We finally fell into our Prince Rupert bed about 12.30 totally exhausted. Nicky had found a very neat and comfortable 2 bedroom apartment and we made the most of the cool and wet morning.

Prince Rupert has 225 rainy days per year so it was no real surprise we hit 2 of them. We had about 4 hours before lining up for the next ferry so we decided that a look at the town, including a quilt shop, was in order.

The perfect business for this location.

A soggy Prince Rupert

But not in the quilt shop

Prince Rupert is firstly a fishing town with still a large industry. Cruise ships also call here so the tourist side of the town is significant. It is also claims to be a major trading port, mainly with goods from China due to the close proximity to China and the fact the Rocky Mountains are flattest between here and Chicago.

We explored Cow Cove, the site of the original settlement and now the busy harbour. It is also a tourist trap for the ships.

No Cow Pun left alone

Nicky spies a shop

Cow Cove marina

Restaurant and B&B. Have a look at the foundations

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Time to go North to Alaska. Again we line up for the ferry and this time we have US Border Control to negotiate as well before boarding the ferry for Ketchikan. The US line is only a few km north of Prince Rupert. It appears we are the only true foreigners so we caused a traffic jam, requiring extra ID checking and paperwork.

Today’s ride

This is a much older, smaller and slower ship than the British Columbia ferries but hopefully just as reliable. We are scheduled to arrive at 10.30 at night so another late one.

The weather continues to be lousy with constant drizzle and low cloud. Not very photogenic at all.

Busy waterway

Overlooking the harbour

Farewell Prince Rupert

Tomorrow we have a full day in Ketchikan so some more exploring to be done. Nicky and Collette are working the best options but they tell me that Ketchikan has even more rain than Prince Rupert. So more soggy photos tomorrow.

The scenery for much of the trip to Ketchikan.

Just getting settled into our apartment in Ketchikan which has a fantastic view over the harbour, as much as I can tell at midnight. There are hundreds of boats rocking gently in the light rain and breeze. I look forward to bringing you a daytime photo tomorrow.