In April 2010 I joined a group of Road Scholar travelers on a trip up the Inside Passage to Alaska. We traveled on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system which is like a highway on water since the only way to reach some cities on the Alaskan coast is by water or air. We boarded the Matanuska ferry on a Friday afternoon. The ferry leaves every Friday from Bellingham, Washington and returns the following Friday morning. 
The sunset as we headed north was exceptional that evening and was a preview of the scenery to come during the week. Our ports of call were Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Sitka. 
At Ketchikan we took a quick trip off the ferry and headed for an early morning visit to the Mendenhall Glacier. Our guides told us that global warming seems evident here since the glacier covers much less ground than it once did. And they have been visiting for many years. 
The scenery changed from day to day, sometimes dark and moody and sometimes brilliant, clear and with blue skies. Below are some examples of the moods of the Inside Passage. 
On the final morning of the trip I was grateful to be up early and have the opportunity to view this rainbow sunrise.
