We arrived in Ketchikan bright and early – by 8 am we were on solid ground. This was particularly exciting because this was the first time my dad was able to make it to Alaska! (One of his last of the 50 United States!)

We had booked a “Duck” tour – an amphibious vehicle that can both drive on land and in the water. It was a brief tour on the water, but gave a good overview of the history of the city. (Andy and I wanted to explore some of the locations after we got off of the Duck). Once we got off of the Duck, we dropped my parents back off at the ship. We continued on to walk around Ketchikan. The rain started to pick up, which wasn’t ideal.

Some of the landmarks that we went by on the Duck tour – we were able to walk to explore a little more closely. Ketchikan is known for its totems. (Supposedly, it is even the world’s record holder for totems!) We had wanted to look at them closer up, They were incredible.

We also were able to walk past the creek that runs through town. It was incredibly interesting to learn that as salmon spawn their bodies actually start to change color and degrade. After they spawn, they die. We were visiting at the end of spawning season – so there were a lot of dead salmon in the water.

After walking past the creek, we wandered over to Miss Dolly’s House. Dolly’s House is in the Red Light District. This was the first brothel in Ketchikan. We didn’t have time to actually go into the museum, but the cost of admission is only $5 to get in. It’s bright green and hard to miss as you walk (or drive by!) through Ketchikan.

After we got back – we had dinner with my parents. We decided that yet again, we needed to play trivia at the Sky Lounge. (Maybe eventually we would win?!) Off in the distance we were able to see another cruise ship as the sun went down. Pretty cool to see how lit up it was in an area that doesn’t have a lot of light pollution.

Up Next:
Juneau
Endicott Arm (cruise by)
Alaskan Brewing Co.
Fly to Glacier Bay National Park