We depart Juneau, AK on Sunday September 12, 2021 on the M/V Matanuska.

Did you know there are places in the United States where you can drive your car onto and ferry and take a 2.5 day journey to another state? The Alaska Marine Highway System provides this service to multiple communities in Alaska, and also connects Alaska to the lower 48 via Bellingham, WA. In fact, this highway system receives Federal funding just like other more traditional road-based highways in the country. Pretty cool. This is the mode I’ve chosen to kick off my relocation from Juneau, AK to Denver, CO.

Kicking off the road trip… on a boat

My dad and I will be waiting in my car ready to board the ferry in Juneau on Sunday evening. We’ll park on the car deck, cart some stuff up to our stateroom, and enjoy a few days aboard the ferry before driving off in Bellingham and continuing the trip to Denver by road.

This is my second journey on the AMHS, and I’m hoping this one will be as pleasant as the last. It’s a great excuse to unplug and relax since cell service is spotty and wifi is not available. Plus, it’s pretty hard to argue with the scenery along the way. We may even see a whale or two.

You can follow our journey using the Vessel Tracking on the Alaska Marine Highway System website.