We started our walking tour at Creek Street...a historic boardwalk perched along the banks of the Ketchikan Creek. Filled with art and souvenir shops, Creek Street was a former "red light district" where "both men and salmon came upstream to spawn." With four ships in port, the number of passengers easily outnumbered the citizens and it was insanely crowded.
Dolly's House, one of the former "red light establishments," is open today as a museum.
Bob was on a quest to find totem poles...and he wasn't disappointed.
And as we walked and shopped our way back to the ship, we all enjoyed the beautiful flowers and gardens throughout the city.
An old truck had stalled at one of the intersections, so Bob and Kent did their good deed and helped push the guy out of traffic.
Back at the dock, I found a bench in the sunshine and took time to call home to check on the "kids." Usually our cruises take us out of the country and away from cell service so it was a treat to be able to call home.
During the morning, the Norwegian Jewel, Holland America's Volendam and the Coral's twin sister, the Island Princess, had joined us in port.
With the short amount of time we were in Ketchikan, everyone was returning to the ship around lunch time. While in ports, the gang plank was adjusted up and down to different decks during the day as the ship shifted with the rising and falling tides.
With the assumption that the buffet would be very crowded, we went straight to the main dining room for a late lunch. It felt good to relax and be waited on! We finished lunch just in time to return to our balconies for sailaway...a great place to put up our feet and soak in the sunshine!
Laurel had taken detailed notes from the naturalist's lecture the day before so we knew there was a good chance of seeing eagles nesting on a small island that we would pass by. Sure enough...we did!
We passed by a lighthouse as the ship sailed out of the narrow passage leaving Ketchikan and into more open waters. Sitting atop the lighthouse were two more eagles!
An afternoon nap was in order, but then we were back out on the balcony…enjoying the Alaska scenery…and always on the lookout for wildlife! Since we had enjoyed a late lunch in the dining room, we opted to skip dinner. Instead, Bob and Kent ran up to the lido deck and grabbed enough pizza for us all. I will admit that the food got cold very quickly while eating on the balcony, but who doesn’t like cold pizza?
With the balcony door open, we were able to hear the naturalist's narration being broadcast through the cabin TV. There were many forms of entertainment being offered throughout the ship, but we chose to stay put and enjoy our front row seats for God's finest work!
Sunset was at 9:20 p.m. Coming up next...Juneau!
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