We actually had fairly pleasant weather in the Rain Capital of the World today. The average annual rainfall of Ketchikan is 200 inches. Ketchikan was founded in 1885 as a salmon cannery site. There seems to be a fair amount of fishing boats but I would guess that tourism is the number one industry now.
Woke up before the alarm at 6:00. Read for a while and then got dressed to go get coffee. It was much busier at the Explorer’s Café than yesterday at 7:00. I guess more people are finding it. I could see that the day was gray with some very low hanging clouds.
We docked prior to 8:00 and the gangplank was located on our floor very near the elevators we take which was very convenient for us. We were going to eat in the Lido for breakfast but it was very crowded. Since we had no big plans for the day, we opted for the main dining room. Sat with some nice couples from Texas and Wisconsin. I had apricots and an omelet. Chuck had his American breakfast again. While we were there, we watched the Celebrity Millennium take the berth in front of us. That ship dwarfed the Zaandam. I wonder how many people it holds. We could see a big outdoor screen on the top deck showing underwater scenes.
We went outside and decided it was cool enough for jackets and our rain gear. Chuck opted for shorts and a t shirt and only needed his rain jacket. I wore my fleece jacket. When we disembarked I realized there was a heavy mist so I put my rain jacket on too. We got on the free downtown shuttle and took it a short way to the Married Man’s Trail which supposedly is the same trail men used to sneak into and out of the “sporting houses” of the Creek Street red light district.
By the time we got to the start of the trail, it had stopped misting and the sun was coming out. I was warm so I took off the rain slicker and the jacket. We climbed up the trail through some enormous fir trees. It was lush. However, the flowers that were so huge in June were non-existent now.
The trail led to the Cape Fox Lodge and we took another trail back down to the creek. I had hoped to ride the funicular down but it was not operating. The creek was flowing fast. In June last year, there were no fish at all in the creek that we could see and the water level was low. Today there were a lot of salmon both live and dead in the stream. Gulls were picking at the remains.
I had hoped that the shuttle would take us to the Totem Bight State Park but it only went to the Totem Heritage Center that we saw last year. It was interesting but didn’t feel we needed to do it again. I didn’t want to wait for the regular bus that could take you there and didn’t feel like paying for a tour. So we took the shuttle back to the ship and stopped and looked around at the Tongass Trading store. They had very good end of the season sales but neither of us needed anything.
Got back to the ship and I took my laptop back to the Visitor Center hoping I could use the Internet to upload some of these documents. No luck. Maybe Juneau or Anchorage. I did have very good cell service so I caught up on emails and a couple of text messages. Even tried using my telephone as a hot spot but still no luck. Phone seemed to work but the computer couldn’t pick the service up. Not sure if it is a problem with the computer or just operator error.
By the time I got back on it was time for lunch. I had a grilled cheese, chips, and a salad. Chuck had the grilled chicken sandwich from the Dive In burger place on the Lido deck. They had the cover over the Lido pool area except for one small opening to let in the slight breeze. It was so nice that we decided to get in the hot tubs.
They were great. Very hot. I can’t stand the ones that feel like bath water. We then tested the pool water and it was not too cold. There were only 4 of us in the pool. After the pool, I took one more turn in the hot tub before getting out to dry off.
Coming back to the room, I opted to get cleaned up and change so I could watch the sailaway at 4:30. Chuck opted for a nap. The laundry was returned so I got that put away.
I came back to the Explorer’s Café and got a Chai Tea Latte and sat in one of the comfy chairs to watch the sailaway. Seems like a number of boats and seaplanes were returning this afternoon. Some of those planes flew very close to the ship. The skies were gorgeous blue with big fluffy clouds. So very different than this morning.
Came back to the room and got the evening’s laundry ready for pick-up. Met up with Chuck and went to the Ocean’s Bar. Dinner that evening was with a couple from Louisville Kentucky and another couple who currently live in Denver but had lived all over the world due to his job as a computer consultant. They had some very interesting stories. I had the crab cakes, roasted zucchini soup, coconut shrimp salad, and a fig and yogurt dessert. We finished up at 8:00 so Chuck decided to play cards and I went back to the Explorer’s Café to read and have some hot chocolate.
I got him at 9:45 so we could go watch the comedian/magician perform at 10:00. As we sat down, he said his ear was hurting so he went back to the room. I watched the show and realized that I had seen him before on a previous cruise, either the Hawaii one or last year’s Alaska cruise. He was kind of corny but I liked the magic. I hope Chuck’s ear clears up or a visit to the medical center will be in order.
Tonight’s towel animal was a hermit crab.
Fondest Travel Memories 