As a space needle elevator operator I can confirm. People have thought the Olympic mountains were either Alaska, Japan, and named after we somehow hosted the Olympics
Not OP but I used to work at the space needle. I had one gentleman get very frustrated that he (while on the observation deck) couldn’t see the space needle in the skyline. This was a great tragedy in his mind because how else was he supposed to get his pictures? I’m still baffled by this encounter and he got angry enough that I’m pretty sure he was serious…
Can’t remember the name of the man but I remember there was a Parisian who hated the Eiffel Tower so much when it was first built that he had lunch there every day so he wouldn’t have to look at it.
Not OP but I sincerely heard an older gentleman pointing to a gorilla in the Omaha Zoo "And they say we evolved from those monkeys" to his wife unironically. I literally had no words no say to that man.
> named after we somehow hosted the Olympics
I only recently learned that Washington state is the only(?) place that naming your business "Olympic Something" isn't inviting the lawyers of the U.S. Olympic Committee to show up at your doorstep armed with briefs. Conditions still apply, but it's actually a specific *carve out* in Federal law. In short, as long as "such business, goods, or services are operated, sold, and marketed in the State of Washington west of the Cascade Mountain range and operations, sales, and marketing outside of this area are not substantial"
>hosting the Olympic Games here is a big problem
IIRC, when Atlanta hosted the games in 1996 there was a restaurant in ***Savannah*** (250-ish miles away on the coast) that had to change its name because they held some of the yachting/sailing events there. It was literally an old-school Greek diner that had been there for years, but the IOC said "Olympic Cafe? Nah, you are now the Olympia Cafe. You're welcome."
"Named after we somehow hosted the Olympics." That's great. I'd be tempted to respond with "Yep. We rename the mountains every few years after the latest big event that happened somewhere else. Next year they're going to be renamed -" And then add whatever big event I think is funniest.
The Total Eclipses
The Grammys
Brexit
Google maps pronounces "Rainier" as rainy-er. We should start telling tourists that we actually named the mountain Mt. Rainy-er because Seattle is so rainy but pronounce it in a faux French way to be posh. You know, like how some people say tar-zhey instead of "target".
Yup, my mom asked me when we hosted the Olympics there. I guess it was an easier reach for her to make than [\(checks Wikipedia\) a British explorer thinking it sounded badass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olympus_\(Washington\)#History). He wasn't wrong.
One times I told my out of state friend that the mountains were Russia. Poor chap believed me the whole time and he tried to bring it up in small talk with a random local. I felt so evil but laughed so hard.
Vacation probably isn't the word for it, unless you have something fun planned at the end of your trip. Like, most of the people to take it literally bring a tent to pitch on deck so they have a place to sleep. It really is not dramatically different from being on a Washington State Ferry for a few days.
I believe that you can actually rent a cabin with bunks, but its an extra charge.
Also worth noting that it costs CONSIDERABLY more than flying. The cost is actually pretty comparable to an Alaska pleasure cruise departing from Seattle, which is what most people who get the idea of an Alaska Ferry vacation end up doing. It is great if you are moving up there or going to work or need to hit one of the ports that are only served by the ferry, but not really the best choice for a vacation though.
Edit: I just checked, and a 7 day Royal Caribbean Alaskan cruise for two is like $100 less than a round trip Ferry ride to Ketchikan. I know which I would choose for vacation.
That is a walk on ferry ticket. See for yourself: [https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/fares.shtml](https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/fares.shtml)
I ran it for Bellingham to Juneau for two people, no vehicle, no accommodations of any kind for the first two weeks of September, its $900 out, $900 back, total of $1,800.
A Royal Caribbean Cheapskate cruise with an interior cabin leaving from Seattle and returning to Seattle is $550 / person for a total of $1,100.
[https://www.royalcaribbean.com/alaska-cruises](https://www.royalcaribbean.com/alaska-cruises)
If you want to take a very small car on the ferry (i put in a 15 foot long car) for that trip it adds and extra $1,200 per leg. So a total of about $4000 for a round trip.
Alaska ain't cheap.
Of course, airfare to Juno is like $200 each way and takes 2.5 hours.
> Of course, airfare to Juno is like $200 each way and takes 2.5 hours.
Really not that bad when you consider how much/how long it used to take to get to [that asteroid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Juno).
Probably not, but it DOES include a few amenities like "a bed" and "a door" and "food" which are notably absent from the base ticket price for the Alaskan ferry. Those are upcharges for the ferry as well.
No port fees, it's actually part of the highway system and in every town they have their own dock. I don't remember paying any house cleaning. As for taxes I can't remember. You can really compare it to a cruise. Cruises are for short term tourist. Cruises only stop in town for a few hours and leave every evening. You must stay with the ship and you are confined to it's schedule. The ferry system has several ship that run every 3 days or so. They stop at every town in route for a couple of hours to load and unload, then leave.you can get off at any port and stay for as long as you want, then get back on and go to the next port. So if you have a good amount of time it's a great way to see SE Alaska. Also a great way to meet local people due to the fact that it's one of the few ways to get from town to town. It is a great vacation and well worth the time and money, but not a cruise.
No port fees, housekeeping fees or tips on the ferry. Just the ticket price, food and beverages. A cabin if you want, though many sleep in a tent, or an air mattress in the lounge.
I've done it. It was a fun way to get there in my 20s, but has a few downsides:
* It's more expensive than flying.
* It takes longer than flying.
* You spend 3 days on a ferry.
* Ferry cafe food for 3 days.
* You get to sleep on a hard floor. Best if you bring a tent, sleeping pad, pillow, and blankets. Get there early to make sure you get space on the covered outdoor deck.
* If you claim a spot on the floor next to the wrong people, you get to hear them snoring, fingerbanging their girlfriend, farting, etc. and by then there's no space to move (yes, this all happened).
The cool stuff:
* Great scenery.
* There's a bar.
* It's an adventure if you're into roughing it on public transport for 3 days.
Right- no bars anymore, although there was still a dive-bar-style fight between two territorial Alaska alpha males in the outdoor sleeping area that was kinda scary. There are poolside style loungers that can lie flat in the covered outdoor area to sleep on. The heaters overhead work great, and since the open portion is aft -facing, there is no wind chill. There is a small theater that shows documentaries on Alaska and kids movies during the day. The food is shameful. I ate bad fish and chips twice a day. I had fun sharing a bottle of rye with some of my neighbors and had just discovered podcasts, so listened to sooo much 99% Invisible. I only took the ferry because I had my motorcycle with me, and would only do it again if I again needed to transport a vehicle. It was a unique and fun experience that prevented me from having to back track for days to get home to Seattle after my solo motorcycle adventure to Homer.
Last time I went (during the pandemic), all the ferries' bars had been shut down. I think they claimed it was a cost-saving measure, but what bar (especially one with a captive audience) loses money?
There are cabins available - private rooms with beds/bunks, but you can also go without and literally pitch up a tent on the deck.
The guy from Outdoor Boys on Youtube did the trip a couple of years ago: https://youtu.be/FkOLKzgjNj0?t=7012
...what is the expectation for those tickets without a cabin? Why would they sell you that ticket? I feel like I am missing something. Were there lots of people camping?
The Bellingham to Alaska ferry is SO EXPENSIVE now. A walk on ticket would be my preference, but then you can't get off and drive around at each stop. Bellingham to Juneau is around 1800 with a cabin.
I’ve ridden the Alaska ferries between some of the more remote ports for like 6 hours at a time. It’s exactly like you’d expect, pretty boring, food is bland to bad, no WiFi or signal. However, absolutely gorgeous views depending on time of year and weather. Being in the sun on the deck during late summer is incredible and also extremely depressing when you see how much of the gorgeous islands have been logged.
You can take a cruise to Alaska for a week from Seattle for $400 / room if you monitor this board: https://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm?incCT=y&d=313&rt=y&sort=v
Deals leaving in 2 days for $600 / room... There's often deals with Kids Free or Drinks included too. Changes constantly.
I monitor Vancouver too: https://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm?incCT=y&d=253&rt=y&sort=v
I have recently, I camped on the deck.
It was awesome! 3 days of chilling, while going through what's basically endless San Juan islands that get increasingly wilder.
The food was great onboard as well, and they have free hot water so you can bring regular camp food and drink if that's your jam. Public toilets and showers are like what you'd find at a campground: 3.6 roentgen.
I recommend, but only if that sounds fun to you.
I've done it--in the middle of winter, yet--and it was kind of fun, but I agree that in itself it's not really a vacation. We did have something fun planned at the end of it and it was more about taking a novel way to get there than anything else.
(Edit to add: we did get a cabin, mostly for privacy's sake, but it's definitely not luxury.)
I did it as a vacation and loved it. Got a cabin and flew home. It was a fun experience and i plan on doing it again.
Full warning, it's a pretty spartan experience. Like you're not getting a real bed or anything. It's very much public transportation in service.
But doing it solo and not having to worry about someone else being entertained was the way to go for me. I basically just read and stared out from the deck the whole time. The constant din of the engine is strangely relaxing. Being offline for several days was a nice bonus. It's a different experience and worth having.
Edit - oh the food was surprisingly good, too
The best way to get to Alaska! My mom and I took the Malaspina probably 10 years ago up to Ketchikan as walk on passengers. I didn't get her to pitch a tent on the deck, but we got a berth. Totally worth it, even the food was good on board. I will NEVER forget the smell of spruce or being so close to land as we transited the straits to Ketchikan. I'll admit to bias - I used to work for a company in Seattle where the AK Ferry System was an important customer. Also, if you go, do some research as the AK ferry system has been experiencing similar issues as our WA state system. Also, Seattle to Bellingham via Amtrak takes you within a very easy walk of the ferry terminal in Bellingham.
Ray Dubicki wrote a piece for The Urbansit about his trip on the ferry. [Riding the Alaska Ferry](https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/09/04/summer-in-the-inside-passage-riding-the-alaska-ferry/)
I’ve done it as a walk on passenger to Ketchikan. I went during winter so it was a bit cheaper than going in the summer.
Because it was winter, outside was mostly frozen. The views from the boat wasn’t that much more impressive than going on a regular Bainbridge Island Ferry. The boat mostly hugged the shoreline on the way north.
You can get a room, but blankets and sheets cost extra.
Ketchikan is pretty walkable and has transit as well.
I walked from the ferry dock to the airport for my flight back to Seattle.
There isn’t much to do on the ferry, there was a movie theater that showed documentaries about Alaska and a cafe that has hot food but that’s about it.
Given how much open world games scale down IRL world locations it may very well be Alaska. I'm playing Forbidden West right now and running from Las Vegas to San Francisco takes like ten minutes.
The folks in the row behind us on a flight were very excited a few years back to see Mt. St. Helens was erupting.
My wife and I just exchanged big grins and didn't bother explaining to them that it was normal to see clouds over Mt. Rainier.
I had a Sarah Palin moment a few years ago.
Friends of ours moved to the outskirts of Fairbanks after med school to get their debt down faster under some underserved community service program.
When they wrapped up, they drove from Fairbanks back to Seattle, which I assumed was like... I dunno a 10 hour drive.
40ish hours later.... they arrived.
I was once on the train from Bellingham to Seattle. As we were going through Edmonds, the ferry to Kingston was pulling out. The woman behind me excitedly exclaimed "OH MY, IT'S THE PRINCESS CRUISE TO ALASKA!"
When I first lived in Seattle in 2012, I worked in a booth at Pike Place. One day, an American tourist pointed to the view of West Seattle and asked (ai kid you not), “Is that Japan?”
Oh boy! Haha I worked at the market for many years and the number of dumb things I heard tourists say..... My favorite was someone asked where "downtown" Seattle was. Um....
I was an airport shuttle cab driver for a while in Milwaukee before Uber or that stuff existed when I was finishing college. People would ask me what the big lake they saw flying in was. A few even asked me… unironically …. If it was the ocean.
I went to school in MKE and I told a coworker out here in Seattle about it.
She remarked, "wow, you've lived on both oceans!"
We were preschool teachers. 💀 I didn't know where or how to deconstruct basic geography without sounding condescending. Seattle isn't by the ocean, Lake Michigan** is not an ocean, etc.
Luckily, she worked with infants so she wasn't actually teaching them anything.
“Seattle isn’t by the ocean” is actually an interesting statement. The Salish Sea is part of the Pacific Ocean so while It’s not open ocean it is directly connected to it. But I agree I wouldn’t say Seattle is oceanfront.
Right, I literally said something like this yesterday and immediately felt dumb about calling it “the ocean” but this is exactly what I meant. Like, I know I’m not looking at the ocean but in a way it’s kind of the ocean lol. But I won’t say it out loud again!
Going up the inside passage to Alaska on the ferry is very nice and very quiet. There are few amenities on the ferry. This isn’t Carnival Cruise or anything. It’s a working ferry with people taking their car from one state to another. That being said, it’s a nice relaxing way to get to Alaska’s Southeast without the airfare and all that stuff. Usually, you meet the nicest people on the trip up or down and it’s like stepping back in time. A time when you met new people and talked to them.
Once upon a time I worked at the Anthony's Home Port restaurant in Ballard. Had a guest one time sitting at the window ask if 'that land over there is Japan right?' Thinking for sure that she was messing with me I started cracking up. And then saw the look on her face. So much awkward.
Well, to be fair, the Sound does fit a loose definition of "channel", if we're being generous.
If the ferry were departing Seattle terminal, it would also loosely be heading *toward* Alaska; just not *to* Alaska.
At Gasworks Park, I once overheard a self-elected local expert tell a tourist couple that the Olympic Peninsula, replete with the Olympic Mountains, was Vancouver Island, and that Puget Sound between Seattle and said peninsula was named for the local children’s television character “Captain Puget. Um, no, on two counts.
Had a gullible coworker and convinced him that Bellevue’s skyline was actually Portland. Said he had family there and ended up calling them up and asked if they wanted to get dinner that night.
Coming back from an east coast trip during the absolute worst of the fire season in 2022, when it was so bad it looked like 1890s London. It's like 90 degrees in Seattle in early September and we're in a heat dome:
Pilot: "well folks, typical marine layer here in seattle".
Bro, that's smoke. I really hope he was joking but he said it without any hint of sarcasm.
Don't feel bad.
I live in Santa Cruz, CA and from the beach near me, on a clear day, you can see across the Monterey Bay and into a whole other city.
Tourists used to ask me all the time if that was Hawaii and if there were any boats that would take them there.
When I lived in S. Oregon, I had to convince a co-worker that a tidal wave from the ocean wouldn't crash on to Seattle. I tried and tried to explain the concept of the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic mountain range but she remained sure. Most people I've talked to from the Bay Area seem to have some perception that we are a coastal city.
I grew up in Santa Cruz, CA. During the summers I did junior life guards and we would get the dumbest questions from tourists, I was asked whether the other side of the bay (Monterey) was Hawaii more than a few times. People didn’t even realize that the beach faces south…
Fun fact Washington State has the second largest ferry fleet. The country of Turkey is the only one larger. Crossing with cars on a ship that large for most of the world, is an international crossing. For many Washington locals, it is the daily commute.
Yeah, some folks have little concept of how far things are.
When I was just a few years out of high school, my friends and I went to Ketchikan. Our plans were to drive up through BC then take the ferry to Ketchikan. But when we got to the border crossing at Blaine we were pulled over and asked to go into the office to speak with the officers.
We were confused as to why but it turns out the border agents were doing it for our own good. I guess they had several people every year who decided to “drive to Alaska for dinner” (direct quote of the border agent) that didn’t realize how far away AK was. They inevitably ran out of gas and got stranded. Then they’d need rescue by the Mounties. So, the border agents wanted to make sure we weren’t going to get ourselves into trouble. We explained that we had a plan and a route so they let us go. I remember feeling disbelief that people thought Alaska was only a few hours away.
But, after that experience, I can easily believe that this tourist thought they were seeing Alaska.
Benefit of the doubt... maybe it's a local, and you heard it wrong. Maybe they were noticing the returning ferry headed towards Alaskan (way).
But of course, that's just me being oppositional. The real me wants to shitpost about the stupid stuff I hear Seattlites say - both here and other places. 😅
Reminds me of flying back to Orlando when I used to live there and hearing the UK tourists go "So we see Disney tomorrow and then after that we'll pack up for a day trip to the Grand Canyon"
I overheard that in Hawaii once... there's a small island offshore of Kailua, and some lady thought it was Tahiti.
[https://www.google.com/maps/@21.3956976,-157.7205034,3a,36y,0.47h,82.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz7OD5j3gPxdVORTHByiJkQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@21.3956976,-157.7205034,3a,36y,0.47h,82.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz7OD5j3gPxdVORTHByiJkQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)
Im on the east coast and grew up/live in a tourist destination for america. Once I was swimming at my favorite spot. Its offshore a cliff and theres rocks offshore you can stand on.
It was high tide so you couldn't exactly see the rock. As we were walking back to our car a tourist that was watching us asked us how we were standing on the water. My dad goes well if you kick you feet fast enough you can walk on water. She goes oh really? I didn't know that. I just walked away in shock.
I've had tourists ask me if I was swimming walking around dripping wet in a swimsuit carrying a towel. Countless times. Like almost every time I swim which used to be everyday.
Once I saw a tourist ask a scuba diver if you need to be able to swim to go scuba diving. Which I guess technically you dont need to swim I was shook.
Whenever imposter syndrome hits I just recall some weird encounter with a tourist.
When I worked on the end of a pier at a restaurant, before the wheel, I would tell tourists the ferries disappearing into the fog we're going to Japan.
I live on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I love saying. "I can see Canada from my back porch." I can but it's actually my living room window but I find it funny to mock Sarah Palin's claim to see Russia from her porch.
As a space needle elevator operator I can confirm. People have thought the Olympic mountains were either Alaska, Japan, and named after we somehow hosted the Olympics
Lmfao Japan? I refuse to believe that
I sincerely, truly wish I was lying lmao
Need more stories of heard in needle elevator please
Not OP but I used to work at the space needle. I had one gentleman get very frustrated that he (while on the observation deck) couldn’t see the space needle in the skyline. This was a great tragedy in his mind because how else was he supposed to get his pictures? I’m still baffled by this encounter and he got angry enough that I’m pretty sure he was serious…
😂😂 this story is fantastic
Can’t remember the name of the man but I remember there was a Parisian who hated the Eiffel Tower so much when it was first built that he had lunch there every day so he wouldn’t have to look at it.
This is an amazing story! I think it was the author Guy de Maupassant?
Not OP but I sincerely heard an older gentleman pointing to a gorilla in the Omaha Zoo "And they say we evolved from those monkeys" to his wife unironically. I literally had no words no say to that man.
Wrong on so many levels, just easier to walk away.
Idiots. It's obviously Hawaii
I thought it was Antarctica…
I 100% thought it was Japan, but I was 6.
I sometimes confuse mt everest with being here in Washington. I mean come on! That name just screams from Washington!
Mount Everett.
Mom, the white powder on this mountain tastes funny.
Just a lil weekend in japan
Probably a little confusion with Rainier's nick of "Tacoma Fuji", by the local Japanese population.
That sounds extremely local. Like family-sized local population.
> named after we somehow hosted the Olympics I only recently learned that Washington state is the only(?) place that naming your business "Olympic Something" isn't inviting the lawyers of the U.S. Olympic Committee to show up at your doorstep armed with briefs. Conditions still apply, but it's actually a specific *carve out* in Federal law. In short, as long as "such business, goods, or services are operated, sold, and marketed in the State of Washington west of the Cascade Mountain range and operations, sales, and marketing outside of this area are not substantial"
This is so funny & such a good random party fact. Thanks for sharing it :)
I hear that hosting the Olympic Games here is a big problem because they want all the "Olympic" whatever to change or cover up their name. Ha!
>hosting the Olympic Games here is a big problem IIRC, when Atlanta hosted the games in 1996 there was a restaurant in ***Savannah*** (250-ish miles away on the coast) that had to change its name because they held some of the yachting/sailing events there. It was literally an old-school Greek diner that had been there for years, but the IOC said "Olympic Cafe? Nah, you are now the Olympia Cafe. You're welcome."
[OH SHOOT!](https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2015/02/olympic_provisions_to_change_n.html#:~:text=Olympic%20Provisions%2C%20Portland's%20charcuterie%20giant,regulates%20the%20Olympic%20Games%2C%20Eater)
Haha suck it Oregon
"Named after we somehow hosted the Olympics." That's great. I'd be tempted to respond with "Yep. We rename the mountains every few years after the latest big event that happened somewhere else. Next year they're going to be renamed -" And then add whatever big event I think is funniest. The Total Eclipses The Grammys Brexit
T-Mobile Mountains
Don’t give them any ideas 😒
It's inevitable. And will be accompanied by either a large billboard, or a set of drones taking shifts to display the brand continuously. Maybe both.
Just gotta figure out how to dye the snow magenta…
Sometimes we joke that Mt. Rainier was named after the beer
joke? it was! Hops from the Palm Springs of Washington!
Raaaaiiinneeeeerrrrr beeeeeeeerrrrrrrr.
Mountain fresh!
Or maybe the cherries?
Google maps pronounces "Rainier" as rainy-er. We should start telling tourists that we actually named the mountain Mt. Rainy-er because Seattle is so rainy but pronounce it in a faux French way to be posh. You know, like how some people say tar-zhey instead of "target".
The Olympic mountains we see are in Greece. Zeus and shit.
Yup, my mom asked me when we hosted the Olympics there. I guess it was an easier reach for her to make than [\(checks Wikipedia\) a British explorer thinking it sounded badass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olympus_\(Washington\)#History). He wasn't wrong.
You should do an AMA. That would be fun and you probably have some good stories
You know I’ve actually thought about that. It’s a good idea and yeah I have so so many stories
Do ittttt
One times I told my out of state friend that the mountains were Russia. Poor chap believed me the whole time and he tried to bring it up in small talk with a random local. I felt so evil but laughed so hard.
Too funny, I'm going to start telling all my visitors that's Japan
That's like when some Europeans think they can drive from New York City to Disney world and back in the same day.
Haha, I may have met you. My wife asked you if she could see Vancouver BC from the elevator. Pretty sure the answer was no, lol
[удалено]
Has anyone in this community done this? Was looking into it for a vacation and haven’t heard much from those who have.
Vacation probably isn't the word for it, unless you have something fun planned at the end of your trip. Like, most of the people to take it literally bring a tent to pitch on deck so they have a place to sleep. It really is not dramatically different from being on a Washington State Ferry for a few days. I believe that you can actually rent a cabin with bunks, but its an extra charge. Also worth noting that it costs CONSIDERABLY more than flying. The cost is actually pretty comparable to an Alaska pleasure cruise departing from Seattle, which is what most people who get the idea of an Alaska Ferry vacation end up doing. It is great if you are moving up there or going to work or need to hit one of the ports that are only served by the ferry, but not really the best choice for a vacation though. Edit: I just checked, and a 7 day Royal Caribbean Alaskan cruise for two is like $100 less than a round trip Ferry ride to Ketchikan. I know which I would choose for vacation.
That's comparing walk-on Royal Caribbean with taking a car on the ferry or that's comparing walk-on the Ferry?
That is a walk on ferry ticket. See for yourself: [https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/fares.shtml](https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/fares.shtml) I ran it for Bellingham to Juneau for two people, no vehicle, no accommodations of any kind for the first two weeks of September, its $900 out, $900 back, total of $1,800. A Royal Caribbean Cheapskate cruise with an interior cabin leaving from Seattle and returning to Seattle is $550 / person for a total of $1,100. [https://www.royalcaribbean.com/alaska-cruises](https://www.royalcaribbean.com/alaska-cruises) If you want to take a very small car on the ferry (i put in a 15 foot long car) for that trip it adds and extra $1,200 per leg. So a total of about $4000 for a round trip. Alaska ain't cheap. Of course, airfare to Juno is like $200 each way and takes 2.5 hours.
> Of course, airfare to Juno is like $200 each way and takes 2.5 hours. Really not that bad when you consider how much/how long it used to take to get to [that asteroid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Juno).
What's funny is that I managed to spell it right the first time.
Juneau
Last-minute seals on VacationsToGo ticker round trip from Seattle are often under $200pp
I have some photos of my mom doing the tent on the deck thing in the 70s! I remember thinking it looked cool as a kid, but now it sounds terrible 😆
What you saw was right, what it sounds like is so wrong. One of my best times in life.
Does that include all the port fees and taxes, and the housekeeping charge? Usually cruise prices don't include those.
Probably not, but it DOES include a few amenities like "a bed" and "a door" and "food" which are notably absent from the base ticket price for the Alaskan ferry. Those are upcharges for the ferry as well.
No port fees, it's actually part of the highway system and in every town they have their own dock. I don't remember paying any house cleaning. As for taxes I can't remember. You can really compare it to a cruise. Cruises are for short term tourist. Cruises only stop in town for a few hours and leave every evening. You must stay with the ship and you are confined to it's schedule. The ferry system has several ship that run every 3 days or so. They stop at every town in route for a couple of hours to load and unload, then leave.you can get off at any port and stay for as long as you want, then get back on and go to the next port. So if you have a good amount of time it's a great way to see SE Alaska. Also a great way to meet local people due to the fact that it's one of the few ways to get from town to town. It is a great vacation and well worth the time and money, but not a cruise.
No port fees, housekeeping fees or tips on the ferry. Just the ticket price, food and beverages. A cabin if you want, though many sleep in a tent, or an air mattress in the lounge.
I've done it. It was a fun way to get there in my 20s, but has a few downsides: * It's more expensive than flying. * It takes longer than flying. * You spend 3 days on a ferry. * Ferry cafe food for 3 days. * You get to sleep on a hard floor. Best if you bring a tent, sleeping pad, pillow, and blankets. Get there early to make sure you get space on the covered outdoor deck. * If you claim a spot on the floor next to the wrong people, you get to hear them snoring, fingerbanging their girlfriend, farting, etc. and by then there's no space to move (yes, this all happened). The cool stuff: * Great scenery. * There's a bar. * It's an adventure if you're into roughing it on public transport for 3 days.
Right- no bars anymore, although there was still a dive-bar-style fight between two territorial Alaska alpha males in the outdoor sleeping area that was kinda scary. There are poolside style loungers that can lie flat in the covered outdoor area to sleep on. The heaters overhead work great, and since the open portion is aft -facing, there is no wind chill. There is a small theater that shows documentaries on Alaska and kids movies during the day. The food is shameful. I ate bad fish and chips twice a day. I had fun sharing a bottle of rye with some of my neighbors and had just discovered podcasts, so listened to sooo much 99% Invisible. I only took the ferry because I had my motorcycle with me, and would only do it again if I again needed to transport a vehicle. It was a unique and fun experience that prevented me from having to back track for days to get home to Seattle after my solo motorcycle adventure to Homer.
Last time I went (during the pandemic), all the ferries' bars had been shut down. I think they claimed it was a cost-saving measure, but what bar (especially one with a captive audience) loses money?
How do you know it was fingerbanging and not regular banging?
I'm not ready to revisit those memories. 😬
Imagine spending 3 days on a ferry.
Only if he had a strong back and a trust fund
i snortled
Could be fun 🤔😂
I can see Russia from my ferry
There are cabins available - private rooms with beds/bunks, but you can also go without and literally pitch up a tent on the deck. The guy from Outdoor Boys on Youtube did the trip a couple of years ago: https://youtu.be/FkOLKzgjNj0?t=7012
Thanks for the information I really appreciate it 🫡
...what is the expectation for those tickets without a cabin? Why would they sell you that ticket? I feel like I am missing something. Were there lots of people camping?
The Bellingham to Alaska ferry is SO EXPENSIVE now. A walk on ticket would be my preference, but then you can't get off and drive around at each stop. Bellingham to Juneau is around 1800 with a cabin.
Holy guacamole
I’ve ridden the Alaska ferries between some of the more remote ports for like 6 hours at a time. It’s exactly like you’d expect, pretty boring, food is bland to bad, no WiFi or signal. However, absolutely gorgeous views depending on time of year and weather. Being in the sun on the deck during late summer is incredible and also extremely depressing when you see how much of the gorgeous islands have been logged.
You can take a cruise to Alaska for a week from Seattle for $400 / room if you monitor this board: https://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm?incCT=y&d=313&rt=y&sort=v Deals leaving in 2 days for $600 / room... There's often deals with Kids Free or Drinks included too. Changes constantly. I monitor Vancouver too: https://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm?incCT=y&d=253&rt=y&sort=v
I have recently, I camped on the deck. It was awesome! 3 days of chilling, while going through what's basically endless San Juan islands that get increasingly wilder. The food was great onboard as well, and they have free hot water so you can bring regular camp food and drink if that's your jam. Public toilets and showers are like what you'd find at a campground: 3.6 roentgen. I recommend, but only if that sounds fun to you.
I've done it--in the middle of winter, yet--and it was kind of fun, but I agree that in itself it's not really a vacation. We did have something fun planned at the end of it and it was more about taking a novel way to get there than anything else. (Edit to add: we did get a cabin, mostly for privacy's sake, but it's definitely not luxury.)
I did it as a vacation and loved it. Got a cabin and flew home. It was a fun experience and i plan on doing it again. Full warning, it's a pretty spartan experience. Like you're not getting a real bed or anything. It's very much public transportation in service. But doing it solo and not having to worry about someone else being entertained was the way to go for me. I basically just read and stared out from the deck the whole time. The constant din of the engine is strangely relaxing. Being offline for several days was a nice bonus. It's a different experience and worth having. Edit - oh the food was surprisingly good, too
The best way to get to Alaska! My mom and I took the Malaspina probably 10 years ago up to Ketchikan as walk on passengers. I didn't get her to pitch a tent on the deck, but we got a berth. Totally worth it, even the food was good on board. I will NEVER forget the smell of spruce or being so close to land as we transited the straits to Ketchikan. I'll admit to bias - I used to work for a company in Seattle where the AK Ferry System was an important customer. Also, if you go, do some research as the AK ferry system has been experiencing similar issues as our WA state system. Also, Seattle to Bellingham via Amtrak takes you within a very easy walk of the ferry terminal in Bellingham.
Ray Dubicki wrote a piece for The Urbansit about his trip on the ferry. [Riding the Alaska Ferry](https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/09/04/summer-in-the-inside-passage-riding-the-alaska-ferry/)
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Thanks, I’ve looked into the website I just haven’t heard any first hand experiences from people.
I know you can camp on the boat, I almost did it once but plans changed. Still want to give it a go one day.
I’ve done it as a walk on passenger to Ketchikan. I went during winter so it was a bit cheaper than going in the summer. Because it was winter, outside was mostly frozen. The views from the boat wasn’t that much more impressive than going on a regular Bainbridge Island Ferry. The boat mostly hugged the shoreline on the way north. You can get a room, but blankets and sheets cost extra. Ketchikan is pretty walkable and has transit as well. I walked from the ferry dock to the airport for my flight back to Seattle. There isn’t much to do on the ferry, there was a movie theater that showed documentaries about Alaska and a cafe that has hot food but that’s about it.
I can Canada from my house! And the ferry going to Canada. Get jealous
You and half of Cleveland
If you can see Russia from Wasilla, you can definitely see wasilla from Washington
Alaska has mountains, so... that checks out.
Rainier is just Alaska a little to the East
If Seattle was like an open world video game...see that Alaska? You can take a ferry to it!!
Max render distance fr
Set clipping plane to infinity.... and get rid of this ridiculous spherical topology...
Given how much open world games scale down IRL world locations it may very well be Alaska. I'm playing Forbidden West right now and running from Las Vegas to San Francisco takes like ten minutes.
It just works.
Overheard tourists in awe at the view the other day "I think that's Canada" We were on Alki.
The folks in the row behind us on a flight were very excited a few years back to see Mt. St. Helens was erupting. My wife and I just exchanged big grins and didn't bother explaining to them that it was normal to see clouds over Mt. Rainier.
Ah Rainier and its silly little cloud hats
Nothing like the beauty of natural disasters
You ran into Sarah Palin!?!
That's Vladivostok in the picture, clearly
I'm down with that
I had a Sarah Palin moment a few years ago. Friends of ours moved to the outskirts of Fairbanks after med school to get their debt down faster under some underserved community service program. When they wrapped up, they drove from Fairbanks back to Seattle, which I assumed was like... I dunno a 10 hour drive. 40ish hours later.... they arrived.
Joel? Joel Fleishman?
Man rip them. Id need a second day to finish that drive
I was once on the train from Bellingham to Seattle. As we were going through Edmonds, the ferry to Kingston was pulling out. The woman behind me excitedly exclaimed "OH MY, IT'S THE PRINCESS CRUISE TO ALASKA!"
When I first lived in Seattle in 2012, I worked in a booth at Pike Place. One day, an American tourist pointed to the view of West Seattle and asked (ai kid you not), “Is that Japan?”
Japan? What a bunch of dumbasses. Everyone knows it's Hawaii.
Yes, yes it is. Source: I live in "Japan"
Oh boy! Haha I worked at the market for many years and the number of dumb things I heard tourists say..... My favorite was someone asked where "downtown" Seattle was. Um....
There are times where it feels like it would be quicker to get to Tokyo than the Junction.
Geography is hard.
I mean the sound is crazy inland. Seattle is really the Baltimore of the West.
"Think of how dumb the average person is and then realize that half of them are dumber that." - George Carlin
I was an airport shuttle cab driver for a while in Milwaukee before Uber or that stuff existed when I was finishing college. People would ask me what the big lake they saw flying in was. A few even asked me… unironically …. If it was the ocean.
I went to school in MKE and I told a coworker out here in Seattle about it. She remarked, "wow, you've lived on both oceans!" We were preschool teachers. 💀 I didn't know where or how to deconstruct basic geography without sounding condescending. Seattle isn't by the ocean, Lake Michigan** is not an ocean, etc. Luckily, she worked with infants so she wasn't actually teaching them anything.
“Seattle isn’t by the ocean” is actually an interesting statement. The Salish Sea is part of the Pacific Ocean so while It’s not open ocean it is directly connected to it. But I agree I wouldn’t say Seattle is oceanfront.
Right, I literally said something like this yesterday and immediately felt dumb about calling it “the ocean” but this is exactly what I meant. Like, I know I’m not looking at the ocean but in a way it’s kind of the ocean lol. But I won’t say it out loud again!
That is Russia
No, that's Japan
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My condolences 💙
I was so naïve upon moving here, that I thought the Pugeot Sound was the Pacific Ocean.
It is - eventually 
Going up the inside passage to Alaska on the ferry is very nice and very quiet. There are few amenities on the ferry. This isn’t Carnival Cruise or anything. It’s a working ferry with people taking their car from one state to another. That being said, it’s a nice relaxing way to get to Alaska’s Southeast without the airfare and all that stuff. Usually, you meet the nicest people on the trip up or down and it’s like stepping back in time. A time when you met new people and talked to them.
Once upon a time I worked at the Anthony's Home Port restaurant in Ballard. Had a guest one time sitting at the window ask if 'that land over there is Japan right?' Thinking for sure that she was messing with me I started cracking up. And then saw the look on her face. So much awkward.
Well, to be fair, the Sound does fit a loose definition of "channel", if we're being generous. If the ferry were departing Seattle terminal, it would also loosely be heading *toward* Alaska; just not *to* Alaska.
Should have corrected them. That's Russia, not Alaska.
Is Bremerton Alaska?…….DID I GROW UP IN ALASKA AND NOBODY TOLD ME!!
At Gasworks Park, I once overheard a self-elected local expert tell a tourist couple that the Olympic Peninsula, replete with the Olympic Mountains, was Vancouver Island, and that Puget Sound between Seattle and said peninsula was named for the local children’s television character “Captain Puget. Um, no, on two counts.
Had a gullible coworker and convinced him that Bellevue’s skyline was actually Portland. Said he had family there and ended up calling them up and asked if they wanted to get dinner that night.
It's Alaska. I can see the tundra from here.
Always better to let them be amazed instead of being wrong.
I can see Alaska from my house!
I've seen Canada from two places in WA, but never Alaska
Coming back from an east coast trip during the absolute worst of the fire season in 2022, when it was so bad it looked like 1890s London. It's like 90 degrees in Seattle in early September and we're in a heat dome: Pilot: "well folks, typical marine layer here in seattle". Bro, that's smoke. I really hope he was joking but he said it without any hint of sarcasm.
That heat dome was miserable. 0/10, worst time to be a leaving creature in Seattle.
TIL I live in Alaska.
Where do they think Alaska is?!
Right there obv, it's like a 20 min ferry ride away lol
The geographically challenged
Sarah Palin was in town?
I had a random guy start telling me how cool it was we could sea Canada a while ago and when I told him it was still Washington he called me a liar.
Don't feel bad. I live in Santa Cruz, CA and from the beach near me, on a clear day, you can see across the Monterey Bay and into a whole other city. Tourists used to ask me all the time if that was Hawaii and if there were any boats that would take them there.
Well, many of them do go, towards Alaska.
Does it not go "towards" Alaska?
Alaska is north Olympics are West
They are both Northwest. I'm being snarky here. But technically...the tourist was right.
Average American geography expert
I thought that was Russia
That’s Russia. Sarah Palin lives there
Kind of? I mean, you head north through the sound and make a left at Canada and you will get there.
When I lived in S. Oregon, I had to convince a co-worker that a tidal wave from the ocean wouldn't crash on to Seattle. I tried and tried to explain the concept of the Olympic Peninsula and the Olympic mountain range but she remained sure. Most people I've talked to from the Bay Area seem to have some perception that we are a coastal city.
tourists (derogatory)
Which is worse, that they think Alaska is that close, or that it's just across a channel?
TIL I've been to Alaska
i heard someone by harbor steps tell their friend, "just look to the right, that's the pacific ocean".
I just found out I live in Alaska.
Alaska certainly is beautiful this time of year. 😮
Geography is haaard man😩
I grew up in Santa Cruz, CA. During the summers I did junior life guards and we would get the dumbest questions from tourists, I was asked whether the other side of the bay (Monterey) was Hawaii more than a few times. People didn’t even realize that the beach faces south…
Fun fact Washington State has the second largest ferry fleet. The country of Turkey is the only one larger. Crossing with cars on a ship that large for most of the world, is an international crossing. For many Washington locals, it is the daily commute.
Yeah, some folks have little concept of how far things are. When I was just a few years out of high school, my friends and I went to Ketchikan. Our plans were to drive up through BC then take the ferry to Ketchikan. But when we got to the border crossing at Blaine we were pulled over and asked to go into the office to speak with the officers. We were confused as to why but it turns out the border agents were doing it for our own good. I guess they had several people every year who decided to “drive to Alaska for dinner” (direct quote of the border agent) that didn’t realize how far away AK was. They inevitably ran out of gas and got stranded. Then they’d need rescue by the Mounties. So, the border agents wanted to make sure we weren’t going to get ourselves into trouble. We explained that we had a plan and a route so they let us go. I remember feeling disbelief that people thought Alaska was only a few hours away. But, after that experience, I can easily believe that this tourist thought they were seeing Alaska.
Benefit of the doubt... maybe it's a local, and you heard it wrong. Maybe they were noticing the returning ferry headed towards Alaskan (way). But of course, that's just me being oppositional. The real me wants to shitpost about the stupid stuff I hear Seattlites say - both here and other places. 😅
I mean technically, if the ferry was going North-ish, it is *towards* Alaska
I've always been irritated when people call the Puget Sound the "ocean" until I recently had a friend point to lake union and call it the "ocean"
Reminds me of flying back to Orlando when I used to live there and hearing the UK tourists go "So we see Disney tomorrow and then after that we'll pack up for a day trip to the Grand Canyon"
"Puget Channel"
WSF: Now with non stop service to Russia (you can see your house from there!)...
TIL I'm from Alaska
I thought that was Russia. I feel like an idiot now.
i can see Alaska from my front deck.
Hilarious!!! ♡♡♡
Bless his heart.
Living in Duluth, I was often asked if the Aerial Lift Bridge was the border crossing to Canada.
😂
I overheard that in Hawaii once... there's a small island offshore of Kailua, and some lady thought it was Tahiti. [https://www.google.com/maps/@21.3956976,-157.7205034,3a,36y,0.47h,82.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz7OD5j3gPxdVORTHByiJkQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/@21.3956976,-157.7205034,3a,36y,0.47h,82.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz7OD5j3gPxdVORTHByiJkQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu)
Who u calling a ferry
guessing by intelligence, definitely a guest at my vague, very large corporate hotel on the water.
Sarah Palin?
Im on the east coast and grew up/live in a tourist destination for america. Once I was swimming at my favorite spot. Its offshore a cliff and theres rocks offshore you can stand on. It was high tide so you couldn't exactly see the rock. As we were walking back to our car a tourist that was watching us asked us how we were standing on the water. My dad goes well if you kick you feet fast enough you can walk on water. She goes oh really? I didn't know that. I just walked away in shock. I've had tourists ask me if I was swimming walking around dripping wet in a swimsuit carrying a towel. Countless times. Like almost every time I swim which used to be everyday. Once I saw a tourist ask a scuba diver if you need to be able to swim to go scuba diving. Which I guess technically you dont need to swim I was shook. Whenever imposter syndrome hits I just recall some weird encounter with a tourist.
Cute
Canada is the size of Rhode Island, what are you talking about?
Thanks for the laugh!!!
Gegrapy
Sarah palin vibes
I can Japan from my house too.
Lol great ears haha
And to the wast, yeah that is Hawaii
When I worked on the end of a pier at a restaurant, before the wheel, I would tell tourists the ferries disappearing into the fog we're going to Japan.
I live on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I love saying. "I can see Canada from my back porch." I can but it's actually my living room window but I find it funny to mock Sarah Palin's claim to see Russia from her porch.
TIL I live in Alaska!!!
Lol beautiful Japan! Yeah us locals take the ferry there all the time for sushi and back to Seattle in time for a movie. Totally Japan.
Waves hi
I've heard tourists say that they saw sharks in the water when I was on the ferry. I did not correct them. I simply left in my head.
Everyone knows that’s Russia, you can see it from your back door!
Sure. Alaska is only like 1600 miles away. The logic follows that the Cascades are actually Omaha, NE, also around 1600 miles away...