Alaska Cruise Stop 3: Ketchikan

This was the only port where we didn’t book a tour in advance—planning to just wander and hike instead. Turned out to be a blessing since my husband came down with a high fever the day before! 🤒 (Guess it was meant to be!) But hey, we were already here, so why not explore? We spontaneously bought tickets for the Duck Tour 🦆🚤—a fun 1.5-hour amphibious ride with great commentary, cruising through town and then splashing into the sea! 🌊 On the water, we spotted several bald eagles 🦅, including one juvenile still sporting its all-brown plumage (apparently they don’t get their iconic white heads until age 5!). After the tour, we visited the Tongass Historical Museum 🏛️ and then hiked the Salmon Creek Trail (about 1.4 miles). The creek was crystal clear 💧, surrounded by stunning scenery and towering mountain rhododendrons 🌸—but zero salmon 🐟❌. Turns out they were still out at sea, not yet back to spawn. Locals say that by August/September, the creek is packed with five different salmon species fighting upstream—must be epic! Near the trail’s end, we popped into the Totem Heritage Center 🎭, a small but cool museum showcasing Native Alaskan history (and super affordable!). By then, we were exhausted and starving 😩🍽️. Since dining options in town were slim, we headed back to the cruise ship for an all-you-can-eat feast! 🍣🍦 #Priorities #AlaskaCruise #Ketchikan #DuckTour #SalmonRun #BaldEagles #HikingAdventures #CruiseLife #EatAllTheFood 😋🚢