Make a rubbing of Alaskan history

One of the great ways to see part of Alaska is via the Alaska Marine Highway system, a collection of sea-going ferries that transport vehicles and passenger to a number of Alaskan communities not served by roads, including Juneau, the state's capital. Northbound, you can board ferries in Bellingham, Wash., or Prince Rupert British Columbia.

If you only ride the ferry from a southern port to a more northern connection to the road system like Skagway or Haines, you're going to miss some of the best Alaska has to offer. It's far better to pick a couple of ports along the way and plan to spend a few days. One of my favorites is Wrangell on the island of the same name.

Things are pretty quiet in Wrangell these days with the all-but-complete shutdown of the timber and pulp industry some years back. It is also far enough off the beaten track that cruise ships don't bother to stop. But the Marine Highway System ferries make it here several times a week. You can roll your RV off the ferry here and spend a couple of great days in the rain forest exploring the island.

Petroglyphs cared into stones on the beach just north of the ferry terminal are a lure for many visitors. Check the tide tables and head out here at low tide for best viewing.

To make the trip more memorable, you need to make a rubbing that can later be framed and hung on your wall at home. Up until a few years ago you purchased some rice paper in town, grabbed a handful of ferns to rub across it, and walked up to the real thing. Well, the rice paper and ferns haven't changed, but now replicas are available for rubbings due to fears that the carvings were being worn smooth. You can still walk up to and photograph the original carvings, but you have to make your rubbings from the replicas.

For information on ferry schedules and reservations, call 800-642-0066 or go online.