Thursday, June 24 - Not-so-Rainy Ketchikan - Our Last Port of Call

We slept in a bit this morning as we weren't reaching port until 10am. Had a full breakfast and got off a little after 10. We noticed that is was raining lightly, but nothing like yesterday. That was pretty funny, as Ketchikan is supposedly a rainier area than the others....except for today, I guess!
We finally located the "Ketchikan Rain Gauge" where we were to meet our shuttle at noon. We picked up a walking tour map at the visitors' center and spent an hour exploring. Ketchikan is a much larger area than the other two ports, at least in what is interesting to the tourist. Besides the usual tourist shops, there is a wharf area, Creek St (an area where the bordellos used to be), a beautiful little park/garden area, etc. Even the souvenir shops seemed to be more varied. Then it was time to meet our shuttle, which would take us to our flightseeing plane. By then, the rain was completely gone; it was still cloudy, but a good day for flying. There were 6 of us on the flight, plus the pilot Michelle. I was a little (!) apprehensive about this little float plane, but it was a fabulous experience!! Our destination was Misty Fjords National Monument in the Tongass National Forest. The scenery was amazing - trees, lakes,waterfalls, bald eagles, etc.
Michelle was very informative and told us all about the area and what we were seeing. We flew about 70 miles, then landed on a lake that fed the fjord and were able to get out and walk on the shore. We were the only ones there! After lots of photos, we got back in the plane for the ride back to the base. After we got back into town, we continued on our walking tour which led away from the tourist area (Ketchikan is also built off the side of the mountain, so there were many steep streets/staircases once again). We walked over Ketchikan Creek several times, which is filled with salmon during the proper season. We went to the Totem Heritage Center - Ketchikan is noted for its totem poles, so we saw several on display and learned about their history. Back down in the shopping area, we bought a few souvenirs and then boarded the ship. Another quick late lunch/snack and a rest in our cabin. !
Dinner tonight was the "Chef's Menu" and was very good - Goat Cheese Ramekin, Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup, Rack of Lamb and ice cream for dessert. We then went to the hypnotist show in the Universal Lounge, which was pretty amusing. Tomorrow is a full day at sea - lots to do on our last day