Juneau to Wrangell, Alaska

Yesterday we got a reprieve from the drizzle we’ve been having which made packing up much nicer than it would have been in the rain. I took Gino and Reba for bike runs, did a little housecleaning and we pulled out of our site at noon. A stop for groceries and fuel as well as a run to Walmart to pick up the prints I had ordered on-line took care of most of the afternoon. So, next we went to the ferry staging area and got in line.

This is a picture of our ferry – the Taku. It is an older one, built in 1967.

While waiting to board, and on the ferry, we visited with a couple from Quebec. They have a unique little teardrop trailer and we’ve been running into them periodically ever since Anchorage.

We loaded about 5:00 p.m. Once again, there were very few vehicles and people on board. Our cabin was small and spartan, but adequate.

As we pulled away from the ferry dock, we noticed the “Time Bandit” wastied up at the wharf! It is well known by fans of the TV docu-drama “Deadliest Catch”. Fran really likes this show so he was excited to see it.

We also got a good view of the Mendenhall Glacier as we left the harbour.

It was a beautiful evening with the ocean as calm as glass.

As we went past Tracy Arm, we spotted a cruise ship coming out of this fjord which is famous for its glaciers. There were quite a few icebergs floating at the entrance and a few were out in our channel. We saw whales a few times and Fran took some beautiful pictures as the light faded.

We went to bed a little after 10:00 p.m. with me in the top bunk. At 1:00 a.m. we stopped at the island/town of Kake. This was our chance to take the dogs out for a potty break. It was very dark (the first darkness I’ve seen). Then, back to bed. We stopped at Petersburg about 6:30 a.m. and since we’d been told the scenery gets particularly nice after then, Fran got up. This is the early morning look at Petersburg. It is a very tidy and prosperous town whose residents are mainly of Norwegian descent.

We passed through the Wrangell Narrows, an area that is too shallow and narrow for the cruise ships to pass. The shore on both sides was really close!

I got up and watched through the window of our room. Then, we had an excellent breakfast at the cafeteria and prepared to depart the Taku at Wrangell.

We had to do a little maneuvering around to get the motorhome off the ferry without scraping bottom since the tide was out. Once ashore , we stopped in the parking lot to turn on the propane and refrigerator and take the dogs out. I noticed three young girls with a table set up across the street. They were selling garnets harvested from ‘Garnet Ledge’ at the mouth of the Stikine River. Garnet Ledge was willed to the Boy Scouts for the benefit of the children of Wrangell. No one else is allowed to harvest garnets from this property and only the children may sell them.

We stopped at the Wrangell Visitor Center which is in a very nice building (it also houses their museum), and picked up some maps, etc..

The main things to do here are fishing, taking jet boat rides up the Stikine River and boating to the AnAn nature preserve to watch the bears catching salmon. We aren’t really interested in taking any more boat trips, other than the ferry trips already booked, so will find other ways to amuse ourselves while in this pretty spot.

We went to the city-owned RV park which is four miles down the island at Shoemaker Bay. There we were able to have our pick of sites and found one that was large, level and has a fantastic view out over the Zemovia Strait. We can watch all the fishing boats go in and out of the marina next door and keep an eye out for marine life.

After a bit of a rest and lunch we biked the four miles into town. It was a fairly easy ride without too many hills. Our fist stop was Chief Shakes Island where there are several totem poles and a tribal house. The house and totem poles were built in 1940 for the last large potlatch (gathering) of the Tlingit native peoples.

Some Tlingit dancers and a storyteller were putting on a performance for a group from the small cruise ship in town.

This small cruise ship only has 70 passengers on it and they stay away from ‘touristy’ places. In fact, a passenger we were talking to said that in the one week cruise, this is the only town they stop at. They have fishing gear, kayaks and paddleboards onboard and they can use them as they cruise places like Glacier Bay National Park. Very neat idea!

Wrangell is known for its totem poles and there are several in this little park.

The main street downtown has buildings dating as far back as 1898 on it. They are well maintained and brightly painted.

We sat on a park bench and watched the activity in the city harbor for a while before pedaling back to our campsite.

Wrangell is primarily a fishing town. We were told ‘everyone has a boat’. There are several fish processing plants which are going full tilt processing salmon these days. The homes are, for the most part, very nicely kept, with lots of flowers.

A really nice person Fran tried to buy firewood from in the marina next door delivered a bunch of firewood right to our site so we could have a fire tonight. He wouldn't take any money for it, either! It was so lovely sitting out with our campfire and looking out at the ocean.