The 14-Day Alaskan Adventurer Cruise, August 22-September 6, 2010, Holland America Amsterdam
Text by Snookums, Pictures by Filbert
Part Two
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August 25 (Wednesday, Day 4, Ketchikan, Alaska) -
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| Ketchikan |
We docked early and didn’t have an excursion until 11:30 so after breakfast Filbert and Snookums ventured off the ship. We immediately saw the Time Bandit docked next to us. This is one of the boats featured on the “Deadliest Catch” television show on the Discovery Channel. We weren't sure why it was in Ketchikan, but it was.
More after the jump . . .
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| Time Bandit. It was really small, next to the Amsterdam. |
Then we walked to Creek Street which used to be the red-light district. It now houses boutiques and restaurants but we were more interested in the actual creek since salmon were swimming up it since it’s spawning season.
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| The creek giving Creek Street its name |
There was a salmon ladder for the spawning salmon, but many of them tried to make it upstream without using the ladder. We know they didn’t all make it. There were a lot of dead salmon on the rocks on either side of the creek and these salmon looked to be at least a foot long, if not much longer.
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| Leaping salmon |
Filbert started getting blisters so we walked to a drugstore and bought some moleskin. Then, on the way back to the ship, we managed to use our free coupons at the four stores that offered free items with any purchase. We purchased a $.25 postcard at each of the four stores and walked away with a mug, a t-shirt, a baseball hat and a hematite jewelry set. And, we have two sets of coupons so we’ll do the same thing on the way back to the ship after our excursion. Not only did we take care of our postcard needs, but Filbert got a couple of nice t-shirts out of the deal and maybe some of you that are reading this will get some Alaska gifts! (They only had XL t-shirts for free so that’s why they both are going to Filbert.)
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| Bear country |
Our excellent shore excursion was the Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition in the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. We took a 20-minute van ride to a 40-acre private reserve bordering Tongass National Forest. Our guide of four years warned us that we would be on the trail for the next three hours so Snookums decided to use the porta-potty. She was a little flustered by the slug that was sitting right next to the toilet seat, but managed to not disturb the slug and left it where it was. After that wildlife encounter we weren’t sure what to expect. As we made our way to the first elevated platform, we looked towards Eagle Creek and saw a black bear. We watched it for at least 10 minutes. Then Snookums spotted a black bear coming from the forest behind everyone (we were on a bridge so we were all safe) and everyone watched that one.
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| I think it spotted us |
Then the one in the creek showed itself again. We think we saw three different bears at this particular time. The creek was teeming with salmon. Anyone could have easily just picked one up. At one point the bear started eating one of the dead ones that was on the bank. Our guide had never seen a bear eat a dead salmon before. She figured the bear was just lazy and already full and figured what the heck. The bear looked and acted healthy as it ripped into the dead salmon.
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| Eating salmon |
As we were continuing our walk along the bridges, we saw a mother bear and her cub in another part of the forest, but only for a split second. We saw great blue heron and harbor seals, too.
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| Great blue heron |
After we left the forest, we saw an eagle and a great horned owl that are both permanently wounded and can’t be returned to the wild. We also got to feed reindeer. When we asked about reindeer in Ketchikan, we were told that they don’t have any on Ketchikan island but when tourists were asked what they wanted to see, reindeer was one of the answers so this company decided to “import” reindeer to its establishment. Anyway, when we saw them they were going through their annual velvet shedding where they lose the velvet covering from their antlers before losing their antlers. The guide warned us that it would be bloody and there would be strips of the velvet hanging from their antlers and she wasn’t kidding. It was pretty gross, but that’s nature.
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| Feeding the reindeer |
After the “petting zoo” area, we saw Wayne F. Hewson performing his craft. He is one of Alaska’s leading Native carvers and makes totem poles. He had been working on one for about three months and figured he had two more weeks to go on it. He was carving the story of the beaver. It was a great excursion.
After the shore excursion we turned in our other four free coupons and Filbert bought a case (24 cans) of smoked salmon from Salmon, Etc. It’s considered the best local salmon company and they guarantee that they have the cheapest salmon prices statewide. The case is going to be shipped to our house for $15.
Judy did her own shore excursion and had lunch off the ship at a local’s house. Mom’s cousin (Roland) and his wife are also on this cruise and they have friends in Ketchikan so the three of them visited the woman at her home. Judy enjoyed a nice lunch of lamb burgers (not her favorite food) with a beautiful view. The woman’s house overlooks the water and many days she sees whales very, very close to her beach or rocks. Judy enjoyed her day.
After a nice dinner it was bedtime since Snookums is still fighting a cold.
Next: Sitka!