Rooms on the Prince Rupert Ferry were identical to the Bellingham Ferry, but what we didn’t notice was that there wasn’t a speaker in our cabin for announcements. Unfortunately we missed the 5:15AM morning wake up call and received a startling “10 minute warning” personally at our door from the Purser’s office. “You’ve got 10 minutes to be in your vehicle or you will miss customs.” Thankfully we had all our gear packed waiting by the door with our clothes laid out. We looked like a dazed fire drill, but we made it off the ferry with only one other vehicle behind us. Lily of course slept through the whole event and wanted to know where the boat was when she woke up.

We were glad to be in Prince Rupert headed homeward bound towards the border. Arriving from the Ketchikan ferry at the Canadian border required some patience as the lines were long and slow. The officers were being very diligent and strict in their requests for documentation and questioning. We had our photo identification, birth certificates, passports, and vehicle insurance papers ready. Travelers who did not have the proper documentation were asked to pull into another line and they are probably still there. In preparing for the trip we looked into what we needed prior to leaving and we both agreed that it’s time to get our passports since the laws will be changing in 2007 and will only get more strict. Paying attention to the details such as departure procedures and documentation can make or break a road trip experience, especially when crossing international boarders by land or sea. We were glad we had done our homework and that we had become acquainted with procedures before leaving.

Monday turned out to be a soggy, rain streaked day and with the temperature dipping below 45 degrees we decided to leave the bike in the truck and make some miles towards home. If the road trip had been scheduled during July or August it may have been warm enough to ride. The changing colors in the leaves of the trees told us that we were closer to fall than to summer so the truck was a nice option that we had anticipated using. Highway 16 between Prince Rupert and Prince George is a long winding highway where the view doesn’t change for several hundred miles. The landscape is green lush forested mountainsides combined with open wilderness and wildlife. The road is well traveled by pickup trucks, logging trucks, motor homes and every once in awhile another motorcyclist. Major towns are few and far between. Sporadic signs of civilization are dotted in between fishing hole turn offs, sportsman’s lodges, and the multiple warning signs for wildlife. Fuel stops can be unpredictable, even when a map or sign says otherwise.