In January we started making our trip plans for 2014
Last year we went to Prince of Wales Island Alaska via the Alaska Ferry and had a great time.
It was our first experience taking the ferry that long of a distance, we've taken the ferry before, going on trips to Juneau and Skagway and had good experiences. So we thought we would do it again this year. But my thought was to start the trip from Whittier Alaska (which is right outside of Anchorage) and go directly to Bellingham Washington. Well that for us is a little easier said then done. There is only one boat that is ocean rated and does the trip between Bellingham, Whittier, and then goes out to Dutch Harbor Alaska. A total of 3,500 miles. I was able to secure reservations that covered Sharon and myself and our bike/sidecar unit. They wanted the payment completed by the end of the month. In the meantime a friend of ours from Chicago, Julie, called and said that she and a friend were thinking of coming up for a visit, and they were planning on coming up the inside passage via the Alaska Marine Highway, leaving Bellingham and coming to Whittier.
I let my reservation expire and tried to set it up again. Now that I had some better dates locked in and with guests coming up to see us. I tried to make the same reservations again. Well nothing was available that would get us and the sidecar unit on the boat between Whittier and Bellingham Washington.
 |
| The Alaska Marine Highway System between Bellingham and Dutch Harbor all 3,500 miles |
My next option was getting a reservation between Haines Alaska and Bellingham Washington
I was just trying to avoid driving to Haines, but the 700+mi are really beautiful and I saved a little over $1,000.00 so everything worked out.
We will be traveling on the MV. Columbia, the ride to Bellingham is four days
Our plan is to camp out during our trip to Washington either in the recliner room or in the solarium. We did this last year and found it suited our purposes.
Additionally there are showers available on board.
Recliner Lounge
Solarium Deck
Both areas have lockers available for rent and we usually use them so we don't have pack a lot of stuff around with us on the boat.
Our plan is to ride the Pacific Coast Highway starting in Washington , Oregon and finally into California and then back to Alaska.
We're planning on camping the whole trip. In fact there is a whole community that supports the motorcycle traveler. I've got a fellow that we're staying with the first evening after getting in to Washington state. I've already contacted him and gave him the dates that I'm going to be down there
This is what he had posted on the site
I have a two bedroom home with two acres of tent space. The home is empty. Has fridge, washer, dryer, stove whatever you need. Large shop with enough tools and welders to build a bike if need be.
Trailer for rescue.
Give me a shout as to when you might want to hang for a day or a week.
Below is the tent space map and I'm listed on it myself. Over the last three years Ive had a couple travelers stay with me
More to follow
Good to see you posting again Bob! Sounds like quite the trip, you'll like the M/V Columbia, its the one that took me back to WA from Haines. Yeah, its a long way but as you said, beautiful scenery. The ferry from Whittier books up really fast I recall so no surprise there when you couldn't restart the reservation.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your trip prep, trip posts, and pics. My regards to Sharon.
If you've the time and can swing your way east to Colorado.....casa chang awaits. You can then compare Colorado's mountains to the ones on the Glenn Highway.
dom
Thanks for the comment and invitation, I'm not sure how we're going to be doing with time. I'm going to try to do this without going on the slab at all. Just highway1 and 101 exclusively, I'm planning on the Redwoods, San Francisco,
ReplyDeleteShould be a nice trip. I've driven up and down the coast highway many times as well as bicycled through much of it. Is is a beautiful trip, take your time. I am personally not as enamored of the ferry ride but then again, the last time I went was in 1976.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Richard, I'm planning on taking our time that is why I'm staying off the slab.
ReplyDeleteI was stationed in California for three years but I was to young and it was the sixties.
Sharon has never been there. The ferry ride to me isn't that bad for me, I usually just plug in to some audio books and zone out
What is the site for the tent space map? I've considered the BMWMOA anonymous book phone numbers but have never followed through. I was always able to locate a KOA type campground with plenty of tent space. Many times there was no RV space but many times I was the only tent.
ReplyDeleteRichard, I always travel with the anonymous book with me as my just in case. The map I found is on ADV Rider, http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=869519
ReplyDeleteIts a sticky in the trip planning area. I signed up as a host on it, and it gives you places all over the world. I would have a hard time camping next to a RV if I were in a tent. Just follow the directions at the posting. Let me know what you think
Bob