We docked in Ketchikan before I even woke up, somewhere around 6 am, I think.

We didn’t have anything planned, so we had a leisurely breakfast, then went out into the town to see what was there.

Ketchikan advertises itself as the 7^th largest town in Alaska. It consists of an original town which was started during the 1870s, plus what is called the Newtown, which came later. A low hill called the knob separates the old and new towns. A tunnel through the knob connects the two. The cruise ships dock in Old town, which is the more touristy part of Ketchikan and it is an easy walk from the docks to Creek Street, one of the oldest streets in town.

After wandering down Creek Street, we paused to watch a harbour seal hunting, then turned our steps toward the Totem Heritage Center. This museum preserves decaying totem poles of the native peoples – the Haida and the Tlingit. It is away from the water and up a hill. A steep hill. The day was not just sunny, but hot, and by this time it was around 11 am. I was glad we had thought to bring a couple of bottles of water with us, because I was thirsty. We eventually found the Center with the help of maps and local signage, but by the time we returned to the ship for the early afternoon sailing, I was beat!

Ketchikan was an unexpected treat, but the day wasn’t over yet. Just before dinner we were to sail through Snow Pass.