We arrived back in PG late last night after a very long 15-hour drive. I think we are both getting a bit tired of the drive to Seattle – but we had a wonderful time in Alaska and a few extra days at my home in Seattle.
It will take me a couple of posts to get the whole trip written out – but, I will start at the start!
We got a really fantastic deal for the cruise – part of which was because we took a windowless room. We weren’t expecting much but were surprised to find, it really was actually still quite nice! Plus, Erin’s aunt and uncle Esther and Marty had a balcony we could use 😉
Our first stop was in Ketchikan. This is an old trading town that once had a vibrant red light district. It now exists nearly exclusively for tourists. It wasn’t our favorite of the three stops we made in Alaska, but we still enjoyed exploring the town, and we were gifted with beautiful weather!
In the morning we went to a salmon hatchery and eagle reserve. It is the second smallest hatchery in Alaska but has been operating since the early 1940’s. The hatchery is also the eagle center. They have two bald eagles that were rescued after sustaining wing injuries that will prevent them from ever being able to fly again.
You will just have to trust us that there are fish in there! 🙂
Next we headed over the the Totem Heritage Center where we learned about the history and significance of the totem to the Tlingkit people -the Alaskan tribe that dominates the Southeast Alaska region.
The rest of Ketchikan was mostly comprised of tourist shops, and the street which used to operate as the Red Light District also was converted into shops. We spent most the afternoon walking around the town and enjoying the scenery. Here are some pictures of the surroundings.
Oh, and there were some Moose! 🙂
We headed back to the boat for dinner and an amazing sunset! But, that is for next time…