http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Alaska , Ketchikan en-us Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:16:56 BST Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:16:56 BST Ketchikan today it averages 14 feet of rain a year and has rain on average 320 days a year. Today blue skies and warm and not a drop of the wet stuff.Touristy town like the others full of tshirt jewellery and crap junk shops most of which are owned by the cruise lines. No suprise as to why they stop there then. Nice town however as they all have been clean and neat with friendly people. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-328355.html In August of 2008 ten members of the Menezes family took a sevenday cruise on the Holland America Lines ship Volendam. They left from Vancouver Canada and sailed to Seward Alaska covering 1400 miles. The ship made stops Ketchikan Juneau and Skagway with visits to Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. On the last page is a picture of the participants from top left Mikey Donny Maya M http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-327697.html We got up very early again at about 5.30am when I realised that we were right next to the coast. A pilot boat was guiding the ship to the Ketchikan pier. Ketchikan. Heather got up quickly and didn't see a little boat going past she flashed at them as she was topless... Lol like im ever gonna see them We got up immediatly and went out to take some pictures and manage a sunrise picture and vide http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-323222.html Cruise West Alaska Tour 240708 to 160808On the flight from San Francisco to Ketchikan we changed flights saw Vancouver Island and had a good view of the Rockies. Beth got good photos of the snow covered peaks but we do not know what their names are or if Mt. St. Helen is one of them.KechekanOur Westmark Cape Lodge room gave an excellent view of the harbour. We did not take any optional http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-313336.html Thursday July 31st Arose to some blue sky...Hoorah We found that the campground's water comes from a pond full of tannin and one can filter out the germs but not the brown. Not particularly appetizing. Therefore one gets drinking water from the restaurant by the office. Despite the seemingly good weather we were badly in need of underwear and socks so Anne washed Mariko showered and http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-310159.html What's hot Totem poles What's not Cruise fatigueTravel lesson of the day Take the local bus. from KathyKetchikan is one of the rainiest cities in North America with more than 160 of precipitation annually. Giant slugs and giant vegetation and sagging porches are testament to the humidity. We arrived at 6 a.m. to grey drizzle and learned that this could be considered a weather bonanza for K http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-308835.html So Brandi I have spent over a month in Alaska. We got here on time for the longest day of the year it was a dusky kind of light out until a little after midnight and we were told it was light again around 330 or 4 the next morning but neither of us could verify that. The weather has been sometimes sunny and beautiful but mostly gray and often rainy. It never gets really cold or really hot http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-298849.html Our campsite is on a cove and the surroundings are quite beautiful and peaceful. There are mountains across the inlet and little wooded islands dot the water in every direction. We awoke again this morning to clear blue skies and sunshine. Today we are driving into Ketchikan to tour the city and itrsquos history.The Tongass Historical Museum is the best place to see the history of Ketchikan. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-294641.html Sleeping onboard the ferry was quite pleasant. We both got a great nightrsquos sleep which was good since we were awaken with a knock on the door at 415 am and a soft voice telling us that we arrive in Ketchikan in a half hour. The last 24 hours aboard the Taku was very pleasant and very relaxing and a great way to travel.Driving ashore in Ketchikan at 5 am on a Sunday morning we found th http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-294635.html Catching up first opportunity.We have been crusiing some time.17th June VancouverOrientation on bus round Stanley Park Graneville Island LJ bought some silk stuff. Then back to hotel for lunch. Afternoon free guess what Lin went shopping along Robson street the place to be for all the designer shops. In the evening we did a see level to sea level trip with a dinner thrown in. That was u http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-292518.html This morning we woke to snow capped mountains which was something completely different for us especially for Soph who had never seen snow before we also woke with the ship docked at our first stop the Alaskan town of Ketchikan. Kethcikan is a beautiful town set at the bottom of mountains and only accessable by sea and air infact if you want to get to their airport you actually have to catch a fe http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-290186.html Due to sunrise at 457am was awoken to the scenery of snow covered mountains west of us and then pine trees nestled below them as if on tiny islands. Our view was the Tongass National Forest and even though the weather was chilly overcast and rainy I couldn't sleep now We docked into Ketchikan around 630am and went up to the Horizon Court for a breakfast of hashbrowns strawberry pancakes p http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-285584.html Spent the first day getting to know the ship meeting new people and trying not to overeat I soon gave up on the latter and Kev never even tried The Travel Calm ginger tablets are working too so all's looking good. Despite the fact that it rained for some of our time in Ketchikan we enjoyed the experience that is once we got away from all the jewellery shops which line the dock. Martha di http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-282342.html We woke up this morning with the ship in port at Ketchikan Alaska a small fishing town that swells massively when as there was today 4 cruise ships in town thatrsquos 8000 more people. The tourist industry just goes bang when this happens. We got a local newspaper that shows on average about 3 ships visit here each day for the next week the tourists are so important here that the town http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-279505.html We arrived in Ketchikan at 700 A.M. and had an early breakfast to be ready to disembark for our tour of Ketchikan. Ketchikan snakes for several miles along the southwestern shore of Revillagifedo Island facing Tongass Narrows. With 14000 inhabitants this fourth largest community is known asAlaska's First City because it is the first town travelers reach when ferrying north. After having our http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-176615.html I have arrived in Ketchikan Alaska to another fabulous sunny day. This has been one of the best cities in Alaska so far for wildlife viewing. First off I tendered in to port to look around the city before going on my excursion by boat to see Misty Fjords. I boarded a high speed boat to travel to Misty Fjords. On the way to the Fjords I was able to see Orca Whales Humpback Whales Sea Lions and http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-170762.html Out of BIG ALASKA ....................Alaska Facts from Post Cards Alaska covers 570373 square miles of land and 45000sq. Miles of water. Itrsquos the biggest state in the USA and comprises 15 of the land mass of continental USA. Alaska is 2.3 times the size of Texas. Alaska has 33904 miles of coastline and the worlds glaciers. Alaska has 19 mountains over 14000ft. has the highest http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-161826.html Hello Everyone I will be updating my blog with pics and stories over this next week when I have access to free internet.....so soon you will be able to see all that I've been up to. As for now goodbye to the warm sunny beaches of Mexico and hello to the amazing mountains and glaciers of Alaska. We just finished our repositioning cruise through Vancouver and Astoria and we are on our way to Al http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-155795.html Well bad news. I had a migraine when I woke up that morning and couldn't go into Ketchikan. It's a good thing too. It was sunny would have been too much for my eyes and crowded. Apparently something like 8 large cruise ships docked the same day we did. It was supposed to be the busiest day of the year for Ketchikan...around 10000 tourists. Yikes We were only supposed to be there for http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-91972.html Greetings from Ketchikan It has been a long time since wersquove been able to update but finally the moment yoursquove all been waiting for has arrived the next installment It has been a long journey filled with pleasant and unpleasant surprises that have dramatically affected the course our trip has taken. But as the old adage says it truly is about the journey and not the destin http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-80424.html Hey all.... we're safe and sound in Ketchikan AK and will be here for about a weeklong hiatus. Here's the photographs and route map we promised a few weeks ago to compliment the journal entry we posted from Gustavus. Enjoy and stay tuned for more pictures and journals in the next few days http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-78849.html Our second day of cruising and our first port of call was Ketchikan Alaska. Ketchikan is billed as the rainest city in the U.S. and I was expecting misty weather but you wouldnrsquot know that was the case when we docked in the morning and it was clear blue skies Even the locals admitted amazement and were clearly happy to have this rare break in their usual weather. Ketichikan is one bus http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-41211.html To be able to look back upon onersquos life in satisfaction is to live twice.Kahil Gibran LINKSName TRAVEL TIPS June 20 2005 Tuesday. Since the day began drizzly and foggy we were not anxious to schedule a flight to the fjords. Our first stop was to pick up the bikes. In Ketchikan you can go north or south west is to the sea and east is to the mountains. So we biked south to Sa http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-13844.html My hopes are not always realized but I always hope.Ovid LINKSName TRAVEL TIPS June 19 2005 Sunday. We were awakened by an employee of the ferry going doorto door knocking and callingrdquo One hour lsquotil Ketchikanrdquo. We have noticed folks in Alaska are a bit ldquolaybackrdquo. They move slowly and efficiency is not high on their list of priorities. After dock http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Alaska/Ketchikan/blog-13842.html