Catching up from Ketchikan

We returned from our Alaskan cruise on Sunday. Since I hadn’t had a chance to post yet about our final port visits, I thought I would do a quick catch up from where we left off… in Ketchikan.
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Plus Brian just posted some amazing pictures from the trip that I wanted to share. That’s him on the whale watching boat with his monster lens. He also used that to get super close up shots of the glaciers, so check it out!

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On Friday we spent a short stay in Ketchikan which is Alaska’s first city and the salmon capital of the world (according to the sign!). Since the zip line excursion and lumberjack show were sold out, we ended up taking the “Duck Tour.” What is a “Duck Tour” you ask? Well, it’s a ride around the town’s streets and waters in an amphibious bus/boat. And to make it complete they have quacking duck whistles for purchase on-board. Needless to say, we didn’t partake in the raucous! Not surprisingly, Ketchikan, like the other ports we visited had it’s share of totem poles and brothels. There seemed to be a theme!

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In Victoria we only had time to grab a nice dinner with our friends Julie, George and their son Jaden (that’s us eating dinner together on the cruise ship a couple nights before). Wow, non-cruise food never tasted soooo good! We wished we could just stay ashore and hang out in the beautiful downtown Victoria a bit longer. We peeked in a couple of shops on the main street before things closed down for the evening.

Definitely seems like a wonderful place to come back and visit again when we could have more time to explore. I had visited there with my parents when I was about seven. The street lamps flanked by flower pots are still as charming as I remember.

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Before heading off to the airport in Seattle on Sunday, we were able to get in a couple of hours at Pike Place Market. A feast for the senses, the market overflowed with fish mongers, colorful flower stands, piles of fresh, organic produce and other gourmet delights. We also saw the original Starbucks coffee shop which, like all other Starbucks, was a hub of activity. And we enjoyed a delicious bowl of chowder and a crab sandwich before dashing off to catch our plane.

Back on land, I’m glad to be home. I enjoyed the natural beauty of Alaska’s landscape. Yet, it’s really nice to be in capris, a t-shirt and flip-flops again enjoying the famous California sunshine!

[tags]travel, Alaska, cruise, Ketchikan, Seattle[/tags]

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