A Misty Day in Ketchikan

This was the view from our balcony when we woke up in Ketchikan. The ship behind us was really close, as were the others to it. I can't imagine navigating these huge ships into these small spaces!

The view of Ketchikan from our balcony. So cute!

Many, many sea planes taking off. This was my latest photo fixation!

We didn't have any plans today and it was misting lightly. We decided to walk into town and just putter around.

This is how close the ship behind us was!

An interesting group of statues representing all the people of Ketchikan and the roles they played...

It looks like a sleepy little town, but it actually has a population of about 14,000. It's known as the Salmon Capital of the World, and is also known for its high rainfall, an average of 153 inches per year.

Creek Street is a quaint part of town built over the water. In the 1920s, it was known for its bootleggers and "bawdy" houses. You can still visit Dolly's, one of the original houses.

The last time we were here was in September and you could literally see hundreds of salmon in the river at this point.

It was fun to just wander along the boardwalk and pop into the shops.

Ketchikan is also known for its many totem poles.

Part of a great poem by Robert Service.

This was taken from Stedman Bridge, a trestle bridge where fishermen often dangle their lines into the water to catch the salmon.

Azaleas in Alaska...

And with that lovely walkabout, we set sail at noon. That was a short visit!

Leaving Ketchikan...

Our cabin steward told us that he started reading the Bible two years ago, to help him cope with the long months away from his family. We found a book store in Ketchikan and bought him a Book of Psalms. He left us an adorable elephant complete with Jim's reading glasses and a lovely note. We really did appreciate how many times he cleaned up after the whole family had been in.

The sunset that night was gorgeous...

Tomorrow we'll be in Victoria, British Columbia for the last day of our cruise. It has gone by too fast!