ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY

the ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY was founded in 1948 by HAINES residents STEVE HOMER and RAY GELOTTE wich was the chilkoot motorship lines. the copany had one vessal and that was the MV CHILKOOT and operated a weekly service from tea harbour north of JUNEAU to HAINES and SKAGWAY. in 1959 alaska became a state and the alaska marine highway was born. the southern terminal of the AMH was in SEATTLE until oct 1989 when it  moved to the BELLINGHAM cruise terminal in FAIRHAVEN WA. my dad and i went to the opening of the new AMH TERMINAL in fairhaven and saw the MATANUSKA wich was there for its first sailing out of its new southern terminal. i made 3 trips on the ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY the first was with my dad in july 1996 we went on the TAKU from PRINCE RUPERT to JUNEAU. then from JUNEAU to PRINCE RUPERT on the MATANUSKA wich i saw a lot of southeast alaska. then in june 1998 i rode the AMH with one of my friends from PRINCE RUPERT to KETCHIKAN, then KETCHIKAN to JUNEAU then JUNEAU TO SKAGWAY onto WHITEHORSE YUKON. in june 1999 my friend and i went southbound on the AMH from SKAGWAY .six months earler i read a article on the new AMH ferry being built in LOUISIANA named KENNICOTT wich was to serve both southeast and southwest alaska. the US CONGRESS subsidiesed the contruction because it was also become a commad centre for nautural disaters for the state of alaska. so in june 1999 we went on it twice from SKAGWAY to juneau and PETERSBURG to KETCHIKAN. wile in SKAGWAY the KENNICOTT was schuled to arive at 11pm but she was late and did not arive until 1am. wile we waited we were on a waiting list for a stateroom on the MV COLUMBIA.the AMH flag ship. we asked the attendant at the terminal in SKAGWAY was the staterooms on the COLUMBIA sold out he said yes, but 10 minutes later he called us and said they had a stateroom calselation so would we want that one was avable we said yes and bokked it there. then when we got to KETCHIKAN wich we stayed 2 days we boared the COLUMBIA at KETCHIKAN bound for BELLINGHAM for the 36 hour journey. when we left KETCHIKAN on a wednesday evening at 6pm the cruise ship MERUCRY left KETCHIKAN  at the same time and was behind us. then the next day we saw her ahead of us north of PORT HARDY and fowwled her all the way to seymour narrows were i saw her last. then on a friday morning at 8am we arived in BELLINGHAM and took the train back to VANCOUVER. the trip on the COLUMBIA was the highlight on my time on the AMH also the places i got to see like WRAGELL  PETERSBURG and JUNEAU the state capital. going on the ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY is the best way to see alaska because they serive places that cruise ships dont go to like PETERSBURG and HAINES  WRAGELL