Aug 29, 2012 - Ketchikan

Wednesday -- It was not as difficult to get up at 4:00 as we thought it would be. It was tougher to stay awake later in the day. With rain still falling we were glad to not be packing up a wet tent in the dark. The ferry loading did not take long and we were very pleased that the attendants agreed to load our car so that we could drive off the ferry in Ketchikan and reload again later. We dropped our overnight bags in Cabin 24B and wandered off to explore the Taku. As dawn broke the rain stopped. The Taku pulled away from the dock on time...

Aug 23, 2012 - headed out of Alaska

Well we are headed south out of Alaska. Check out Dana and the grizzly. He was salmon fishing in Haines and he (the griz) surprised him. He was about 20 ft away when Dana noticed him. The griz got the salmon ate it then tryed Dana's sweat shirt. Dana yelled at him (from a bridge) and the bear dropped the shirt Iknow how the bear felt, when he raises his voice you pay attention!!!. Dana said was the most exciting morning of his life (says alot for me!!) Anyway then we boarded ferry to Juneau. Juneau was O.K. city. Then on ferry again to...

Aug 11, 2012 - Totems and more

August 10 This morning was cold (48 degrees) and rainy with fog. We went on a trolley tour today. On one stop we saw a lot of eagles in the trees. There were supposed to be bears in the area, but we didn’t see any. It’s so hilly in town with very steep streets, or in some cases no streets, just tall stairways separating streets. It’s only touristy downtown near the cruise ship docks, but otherwise this is a great place to visit. August 11 We went to Totem Bight State Historical Park. We walked through an old growth forest to view original...

Aug 9, 2012 - Ketchikan

August 8 We left Wrangell and traveled to Ketchikan on board the M/V Taku. We had arrived a bit early for check in and Marv told the attendant we wanted to beat the crowd. He told us, “You are the crowd.” It appeared we would be the only vehicle to board the ferry, but at the last minute another truck arrived. There had been another ferry to Ketchikan two hours ahead of this one and everyone else was on that ferry. The weather on the trip was rainy and foggy and at times a bit rough, with white caps on the water. When we arrived in...

Jul 14, 2012 - Alaskan Cruise - No 1. 7-14 July

Finally we have Internet access. It's 14 July and I am spending the day in Juneau. My first cruise, The Inner Reaches Western Coves Cruise finished today. We were blessed with the weather. 4 days out of 7 were sunny with no rain. Flight from Vancouver to Seattle then to Ketchikan was very tiring. Dianne kindly drove me to the airport at 4.30am! I arrived in Ketchican at 11.30am. Boarded ship at 4.30pm. Rained all day. Ketchikan has approx 13ft of rain per year. Quite a few Aussies on board, 7 couples. Also couple from UK, rest from all over...

Jun 30, 2012 - Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan was our final port of call on this cruise. From Juneau, we had a rough sailing night with lots of wind buffeting our balcony furniture around, so in the morning our steward, Philip, tied it down. We arose on June 28 to rain in Ketchikan, which of course, is not an unusual sight. This place gets over twelve feet of precipitation on the average each year (152” to be precise). Shari and Pam were taking a trolley city tour of Ketchikan while Jon, Jonnie, and Sharon were going on the “Lighthouse, Totems, and Eagles” boat tour. We...

Jun 27, 2012 - Ketchikan, AK

We docked in Ketchikan, AK today. It is raining sideways and is cold. Ketchikan has 320 days of rain each year. Why does anybody live here? It's one of the Alaskan coastal cities that can only be reached by boat or seaplane. We took a ride on a duck tour around the town and then into the bay. We passed the infamous boardwalk where the houses of ill repute once operated. We also learned that salmon spawn in a creek in town. The only problem with that is, after the salmon spawn and die, the smell is awful and attracks bears. While in the...

Jun 17, 2012 - Day 3 - Sunday, June 17, 2012

Today is Father's Day. Michelle and TJ had picked cards for Keith. I gave him their cards and the one I bought for him this morning. He was touched to receive them. We hit land! We are now in Ketchikan, Alaska. Ketchikan's population is about 15,000. Average rainfall is around 162". You are most likely to get rained on when visiting this town. The local residents call it "liquid sunshine". As we stepped off the ferry after two days of not being on solid land, I still felt I was swaying side to side. Passengers unload (some to return and...

May 3, 2012 - Solid fishing day in Alaska

The last day in Ketchikan was great. Our friend Graham took us out fishing and this is what we reeled in: 5 halibut (4 keepers), and two dork fish (aka rat fish). Right after fishing, we headed over to StudioMax for our last Cardio Boxing Session with Parker and the StudioMax Crew. Sure gonna miss that place and all the great people we met there. Then finished up the night with a great dinner at another friend's house (Erin,Tory and Wendy). Couldn't ask for a better day here in Ketchikan Ak.

Sep 20, 2011 - Salmon Capital of the World

The Island Princess arrived into Ketchikan at 10 am. Ketchikan, “Salmon Capital of the World”, is the 4th largest city in Alaska, and like Juneau, is only accesible by air & water. Our first excursion was the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show (never knew it was an international sport!). On the way to our next excursion, there were salmon sightings in a creek as they were making their way back to spawning grounds. It is illegal in Alaska to farm salmon. Which is in direct contrast to what we have experienced in the "lower 48". Then we were onto...

Sep 15, 2011 - Day 13 - Ketchikan

We had been warned that Ketchikan would have even more rain than Juneau, so we were pleasantly surprised when we woke up to only occasionally cloudy skies with the sun breaking through most of the day. The temperature was in the 50’s, so it wasn’t bad at all. Ketchikan is called the “Salmon Capital of the World.” It is only 3 miles long and 3 blocks wide. One of the most visited attractions is Totem Bight State Park where 14 carved and painted totem poles give us a look into the native Tlingit and Haida Indian cultures. The Great Alaskan...

Aug 29, 2011 - Ferry Travel - Stop at Ketchikan

We have a nice day in spite of the night we had listening to the steam pipes!!! The water is calm; going through the “Wrangell Narrows” was interesting as the ferry navigated its way. Frank and George enjoyed having the opportunity to visit the Engine Room and being on the Bridge while Jill and I spent time walking laps around outside on the deck. Later we said good bye to George and Jill at Ketchikan as we continue on to Prince Rupert.