Ketchikan and Rain

From Quantum of the Seas
Ketchikan, Alaska
August 30, 2023

 We ported in Ketchikan, Alaska, yesterday under gloomy and rainy skies. The rain and gloom continued all day, but it did not dampen our spirits as we enjoyed out first shore day of the cruise. 

One exciting event occurred as we were approaching Ketchikan--a seaplane took off right alongside of the ship and right past my stateroom. I was a bit slow getting the video going because I spent time getting Chris outside to see it, but the effect is still there. It seemed very close. 

We took a tour that included a bus ride, a short boat trip, and a walking tour of the temperate rainforest also with a seafood feast. It was a four-hour excursion and one of the highlights was seeing eagles and then a very busy sea lion. We took the Exclusive Alaskan Lodge Adventure and Seafest. A comment about the excursion. We had fun, do not get me wrong, but they need to rewrite the tour description to more closely match the actual day. The boat, for example, is ill-equipped for a cold and rainy day. They provided squeegees to let us keep the condensation off the windows so we could see the wildlife and scenery. And the safest in a family-style dining room is actually on a porch exposed to the cold. 

I did, however, see eagles pretty close up and I enjoyed the stroll through the Tongass National Forest which is a temperate rainforest. 

Eagle in the River
Ketchikan, Alaska
August 30, 2023

Returning to Ketchikan, we enjoyed strolling around the town and seeing the salmon run in the creek. We were amazed at the number of salmon swimming upstream and also saw a harbor seal working the schools of salmon for lunch.

We were fairly tired once we returned to the ship.

Today we explore Sitka! I hope the excursion today is a bit better. 

-- Bob Doan, Quantum of the Seas nearing Sitka, Alaska