:54 PM
 
Location: Dangling from a mooses antlers
7,308 posts, read 14,688,413 times
Reputation: 6238
Ketchikan or Juneau would be my pick. Don't let the cruise ship thing throw you off unless all you plan on doing is spending all your time in the cruise ship dock area. Both Ketchikan and Juneau have a lot to offer outside of that small area. I'd strongly urge you to consider renting a vehicle in whatever location you go to. It just gives you a lot more freedom.
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