Our 49th Wedding Anniversary: An "Affair" to Remember

Sitka was our last overnight stay (on land) in Alaska. It is ironic how our time in the 49th state ended on September 7, 2006, our 49th wedding anniversary. We did not plan for this to happen. Because of the ferry schedule, our “celebration” was a bit strange. After dinner at the Coast Guard Station, we found their big screen and watched as the Steelers defeated the Dolphins to kick off the NFL season. Near the lounge, we watched a raven chastising a large bald eagle while the latter was perched high in a nearby spruce tree. The raven dove, circled and returned again and again. The eagle seemed bored and simply hunched down into its wings until it tired of the raven’s nonsense and flew away. After the game, we “closed” the city library at 9:00 p.m. and then headed to the West Mark Hotel for a couple of hours of Wi-Fi time before driving to the ferry. By the time we finally got aboard the MV Matanuska, and had our cabin assignment, it was 2:30 a.m. The narrow bunk beds were double deckers, so Jerry slept up top for the first time since Boy Scout Camp. Happy Anniversary! He should have earned a merit badge.

The next morning, we experienced beautiful views as we sailed on a new-to-us marine highway enroute to Prince Rupert. After a hearty breakfast we toured the Matanuska and found it to be quite similar to the flagship, Columbia. We stopped in Petersburg, AK but had only 30 minutes to visit the port and get some photos. The rest of our stops were after dark or not long enough to go ashore. As the boat left Ketchikan, the last port before Prince Rupert, a small fishing boat went aground in shallow water. Our Captain dispatched four of his crew in a small boat to rescue the wayward sailor. Our ship also tried to free the stranded vessel but to no avail. Soon the Coast Guard arrived, and we left the scene. We are sure the Coast Guard asked some pointed questions regarding the drinking/sleeping habits of the stranded boat’s owner. We slept through the rescue effort, so the aforementioned comes from other passengers.

As the sun rose brightly the next morning, we had an unbelievable view of the Inland Passage. Everything from glaciers to wildlife, including eagles, porpoises and a couple of seal pups on a bouy, were special reminders that our awesome trip to the Northland was drawing to a close. The quiet, quaint little fishing villages spoke to the fact that there is more to life than fighting traffic and making money. The old lonesome, scenic lighthouse, which sits in the Inland Passage near Prince Rupert, like the little red caboose, is a symbol of a nostalgic, bygone era.