As I mentioned,

YOU CAN’T DRIVE TO JUNEAU, ALASKA!

Trust me, or consult your favorite map. It’s not an island, but it might as well be if you’re in a car.

This does not mean, however, that there are no cars in Juneau. Or roads… though, the farthest you can drive on a single route is 40 miles. To get my Blue Pig Adventure Car to my new home I have two options:

1. Ship my car. A moving service loads it on a truck, then a boat, then another truck, and delivers it to me. Can take up to 90 days. This is how all of my furniture and other stuff will be traveling, and will meet me in Juneau when I arrive.
2. Drive my car as far as I can, then drive onto a ferry and ship out. This is how me, my car, and assorted items will be making the move.

About the driving

I’m planning a route that winds through Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon (for a bit), and finally Washington. I have 5 days to get it done, and I’m trying to make the most of my road trip since there isn’t much road in Juneau. My current tentative plan includes passing through Jackson, Grand Tetons National Park, Craters of the Moon National Park, Boise, Mount Rainier National Park, Seattle, and finally Bellingham.

Check out my latest route plan

About the ferry

Alaska has a series of ferry routes that make up the Alaska Marine Highway System. Per their website, it is:

…the only marine route recognized as a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road. The system currently extends across 3,500 miles of scenic coastline and provides service to over 30 communities…

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs

I’ll be sailing on one of their ferries, along with the Blue Pig, for about 2.5 days. From what I’ve heard, it’s a truly unique and exciting experience. Here are a few fun things I’ve learned so far about the journey:

1. If you don’t pay for a cabin, you can pitch a tent on the deck (secured with duct tape, of course) and camp out.
2. There’s no wifi.
3. You can bring pets, but there is restricted access to them while in transit.
4. You can track their vessel locations online: http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/map.shtml
5. It’s beautiful (hoping for good weather).

..that’s about it. I have no idea what to expect, but I’m looking forward to a completely unique experience. It has to be better than spending 24 hours on a Russian train (a story for another time). I anticipate sleeping a lot, feeling ocean breezes on my face, coloring, reading, writing, and watching movies. Maybe making some friends. Definitely taking lots of photos.

Adventure abounds!

By the time I embark on this epic journey, my stuff will be gone and on its way to Juneau, I will hopefully have found a new place to live, and all of my loose ends will be wrapped up in Colorado. I can’t wait to hit the open road with all of that behind me, exploring new places, taking time to mentally shift from old to new.

I love a good road trip.