The Alaska Marine Highway

Summertime is the perfect season to tour around Alaska. It’s (relatively) warm and the waterways are open for travel. Whether you’re a tourist on your once-in-a-lifetime trip or a local on a short outing, the Alaska Marine Highway, or ferry, is for you.

As the name suggests, the ferry system substitutes for highways in Southeast and other regions where it’s not practical to build roads. You can travel inexpensively through beautiful scenery and see a slice of Alaskan life at the same time.

 Locals use the ferry for regular transportation: school sports team games, cargo shipments, doctor appointments. It’s slower but cheaper than air, and sometimes more reliable. And Alaskans like me use it for work and pleasure. I’ve taken the ferry from Whittier to Valdez and Cordova for my job, adding a little tour time while taking care of business (with my employer’s permission, of course). Recently, fellow AKRWA writer Lizzie Newell and I took the ferry between Juneau and Skagway to attend the North Words Writers Symposium. Inexpensive and inspirational, as you can see from the photos.

 Next time you’re planning a trip to an Alaskan town, see if the ferry goes there. From Akutan to Angoon, Ketchikan to Kodiak, the Alaska Marine Highway is there to serve you. Check out their website at www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/.

Photos from Alaska Photo Library, Alaska Dept. of Commerce, Community and Economic Development; AMHS logo by State of Alaska

Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. She taught English for 20 years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys reading, hanging out with friends and family, and hitting targets with a cowboy action shooting club. 
Her young adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. 
See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. 
You can also find her on Facebook, Tumblr, and Pinterest. Her novel Fools Gold and novella Worth Her Weight in Gold are available through Prism Book Group or your favorite book vendor. Her next book, Quicksilver to Gold, will be released in August, 2014.