First Port: Ketchikan

Our welcome to Alaska occurred in Ketchikan which is a wonderful small city to explore on foot.  A tunnel not far from where our ship docked divided the city into two areas, and we had the chance to see both.  First, we headed right (which may have been south).  This is the touristy side.  The shops are here (including Diamonds International where we started our free charm bracelets to which we have added charms in about five ports now).  The attractions are here too.  We visited an old church (small but beautiful), saw totem poles, wandered through what was once a red light district (now a bunch of shops) and watched kayakers make their way down the stream that cuts this district in half, stood by the creek, located salmon ladders (not sure of their real name but these are wood structures built into small waterfalls to help the salmon head upstream when nature calls), and wound our way up a hill to a lodge and overlook of Ketchikan.  Later we went through the tunnel and found the part of the city where people actually live and work.  Not quite as interesting although I was fascinated by the streets that were just narrow wooden boardwalks not wide enough for vehicles.

My other major memory of Ketchikan were the seaplanes coming in.  I had never really seen a seaplane before.