Ketchikan is my personal favourite of the three ports of call on this cruise. We have visited a number of times and even had a stop in the small town of about 8,000 residents during the month May of this year. It's the most southern cruise port stop on the Alaskan panhandle.
I often gauge how much I like a city or town by the degree to which I'd like to enjoy a more extended stay. This town would be a great place to spend a month or two. I would most likely have a longer visit in the summer. Although Ketchikan seldom gets much snow, it does get around 13 feet of annual rain per year.
Jay and I took an early tender to the town as the four terminal spots were full when we arrived. After a few hours, the ms Koningsdam docked in berth #4 when a Princess ship departed. Because we are now frequent guests on Holland America, we have priority boarding. That mean we got on the little lifeboat directly and rode both into and away from town. It was fairly sunny in the morning. Folks who waited for the afternoon to leave from the dock had cloudier weather today.
Laurie is not feeling well and has flu symptoms, so the girls didn't get out for long. Jay and I did the usual walk including Creek Street, the red light district of town in the beginning of the 1900s. We did note a few early salmon coming into the creek. A sea lion was waiting to lunch on the ones he caught. Once during a visit in September, we saw sea otters getting their fill in the very same area.
