Weigh Anchor!

We are currently weighing anchor.

We boarded the ship, Coral Princess, a little bit after 12. We got our rooms. I am on the Dolphin Deck, starboard side. We ate lunch at the Horizon Court. It is a buffet that is open 24 hours a day. I had a salad, chicken on rice, salmon salad (salmon, potatoes, and mayonnaises), zucchini, and a slice of bread. After lunch, my aunt took us for a tour of the ship, showing us where the theatre, casino, gym, restaurants, and lounges were. The only thing I plan on using is the gym and restaurants. I may venture into some of the lounges as well, provided they have free wifi!

We depart from Vancouver in a few hours, sailing for our first port, Ketchikan. We arrive in Ketchikan on the 11th at 6AM. I will be hiking Deer Mountain that day in the Tongass National Forest. I read about the Tongass in National Geographic a few months ago and really wanted to see it. This 5 mile out and back hike will be all I can see. I am looking forward to the hike though. It will be much better than the bus tour the rest of my family will be taking.

I am reminded of the writings of Lawrence Millman, one of my favorite authors. In A Journey in the North, he writes that given the choice between a fast boat or a slow boat, he would take the slow boat. Given a choice between walking or driving, he would take walking. I certainly agree with him. I like to ride my bike around Midland, though do not do it as much as I should. Instead of the cruise I am on, I would prefer to take the ferry. Mainly because the ferry goes to every single town along the inner passage. I read on article about using the ferry when hiking. They will let you camp on the deck and you can just disembark at any of the towns to go hiking. I would love to spend a week in each of the towns we visit, instead of the 12 hours they give us.

It is almost time for our safety drill.