Alaska Day 1 Ketchikan

I wasn't sure what to expect when stepping out onto the verandah of our cruise cabin, upon arrival into the small port if Ketchikan.  But when I saw it, I realized it was exactly what I expected.  A small beautiful sleepy town perched on the side of the rocks adjacent to the water.  Covered in mist and vividly green.  At that moment you would never know that 10,000 people a day come to town via cruise ships throughout the summer season.  By the end of September the town reduces back to its year round population of about 500. Being on the water at the edge of a massive rainforest, the winters are not as harsh here as you might expect. Ketchikan offers many activities for shore excursions, or you can simply spend your time strolling through the small shops.  Its close to impossible to get lost, and hiking trails along the salmon streams, totem poles and more are within walking distance.  For those that delay and wish they would have booked an excursion, the visitors center at the pier offers many options including the Lumberjack Show which is an easy walk from the pier.

The size of the town is summarized by the photo below of a Carnival Cruise ship in port as the same time as our Celebrity cruise.  You can see the ship dominates the town, and that's just one.  Imagine three lined up! And the odd thing is I really never felt overwhelmed with people except in one store having a closeout sale. Don't get in the way of a cruiser looking for their free gift!

Our planned excursion was to enjoy a float plane ride through the famous Mystic Fjords.  Unfortunately that beautiful mist we awoke to didn't agree and the fjords were not to be seen that day.  Our pilot saw the disappointment and offered to fly us south out of the fog to Traitors Island with a guide to see bears. He didn't know I was a travel agent, so this special treatment is for his customers in general! At this point I am a happy camper! I still get to enjoy the experience of a flight plane, and now I get to see bears which is one of two things on my list to see while in Alaska.

The flight was amazing and Traitor Island delivered the end to a perfect day.  The wilderness was vast and the bears were plentiful.  We actually got to experience a mother bear watching over her two cubs while they played tug of war with a fish for lunch.  While the bushes got in the way of great photos, it was an experience that creates memory you won't forget.

In my opinion Ketchikan is not to be missed. #Ketchikan #Bears #Alaska #Celebritycruises