Well, today was our last Alaskan stop, and it was bittersweet! I can honestly say that this trip has been AWESOME! I've loved visiting these rugged little "cities," sandwiched between towering mountains and the ocean. Ketchikan was definitely no exception! In fact, the city itself is partially built on wooden stilts over the ocean. There are also some buildings that look like they are clinging to the mountainside for dear life. It's pretty crazy! But "eclectic" seems to be the norm for Alaska, and it's pretty fun to see!
Anyway... We wolfed down our room service breakfast this morning, and walked down the gangway at shortly after 7am. Our first scheduled activity was attending a show called "The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show." Yes, it sounds silly and touristy and all those things... but you know what? It was a lot of fun! These lumberjacks were the real deal, most of them having competed in Timber Sports at the collegiate level. I didn't know that such a thing existed, but it does! Anyway, they were amazing to watch, and there was a lot of fun banter between the lumberjacks and the audience. And hey, there's nothing like the sound of chainsaws to wake you up. Good morning, Ketchikan!
Once the show was over, we hopped on a tour bus headed for Totem Bight State Park in the Tongass National Forest. Our driver shared a lot of information about the area, which was really fascinating. It is truly a different way of life. One thing he shared was that Ketchikan had a permanent population of about 8,000 people, but that the number swelled to over 18,000 on days when the cruise ships came in. That's more tourists than natives! I believe it, too, considering just how many cruise ships were docked there this morning-- probably at least 6 or 7!
Anyhow... Totem Bight was beautiful! It was SO green and lush. Tongass is actually considered a rainforest, which I found interesting. It's a temperate rainforest, meaning it has seasons (unlike tropical rainforests), but the sheer volume of plant species and dense growth was really impressive. Most people (like us) go to Totem Bight to see the huge totem poles and the reconstructed Clan House, but the plants were unbelievable. That, and it is situated right on the water. Talk about a beautiful location! Here are a few shots from our visit:
When we got back to town, we still had about an hour left before we needed to get back on the boat, so we walked around and explored some of the shops. Then we got hungry (and it was starting to sprinkle), so we boarded the ship and headed to the lido deck for some lunch. Apparently, the rest of the world did the same thing, because we could not find anywhere to sit! Our stateroom is directly below the lido deck, though, so we just walked down one flight of stairs and ate in our room.
Now we're just relaxing until it's time to get ready for dinner
(it's formal night). After that, we might walk around for a bit and then go to the show. We did this last night and saw TONS of whales and dolphins in the ocean around the ship! It was so cool! I doubt we'll be as lucky today, since it has started sprinkling, but it's worth a shot. Tomorrow's destination: Victoria, British Columbia. I've never been to Canada before!
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