The weather has been beautiful since we left Los Angeles…until today. To our dismay, we woke up to chilly rain and gray fog. The good news is that we could see the town from our breakfast table. We’re so close. It’s literally as if we parallel parked on a street in Ketchikan – except in a ship. We threw on several warm layers and our rain jackets and set out to see the city.
Our first stop was to get coffee for Fred and Kayla. Two iced white mochas set us back $11. I do like the coffee brands offered here. Take a look at the labels in one of the coffee shops close to the ship.
For the rest of the morning, we just wandered around the city. We checked out the souvenir shops, jewelry stores, coffee houses, bars, restaurants, and antique stores. The atmosphere is quirky, slightly offbeat, a bit rugged, and has the feel of a place that has stepped back in time a decade or two – but in a good way. The air is crisp and clean, and I’m sure the views are amazing on a clear day. Here’s a shot looking across the bay and then a couple of random things we saw in shops.
Everyone was in a goofy mood today. We didn’t want to do any of the excursions since it was chilly and there was a steady rain all morning. We considered the rainforest tour, but even at a discounted price of $60 per person (after negotiating with the guy at the tourist info center), we still just didn’t feel like it was worth it. It just didn’t seem like a fun idea to walk around in the rain for three hours, no matter how cool the totem poles or the bears would be. Since many shops were closed and it was raining hard, here’s how we entertained ourselves.
So that’s really all I have to share about Ketchikan. We were only in the city for a couple of hours due to the poor weather. We just came back to the ship and did what we normally do on sea days. Kayla worked on art for her comic book series. Kyle goofed off a bit and then did some writing and planning for his video game.
Fred did some things on the internet – probably some work and some play (watching poker if I had to guess). Then they all worked on “the class”. Fred is teaching them about marketing, finance, life, etc. He created a class that is based on the topics that the kids want to learn about. Today he had them watching 90 minutes of video and tomorrow they will discuss it and ask questions. I think it’s an amazing idea and they are loving it.
Since this is a sixty-day cruise, most of the passengers on this cruise are over 65. Other than one baby, the kids are the youngest people onboard, but they don’t mind at all. They are quite happy hanging out with one another and we are having a blast together as a family. They’re also enjoying the time that they have to work on their projects with no outside distractions.
Please cross your fingers that the weather is more cooperative for our time in the other Alaskan ports. Fred says rain is predicted, but I’m stubborn and forever hopeful no matter what the circumstances, so I’m holding out for clear skies and sunshine.