Ketchikan Alaska Excursion

My first cruise: Royal Princess – Ketchikan Alaska Excursion, August 2019

The Royal Princess was at sea for a day and a half before we finally reached our first port of call:  Ketchikan.  It was so exciting to awaken to this sight! Its too bad that although I did follow directions to adjust the clock 1 hour back, I forgot to take my phone off airplane mode…so we woke up an hour before we had to.

Ketchican is a city set on stilts because there is an average of 13 feet of rain per year.  We were so lucky to arrive at this city, known as the “rain capital of Alaska”, and find that it was not raining. It was, however, foggy enough to disrupt our plan for the day (more on that soon). 

Choosing Excursions in Ketchikan, Alaska

When I began to choose my cruise outings, the place that was most difficult to plan was Ketchikan.  First, we had very limited time there (we had to be back on ship by 2:45!).  Secondly, There were so many enticing choices of things that I wanted to do!  After a ton of research, I sadly ruled out Saxman Village (Ketchikan is known for having the largest collection of totem poles in the world (many displayed at Saxman) and I wanted to learn about the native cultures!) and a Misty Fjords trip (this sounded like a beautiful destination).

Finally, I decided on this excursion, which involved taking a sea plane over the Tongass National Forest to Neets Bay. There, we would have been able to watch black bears catch salmon.  I was so excited for this trip because I have never seen a bear in the wild.  We were pretty devastated when we were told that all flights had been cancelled due to the fog. Alaska lesson #1: Mother Nature is ALWAYS boss here.

We scrambled to book another activity for the day.  The only excursion that still had space was called “Eagles, Raptors and Rainforest Activity”. 

Flora of Ketchikan Alaska

Our excursion began on a bus which traveled the stunning winding coastline of Ketchikan to the Herring Cove Nature Reserve.  This area is part of the world’s second largest rain forest, and it features trees that can grow up to 300 feet tall!

During our short walk through the reserve, we learned about how the trees (red cedars) decay from the inside out to form little caves, perhaps for bear to snuggle in. Sadly there were no bears to be found…yet!

We learned more about the trees, plants and berries while we traveled through the lush forest.

Finally, we came to a clearing and began walking on a boardwalk. That’s when we were treated to the most magnificent site: a mama bear and her cub! WOOHOO!

Fauna of Ketchikan Alaska

The tour guide had difficulty pulling our group away from our viewing spot!

• 

Alas, we finally had to continue on the boardwalk to the Alaska Raptor Center, the only aviary hospital in Alaska. Here, they rescue and rehabilitate (and release if possible) birds and other animals. We got to meet the following permanent residents:

Red tail hawk

This hawk was found and raised by a 13 year old boy. He cannot be released because he will not hunt for food.

Bald Eagle

This poor bird was hit by a car and her wing was damaged. She also lost a toe, so she can’t catch prey.

Reindeer

This older gentleman was rescued from sausage factory!

As always, the tour culminated at a store, but there was also a blacksmithing shed there.  We watched as the artisans created cool knives.  Not only did they craft the metal blades, but they also carved the wooden handles.  They were beautiful!

With no expectations, our Ketchikan, Alaska excursion was great! We highly recommend it. The only down side to our awesome day was that we didn’t have more time to explore this adorable city with so much to offer.

Read more about my adventures in Alaska:

• Anchorage Alaska With Kids
• Road Trips From Anchorage – Wasilla, Seward, Palmer and Denali
• First Day on Royal Princess Alaska – Recommendations for what to do when you first board a cruise ship
• Food Aboard The Royal Princess Alaska – My review of the food that we ate during my first cruise
• Onboard Cruise Activities – What I found to do on the ship
• Juneau Alaska Excursions – including dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier and evening whale watch
• Skagway Alaska Excursions – including glass blowing and panning for gold