Alaska Cruise - Ketchikan, Victoria, BC, Seattle to Montrose, 6/14 thru 6/17/2019

Arriving in Ketchikan, I was surprised to see a beautiful sunny morning.  This town has rain, on average, 230 days each year...a total of more than 150 inches of rain, but only about 40 inches of snow.  It seemed good to have one of the non-rainy days for our visit.  Unfortunately, I was feeling below par with an apparent sinus infection.  No doubt walking in the rain, riding the whale watch boat and standing on the open deck in Glacier Bay contributed to my condition.  I felt so bad, in fact, when my family took a hike on one of the nearby mountains, I declined the opportunity.  Instead, I took a walk around town and returned quickly to the comfort of the ship and my pre-paid beverage deal.  Before leaving the ship, I took a few photos from one of the upper decks.

With a population less than 15,000, Ketchikan is still Alaska's fifth largest city.  Being the southernmost city in Alaska explains its relatively moderate climate.  Its record high temp is 89F, while its record low is -1F.  Interestingly, Tallahassee, FL has a record low of -2F, but obviously is warmer on average than Ketchikan.  There are no roads in or out of town, just the few short roads within the city.  The town is known for its totem poles, found in four different sites.  I did not see any this visit, although I did visit a totem village in 1989.

Leaving Ketchikan, we passed a few islands that showed evidence of small communities and such operations as sawmills.

By the time we got to Victoria, I was feeling even worse, so stayed on board while my family went ashore.  I wanted to get night shots of some of their historical buildings, but that will have to wait for another time.

My flights from Seattle to Montrose suffered numerous delays and missed connections, requiring a total of 36 hours in airports and planes.  Without having a window seat, I was lucky to get a few photos of interesting clouds and the San Juan mountains.

Despite the problems I had near the end of the trip, it was great being with my family and re-visiting the "panhandle" of Alaska after a thirty year absence.  It's a cruise that everyone should take.