One of my favorite memories growing up was a summer when my grandparents took my brother and me to Alaska via the Alaska Marine Highway. If my memory serves me correctly, the trip lasted about a month. It was in later summer, and the weather was mostly beautiful.
We drove up to Alaska in their car and camped out of the back in the different stops along the way. At one point, we also pitched a tent on the back of one of the ferries. I THINK this was the M/V Malaspina. This ferry was sadly decommissioned in 2019.
On a recent cruise up the Inside Passage aboard the Star Princess, while leaving Ketchikan, I had the opportunity to see a few Alaska Marine Highway vessels. As we sailed past them, I couldn’t help but smile as I snapped a few pictures. These were not the fanciest ships that I’ve ever been on. They were some of the most fun.
As we passed these vessels, I thought of camping at different stops in the Inside Passage. I remember thinking how beautiful and massive Alaska is. It really was the starting point for an ongoing love I have for the state and the Inside Passage.
When I was a kid, I didn’t have the passion for photography that I have today. However, as I look back at this time and this trip, I can’t help but think that watching my grandpa take pictures for a future slide show might have been one of the seeds that were planted for this future passion.
Our family grew up with a love of boats, a love of the ocean, and a love of the Pacific Northwest. Going to Alaska just elevated all of those things. Returning to Alaska in the years since always is a wonderful reminder of what a wonderful world we live in and how many beautiful adventures there are to be had.
Alaska really is an incredible place. I’ve been there on cruise ships, ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway, and also on a home-built boat. That will be saved for another post, however, if that is something you’d like to read about!
Have you been to Alaska before? Have you been aboard the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system? What is your favorite place in Alaska? Share your thoughts, experiences, and opinions with me in the comments below!
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