Ketchikan - First Port in Alaska

ms. Statendam docked in Ketchikan

Our first port in Alaska was Ketchikan. A pretty enough little town, but right at the docks it is very touristy. Almost every store had someone outside trying to get you come in and look at their inventory, and most of them were jewelry stores.  I did great at avoiding most of them, but there was one hawker that got my attention more than others and I went in to look at rings.  After some discussion, and encouragement from my youngest, I purchased an Ammolite ring.  Now every jewelry store I went into in Alaska sold Ammolite, but I fell in love with this setting, and I actually did not see this setting in any of the other stores, so I was very pleased with my purchase.  

Ketchikan port in the morning.

Ketchikan ready for the ships to disembark.

Ammolite ring bought in Ketchikan

Our excursion in Ketchikan the Alaska Rain Forest Sanctuary, Raptor Center and Totems. It started with a  was a hike through the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, a private reserve in the mountains at Herring Cove. This was a beautiful hike, but my favorite part of this excursion was feeding the reindeer at the Alaska Wildlife Foundation. We also toured the historic Herring Bay Lumber Co. sawmill and were able to walk through a master totem carver's workshop.  He was not available, but we were able to see his wife work on a totem.  The smell of the wood in the workshop was really great.  I asked the carver's wife if I could have a piece of wood that came off the totem she was working on that day.  She said yes and even offered to let me take a larger piece from the work pile, but I only wanted a chip as a souvenir.

Bear's Bread - Yes the bears do eat it.

Sandberry

Skunk Cabbage, bears eat it when they come out of hibernation to get their digestive system working again. 

White Slug

Bald Eagle in Raptor Center

You looking at me?

Totem under construction.  The carver of this totem is the only one known to use the basket weave shown on the torso.

Carving a totem