Welcome to Juneau!

I received a text from my friend Jason that Juneau was expecting 3-4 inches of snow the morning we arrived. By the time we got the message, there were already several inches of snow covering the roads! Our cars were loaded with as much as we could fit into them, so they were really over-weighted. It was also very dark, and snow was still falling- this was going to be a challenge.

Jonny's car is a Subaru with all-wheel drive, so it was able to make it through the unplowed roads without too much of a challenge. MY car, on the other hand, is an Accord with two-wheel drive. Because it was so over-weighted in the back and its drive wheels are in the front, it actually got stuck. We were driving to my cousin's house (who lives on a large hill) and because of all the snowfall, my car just couldn't make it! I got stuck on the hill! Luckily, Jonny and I had practiced putting cables on the tires back home, so we got out of our cars, got down on our hands and knees, and strapped on the cables. It was so cold that we couldn't feel our hands, but we got it done! It took everything my car had, but it finally made it! We were absolutely exhausted when we reached my cousin's house at 4:30, so we crashed for a few hours until the sun came up.

 When we awoke, this is what we saw! These are the front steps of the house.

This was my car!

Here are some more snowy pictures!

 Jonny, Jason and I were asked to shovel the driveway, so we put on our jackets, picked up some shovels and got to work! Jonny's Vans weren't up to the task, so he donned cousin Bob's XtraTufs for the day.

Jason cut the work in half with the use of this awesome snow blower! I had no idea these things even existed!

Just look at how thick this snow is!

Shoveling was fun, but it sure was a lot of work!

Later, we got some pictures of the mountains that border the town. They are absolutely lovely with snow on them!

In this picture, you can see a frozen lake in the foreground.

Here's another as we passed the frozen lake.

After walking around in so much snow without the proper footwear, Jonny's feet were pretty cold and wet. The only cure? A brand new pair of XtraTufs!

You can't live in Southeast Alaska for long without having a pair of these bad boys. So much better than a pair of soggy Vans. Goodbye California shoes, hello "Southeastern tennis shoes!"

Stay tuned for more!

The Last Stretch

When we awoke from our hotel in Washington, we hopped back on the road for our last stretch of the drive. It was overcast and drizzly, but we weren't going to let that stop us!

Washington had beautiful trees like Oregon, but lacked the sunshine and blue sky. If I had to choose between the two of them, I would pick Oregon, even though they pump your gas for you. :)

After two hours, we finally arrived in Bellingham and were just in time to board the ferry! We ran inside to get our tickets, then got back into our cars and drove right onto the ship! There was an entire deck devoted to vehicles, and it was completely filled! This is what the coastal town of Bellingham looked like.

And here's the Port of Bellingham.

The car deck on the ferry looked something like this.

The cars were strategically placed on the deck according to destination. That way, the cars can drive off without blocking each other. You can see the Juneau tag on my dashboard.

 The car deck was very cold when we got on!

Unfortunately, they make you leave your pets in the car, so little Kiwi had to stay here for the entire trip. By day three, she sure was ready to get out! They had car deck calls, so there were designated periods where we could go and visit her, refill her food and water, and try to comfort her the best we could! She was a really good sport.

The ferry took about three days to get us from Bellingham, WA to Juneau, AK. Most of the trip was pretty easy, but there was a section of open water that was quite rough! You can always tell when your ship has entered open water because it usually gets bumpy. The rough patch lasted several hours. We tried to wander around the ship at first, but it was just too difficult. We ended up just going to sleep and waiting for it to pass. If you'd like to see what we experienced, just watch this video!

Click here to see the rough water!

Eventually, at 3:30am Alaska time, we arrived in Juneau! But there were more difficulties to face once we arrived...

Last Day in the "Lower 48"

Jonny and I (and Kiwi the cat) have just checked into our hotel for the night. Tomorrow, we board the ferry! It's been quite a drive so far, so it will be nice to relax once we arrive in Bellingham. Within the past 2 days, we've driven about 1,100 miles. We still have a 125 mile drive to finish tomorrow, and then the boat will take us the remaining 965 miles within the next 3 days.

Our drive has been pretty easy so far. There's been a warm spell all along the west coast, so we haven't had to deal with driving through any ice or snow. I've been randomly taking pictures throughout the drive during the daytime, so here they are!

Jonny and I next to our cars. We stuffed them so much that we can't even see out the back!

Driving through tons of California-nothing.

Pretty sky.

Driving over some water.

More water..

The sunset from Santa Nella, CA.

Mt. Shasta?

Volcano?

Lots of Oregon trees.

More Oregon.

Oregon landscape.

In Oregon, they pump the gas for you!

Kiwi was happy to be let out of her carrier during our dinnertime break.

Unfortunately, due to our late start today, we arrived and drove through most of Washington after the sun went down, so I was unable to take any pictures. I'll have to get some tomorrow.

I believe our ship tomorrow is the M/V Matanuska. This is what it will look like.

According to the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System website, "The M/V Matanuska was built by Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock Company of Seattle and began service in 1963. In 1968 the vessel was lengthened and renovated. It now carries 500 passengers, and provides 4 four-berth, 23 three-berth, and 81 two-berth cabins. The Matanuska is 408 feet long, with capacity for 88 vehicles (20' lengths), and has a service speed of 16.5 knots. Passenger services include a cafeteria, gift shop, cocktail lounge, solarium, and forward observation lounge."

Sounds fun to me! Guess it's time for bed. Goodnight!

The Journey Soon Begins!

It's that time again! Time for another adventure!

In less than a week, my fiance Jonny and I will make the journey back to Juneau, Alaska! We are going to bring our cars this time, so we've decided to drive to Bellingham, WA and take the ferry. Here's our planned route with all of our marked stops. We'll start the drive on Wed Feb 22nd. Keep on the lookout for updates! And if you'd like to leave a comment or question about anything, just type it into the box below; we'd love to hear your opinions!