Savoring the unobstructed scenery, taking time to relax, and going
back and forth at a pleasant pace give ferries big appeal among
travelers and commuters (even bona fide poets like Edna St. Vincent
Millay). The boats vary widely, from passengers-only to three-car
auto-ferries to the world’s largest, with capacity for 3,200 passengers
and 1,060 vehicles. And so do their trips, from an epic 800-mile journey
through Chile to a breezy nine-minute trip on Hong Kong’s Star Ferry.
Riding a ferry is also a great way to get a feel for the rhythms of a
place and even get to know some fellow passengers. “Because no roads
connect towns in southeastern Alaska, the ferry system is the water
highway for Alaskans,” says Kay Hathhorn, now of Bozeman, MT, but
formerly a resident of Homer, AK. “When you travel on the ferry, you
meet the locals. Everyone has a story about how they came to the state
or how proud they are if they were born there.”
You’ll understand why locals are so proud after you, too, admire their home turf from the unique perspective of a ferry.
Australia: Between Sydney and Manly
Australia: Between Sydney and Manly
Courtesy of Travelscape Images / Alamy
Within 30 minutes, the ferry breezes past Sydney’s blockbuster
sights—the Sydney Opera House, Harbour “Coathanger” Bridge, and downtown
skyscrapers—and greener ones. You’ll see botanical gardens, tiny
islands with Victorian homes and cottages, innumerable coves, little
bays, hidden beaches, and imposing brown sandstone cliffs topped with
native gum trees. With a little luck, a bottlenose dolphin or southern
right whale might pop up nearby.
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