Although our arrival time was set at 9am, the Nieuw Amsterdam arrived to Ketchikan well before that. As we neared civilization, we passed by an NCL vessel, the Encore. It was docked far from town, compared to where we were headed. Never noticed a ship this far out before now.
Slowly, we found our slip directly across from all of the shops in downtown. It was raining, but not as heavily as we had been warned. People were walking with hats or hoods, not using umbrellas. And if Captain Jeroen is correct, the skies may clear in the afternoon. Hope he is right.
After having a leisurely breakfast in the dining room, we decided to wait until the mad rush to get off was over. And having dozens of photos to process, this was as good of a time than any to do this in our room. Just as we arrived back, the phone was ringing. It was Ray from the front desk, offering to escort us off of the ship, since the gangway was jammed. We thanked him, but said we would prefer to wait. This was the first time ever that we have been given that consideration directly from the staff. Of course, we understand we may be the only President Club members onboard at the moment. Nevertheless, we appreciated the offer.
We began our trek around 10:30am, and even though it was still raining, it was a light rain. As we got off of the ship, we could hear the cheering coming from the Lumberjack Show. There were a couple of tours there today, one with the show only for 1 ½ hours for $36. Another combo tour included the show with a crab feast elsewhere for $145 for 4 hours. Samples of other options included the Saxman Village and Totem Poles for $65 for 2 ½ hours, or a wildlife cruise, cannery and village for $110 for 2 hours. More expensive excursions were a boat ride to Misty Fjords for $210 for 5 hours, or the zip line for $190. We have done several of these tours in the past, but recommend the wildlife tour. Today might not be as pleasant with the rain coming down.
The first place we headed for was Creek Street across the red bridge. There is a lot of history here that is somewhat colorful and bawdy. But or main objective was to look for the salmon run up the creek. The tide was in and the waters deep, but we did see dozens of carcasses along the banks. Gulls were thick on the surface, and there were a few seals gorging on some tired and battered salmon. Now we are not certain which type of salmon these were, but the security officer in Skagway said he thought the run was coho. They were not large enough to be king salmon.
Not sure one of us was going to be able to make the climb here today, but we took it a little at a time. This included photo stops and visiting the small shops along the way. One such store sold, among other nice items, jewelry made with real leaves of maple and aspen. The leaves are dipped in nickel, then coated with a gold look alike substance. We bought a set of aspen leaves, since they were reasonably priced.
Continuing up the creek trail, passing the brightly painted houses, we read the history posted on the outside walls. By the time we reached the series of stairs, the crowd had thinned. The new knee got a good workout as we reached the end of the trail. The creek was running the fullest and fastest this time, so we knew there would be many more salmon where the creek widened. Happy to make it this far, we crossed the road to find the more shallow sides of the creek had hundreds of salmon resting out of the current. At the end of their life cycle, they really get battered and beaten up to get to their spawning grounds. Once they have laid their eggs and fertilized them, the fish die. We have heard from locals that during this time of year, they never go walking at night, because the bears come in to clean up the carcasses.
The Deer Mountain Hatchery is located up here. As we crossed the bridge in that direction, we paused to photograph the hordes of salmon in the creek. They were so thick in numbers that they turn the color of the water to gray. Their backs become white, and that is the best way to spot them. While there, a couple of people asked if we knew how to get to the hatchery. They happened to be from the NCL ship, and they explained how they had a free shuttle that brought them to downtown. Recently, the powers to be in Ketchikan stated that only one cruise ship could be in the slips in town. Guess we got lucky to dock there, as it took more time for the NCL folks to get around.
The hatchery was closed to the public, as it has been for several years now. We did have the park up there all to ourselves, as well as the totem museum across the creek. Too bad it was so wet, and we could not sit on the benches. Making our way back to Creek Street, we navigated the descent slowly. On one of the landings, a fellow cruiser accidently dropped her mask in the creek. Not to worry though, because we did notice that the visitor's center and cafes gave out new masks if needed.
One thing we noticed was the presence of the American and Alaskan flags. They were flying proudly on most every street, making us happy to see. The Alaskans are true patriots, and not afraid to show it. The foot traffic had increased by now, and the rain had let up. We were actually starting to see some sun as well. Guess the Captain was right….the afternoon might be just fine.
It was getting to be close to lunchtime, so we headed to a restaurant we knew had good food and beer. Directly across from the ship is a large souvenir store with the Alaskan Crab Co. on the third floor. Except………a note was posted on the elevator stating that they were closed for the season. Disappointed, we decided to head towards the visitor's center, and see what we could find in that direction.
Passing the Tongass Trading Co, we continued towards another souvenir complex. There were few people up here so finding a good restaurant was doubtful. About ready to give up, we went around a turn and found a suitable place called the Bar Harbor Pub and Brewery. This would be perfect. We ordered a local beer, a trio of sliders, and a side of fries. It was plenty for two. Dessert would have been nice, but time was ticking by all too quickly. All aboard was 3:30pm, and we knew not to be late. That brought to mind a story from a few years ago where a couple of guests, loaded with shopping bags, came to the ship after the gangway was pulled. They were denied boarding, despite jumping up and down and even crying. In this case, their passports would have been given to the port agent, and they would need to find their own way home. Hope they had brought their credit cards with them.
On the way back, after a stop in the Tongass Trading Co, where we found another Lazy One T, the rain began to come down lightly. But just enough to create a pretty rainbow over the town. It lasted for about 5 minutes, and was a great way to end our last port of this cruise.
Anyway, we had 5 minutes to spare, and headed right to our room for the sail out of the harbor. We have really enjoyed watching from our veranda, as it has been very sheltered from the elements. Once we got into the narrows, we did spot three whale blows, but they were gone in a flash, with no chance of a picture. The last time we were here, we were heading towards Victoria, and saw dozens of whales. Now we will not even stop in Canada, which is too bad.
Tonight was the final gala evening in the dining room. It is really a mixed bag as far as the dress code goes. There were a few men dressed in suits, sport coats, and even tuxes. The majority were in casual clothing, which was fine. The ladies, for the most part, always look presentable. With one exception. A gal had on jeans, a windbreaker, and a baseball cap. Really? Each to their own, we say. Nothing stays the same forever, does it?
For dinner, we ordered appetizers, Caesar salads, mains of steak and shrimp, and one duck entrée. Desserts included a flourless chocolate cake, and an orange muffin-like cake. The clocks went forward this evening, and although we had intended to check out the entertainment, we remembered our time to go was at 7pm. Oh well, by the time we got this itinerary straight, the cruise was about over.
Tomorrow we will explore some more, going to the forward area of the ship. And we have to visit the shops, because we still have some shipboard credit to spend. That might be fun………
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Report # 8 Ketchikan, Alaska September 30, 2021 Thursday Raining and 46 degrees
