North to Alaska - Abridged Version - Day 42 (June 27)

Sunday - We cleaned up The Bean a little, did laundry and drove around taking our final pictures of the Haines area. Of course, we also did a little shopping; a Tlinget-designed, black, aqua, gold and white tee for Margaret, plus a few less important items like food supplies. That afternoon back at camp we checked everything and proclaimed ourselves ready for tomorrow, the first ferry boat trip south, check-in time 7:45 AM. We decided to treat ourselves to a restaurant dinner, commemorating the event, at the Lighthouse Restaurant from which we had a wonderful view of the harbor, canal and mountains. Two eagles swooped by as if saluting our presence, so, naturally, we ordered Margaritas in their honor.

We ate fresh seafood ("caught by our own fishing boats"), gorged at a consummate salad bar and proceeded back to camp and our queen-sized bed, MORE than satisfied. At midnight we were startled awake by the first of several blasts of thunder and lightning flashes, followed by the din of millions of heavy raindrops bouncing off The Bean's fiberglass shell. Though we had nothing to worry about, it was difficult to get back to sleep.