Ketchikan is the southernmost city in Alaska, located on the southern part of its panhandle, and has a population of 8,000. Oddly enough this makes it the 6th largest city in Alaska. When you include the borough, the population is 13,000. The city is known as “the Salmon Capital of the World” and Ketchikan Creek flows right through downtown where you can see plenty of salmon swimming upstream.
Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island was established in 1885. It is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest, 700 miles north of Seattle and 235 miles south of Juneau. The Tongass National Forest stretches the length of Alaska's coastline. It's the world's largest temperate rain forest. Air service and ferries are the only way to get here. As you might suspect cruise ship passengers fill the small town during the summer months. Ketchikan’s economy is based on government services, tourism, and commercial fishing. Their lumber industry was basically shut down by the Clinton Administration in 1996. Is that Federal government getting involved in a State’s rights?? Ok, off my soapbox. More trivia for you: Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles.
WHAT WE ARE DOING
We woke up to sunshine this morning. This was a very rare sunny day here in Ketchikan. We went to the fitness center for our normal workout after having some cereal for breakfast. We could not do the workout yesterday due to our long whale watching excursion. We arrived at the dock in Ketchikan at noon (1 hour late due to currents). At 12:30 we headed off the ship for our excursion, "Cruise George Inlet & Crab Feast". Our bus took us along the scenic coastline with our guide giving us information about Ketchikan and the area surrounding it. We passed by canneries, an old sawmill, totem poles, and waterfalls on our way to the George Inlet Lodge. Here we boarded a 36 foot, fully enclosed pontoon boat. We then departed for a cruise along Alaska's Inside Passage and the beautiful George Inlet. Once again we lucked out by having such a beautiful day for this. We crossed the fjord to a remote estuary where they pulled some crab pots to show us some crabs up close and personal. They showed us how they measure the crabs.
Kate, our guide, pulled up this pot with about 7 crabs in it. It was baited with a salmon head and other fish parts. She demonstrated how to handle the crabs without being pinched.
We arrived back at the ship at 5:00 pm. Tomorrow we will spend the day cruising the Inside Passage. Tomorrow is the last day of our cruise as we arrive in Vancouver Sunday morning.
Tonight is the Captain's Farewell Dinner and crew show. We will miss the show due to me writing and putting photos on this post. Still full from the crab but will be having our favorite, beef Wellington tonight in Compass rose. At 9:30 tonight's headline entertainer is Jade Milan again. This time she will be singing soul classics. She is very talented.
Tonight is the Captain's Farewell Dinner and crew show. We will miss the show due to me writing and putting photos on this post. Still full from the crab but will be having our favorite, beef Wellington tonight in Compass rose. At 9:30 tonight's headline entertainer is Jade Milan again. This time she will be singing soul classics. She is very talented.
