Day 8 Ketchikan

Day 8    Wednesday      June 27, 2001        

Ketchikan, Alaska  (8:00 AM – 3:00 PM)

We pulled into port and it was very unique because the sun was shining.  Ketchikan ‘boasts’ that they have over 300 days of rain per year.  We had very good weather the entire trip.  From all the research I did prior to our trip, I do believe our weather was not typical.  We were lucky.

In the Windjammer Café, we met up with Peter and Cathy.  The plan was to do the Ketchikan walking tour from the book Inside Passage Walking Tours.  After about 5 –6 sights on the tour we just started walking around in general.  It was more fun.  The most unique place was Creek Street.  All the shops were on posts way above the creek.  The old bordellos were there, of course now they are a tourists attraction.  There were quite a few unique stores along Creek Street. Another point of interest, there were people fishing off a bridge that we had crossed.  They were fishing for salmon.  We looked down in the water and saw 50 – 100 salmon.  And they were quite large salmon.  However, none of them seemed interested in the bait. 

It started to rain.  This was the first time we had rain the entire time we were in Alaska.  Once again, we were lucky (so I’m told).   We decided on lunch back on the ship.  After lunch we headed on shore for one last time.  It was raining.

Ketchikan turned out to be my least favorite port.  Given a different situation, it is possible I would have like it more. 

1 - There were four ships in port that day.  It was very crowded.

2 – We were on the go for days and it was catching up to us.

3 – This was the most ‘touristy’ port on our trip. (and most crowded)

4 – I was getting a sore throat.

5 – For the first time on the trip, it rained.  (we were spoiled)

I’ve wondered if my impression would have been different if we had taken a northbound cruise instead.  On a northbound, this would have been our first port of call instead of our last.  Maybe next time we’ll do a northbound.

During our dinnertime, the Rhapsody was cruising through Misty Fjords.  We had debated going to late dinner just so we could see Misty Fjords but we decided against it.  We were told that we did not miss much.  Earlier in the season (May?), the water from snow melting would be rushing down the sides of the mountains.  That may have been worth seeing.  In late June though, there was not much to see.  We had lobster that night.

Later that evening was the Midnight Buffet.  Mary wanted to go to it.  However we were both exhausted and ended up falling asleep around 9:30 PM.  We missed the midnight buffet.  Oh well.

Day 9 - Cruising the Inside Passage