Getting There!

View of the  Malaspina from the ferry terminal in Bellingham, WA

My journey began with a Cannon Ball Run - style race: after teaching kids on trail for 6 hours, returning to Old Shasta to finalize packing and cleaning, I headed out from Redding on an early Thursday evening.  Fueled by Black-Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feelin" , the audiobook "The Alaskan", tales from Robert Frost (thanks to JM for creating the awesome playlist!), and many carrot sticks for munching, I rolled into Embassy Suites of Portland at 2am, slept 6 hours, and continued onward to Bellingham, Washington.  I had sped  across the Northern one fifth of California and the entire length (South-to-North) of Oregon and Washington -- 420 miles total-- in less than 20 hrs to get on a waitlist for a ferry heading to Haines, Alaska!  As I waited for my name to be called by the Washington Marine Highway clerk, I soaked in the dramatic view of the Bellingham harbor and the ferry Malaspina  "You are on standby for the trip to Haines, and you're #1 on the waitlist", announced Mr. Bubbly Washington Ferry Employee.  I was on my way to Alaska!