ZAANDAM
Today is our last port-
Ketchikan. Known for totems and Misty Fjords National Monument.
Breakfast is at my favorite place-
Rotterdam. For me it's eggs over easy/medium, hash brown pattie, toast, fruit plate. Dear husband has an omelet, pumpernickel toast, hash brown pattie. Coffee for us both. In talking with others seated at our table I mention my queasiness problem and am told that I can go to the ship's front desk and get these pills that will help. And they're free! It would have been nice if I had known about this 4 days ago! I go to the ship's front desk and ask about getting something for my motion/sea sickness. I'm given several packets. Told there are 2 chewable pills in each packet. Take one now and another 6 hours from now. These pills will work their magic and I will begin to feel better by tomorrow. Too bad our cruise is just about over!! I have also included some pictures of the Explorations Cafe. It's located near the ship's library/computer area. You can get coffee, soda, other drinks here. Also items like pastries, croissants, parfaits.
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| This is Explorations Cafe located near the library/computer room. |
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| Richard's breakfast omelet |
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| My boring breakfast of eggs OE/medium, hash brown pattie, toast |
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Morning view from our verandah
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| These pills worked!! |
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| From our verandah as we near Ketchikan |
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| We watch float planes from our verandah |
I have pre booked
Misty Fjords by float plane with Island Wings. This 2 1/2 hour flight/excursion costs $239 pp. We will be picked up right by where our ship is docked-at the Ketchikan liquid sunshine gauge. Pickup time is 12:50 pm. It's a beautiful day for flying-sunny, clear skies, warm. We have a late arrival into port-11:00 am but we do have time to walk around the town a bit. It is a town full of tourists. I'm afraid to venture too far and by looking at a map it looks like Creek Street might be too far to walk, explore, etc. I browse through the store but only buy some postcards. I'm looking for a small totem carving and a figure of a bear as souvenirs for myself. No luck. Waiting at the pickup place there is "The Rock" a bronze statue with 7 life size figures. The Ketchikan Visitors Bureau is here also. The Liquid Sunshine Gauge is also know as the Rain Gauge. It's a 20' tall thermometer type cartoon structure. There's the van with the Island Wings logo. A short drive over to the office. Some paperwork to complete and then we are told where to sit per our weight to balance the plane. We have been briefed on how to enter and exit the plane. There will be a 30 minute landing where we can stretch our legs and take pictures from on the ground rather than from the plane. We are only allowed to carry our cameras, binoculars, etc. Backpacks have to be left at the office. Our plane is a DeHavilland Beaver. After this trip we will have flown in the Cessna 206 bush plane for our Homer bear trip, a Robinson R44 helicopter for our Seward dog sledding trip, a N30CC (Charlie Charlie) ski runner plane for our Denali/Mt. McKinley flight with landing, a Piper Navajo twin engine 8 passenger plane for our Arctic overnight adventure from Coldfoot to Fairbanks, and this DeHavilland Beaver float plane for our Ketchikan trip today!!
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| Seen from our verandah |
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| Liquid sunshine gauge |
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| We will take this shuttle to Creek Street later today |
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| We are docked at berth 2 |
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| Our excursion for the day transport to office |
There are 6 passengers flying today. Our pilot is Michelle, the owner of the company. We each have headsets that allow for voice communication.
Misty Fjords is comprised of steep walled inlets of the sea created by glacial gouging long ago. There are snow capped granite cliffs rising 3500' out of the sea. Lots of waterfalls and alpine lakes within these steep walled canyons. Misty Fjords get more than 150" misty rain annually. We fly over Reviliagegedo Island where the town is located-Tongass Narrows-Misty Fjords National Monument which is located on mainland Alaska. We see lush rainforest of spruce, hemlock, and cedar. After about 45-50 minutes flying time Michelle sets the plane down. The water is very calm and the landing is very smooth. Per our briefing back at the office I easily am able to exit the plane correctly. Here there's just the 7 of us. It's beautiful-very quiet. I take more pictures and walk around, stretching my legs. Because this is such a sunny, warm day there is not a lot of mist in Misty Fjords but there is some. After 30 minutes on the ground we get back in the plane and return to Ketchikan. Each couple is given a brochure on Misty Fjords as well as a CD video which showcases Misty Fjords, Anan Creek, and Traitors Cove trips. Very well done.
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| Alpine lake and rainforest |
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| Granite cliffs |
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| New Eddystone Rock |
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| Returning to town |
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Landing back in town
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It is now almost 4:00 pm and we have to be back on the ship by 6:30 pm. Not enough time to take a bus out to one of the totem parks, visit the park, and catch a bus back. The buses to the parks run about every hour. Then it's a 20-30 minute bus ride each way and you have to have time to enjoy/tour the park. Inside the visitor center tours include more than just the park so that won't work either. So we decide to make our way to
Creek Street historical area. We catch one of the free shuttle buses from the dock area and within minutes we get off right by the entrance to Creek Street area. The funicular that goes up to Cape Fox Lodge is out of service so that plan is scrapped. We follow the signs to the salmon ladder by way of Married Man's Trail but there's not much to see there. Now we will walk along the boardwalk of Creek Street. There are plaques/signs on most of the buildings with historical information. This is a small, cute area of colorful houses/buildings built on stilts over the creek. We see some kayakers. Star House. Annie's Place. Dolly's House. Creek Street was once a red light district where women of ill repute entertained men. There are also plenty of shops. It's in the Fish Creek Company shop that I finally find my totem which tells the legend of the sun and the raven. It's beautiful and I have to have it! At 9" tall it will not take up much space in my carry on bag. Cost $102 Then I hit the jackpot and find a figure of a grizzly bear carved/made out of walrus jaw bone. I have to have this too. Cost $104 My treat to myself. I did see other bears but they were either too little, too big, or much too expensive. Now, missing the totem park doesn't hurt so much! We are all out of time but I see that the dock/ship isn't that far away so we walk back just enjoying the sights and sounds of this town brimming with tourists like us.
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| Salmon ladder |
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Kayakers
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| Colorful houses on stilts over the creek |
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| Preacher's House |
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| The spirit of Alaska captured in this amazing piece of art |
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Heading back on board our ship
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Back on the ship by 6:30 pm dinner beckons. Rotterdam Dining Room beckons. We get ourselves ready and head to dinner. For me-fruit cup of pineapple/mango/canteloupe/honeydew, chopped farmer's salad, and turkey/giblet gravy/cranberry with apple pecan stuffing, carrots, Brussel sprouts, corn, potato. It was like having Thanksgiving in August!! Richard has the udon noodle soup with pork, chopped farmer's salad, Szechuan stir-fry vegetables. Desserts are pineapple crisp and strawberry sphere. Yummy dinner! Our last dinner at Rotterdam as tomorrow I have reservations for us for Canaletto for a taste of Italy dining.
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