I have not yet talked about any of the ports-of-call for this cruise, therefore I will do so over the next few days.  Although our cruise ends tomorrow, the blogs will continue until I have exhausted my memory bank of all the things I want to share with you, and there is still so much to tell.

From a distance, as our ship approached Ketchikan in heavy rain, it was obvious that this small town was clinging to the base of the mountains that seemed to drop straight from the sky to the waters edge.  Barely four blocks from the docks to the base of the mountains.  Ofcourse it was raining the day we were there.  It rains approximately 300 days a year.  Ketchikan gets 13 ½ feet of rain annually.

It is a bustling community backed by forested hills and surrounded by a waterway busy with floatplanes taking off and landing alongside the cruise ships.  Floatplanes are the major vehicles used for transportation along the coast of Southeast Alaska.

I only had a few sightseeing adventures in mind before I departed on this journey.  The experience of having been to Alaska previously made the choices simple.  One thing I wanted to do in Ketchikan this trip was to go view the totem poles.  Ketchikan is home to the world’s largest collection of totem poles.  South of Ketchikan, Saxman Native Village shares a glimpse into the traditions of the Tlingit culture.  Saxman Native Village includes the clan house and almost three dozen totem poles, some over 100 years old.  All unique, colorful works of art, preserving the Tlingit history and honoring their ancestors.

The tour I took also went to Herring Cove where the bears feast on fish.  Unfortunatley none were there at the time.  As a consolation we were able to view dozens of Bald Eagles, many just sitting in what they referred to as “The Eagle Christmas Tree”.  Eagles do not like to fly.  I learned this and many other fascinating facts from the onboard naturalist, Brent Nixon, during many of his presentations.  At some point I will write a blog about this majestic bird.

At Herring Cove, there was a roadside stand with a vendor selling local berry jams and jellies.  One in particular was quite different, the Salmon Berry.  This berry is similar to a Blackberry but larger, an off white to light “salmon” color, with a mild taste which I can’t quite describe.

Before returning to the ship I asked to be dropped off at Creek Street.  This is the picture post card image of Ketchikan that you always see.  Old wooden buildings built on pileings over the water.  This historical area was the business district in the early 1900’s and beyond, including Dolly’s House.  They are all now restaurants or gift shops.

By this time I was wet, tired, and hungry. I walked back to the ship dropping into souvenir shops to window shop and finally back to the comfort of the Celebrity Infinity.

Until tomorrow,
Bon voyage

If you want more information or have any questions, email me at www.cruisewithole.com.  You can also visit my website, http://www.cruisewithole.com for an almost endless amount of general cruise information.