Ketchikan

Bald Eagle at Herring Bay as seen from Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary

I watched with great fascination as that huge seiner next to us pulled out from the slip and how effortlessly the skipper of that boat made it seem. The tide was out and the fairway narrow as a result. He expertly backed and filled to turn his boat bow out to the exit of the marina. This marina is buzzing with activity. Seiners coming and going. Fishermen going out to catch supper for the next few days. Tourist excursion on large and small boats for whale watching, bear sightseeing, fishing and all manner of reasons. Cruise ships coming and going within a short span of time.

As I tend to be a night owl, I have seen the seiners return to the marina quietly at night, moor their vessels and settle in for the night. In the morning when I am out walking the dogs, the boats may be quiet, I presume the crew is resting or has gone on shore leave, or they are working on their boat readying it for the next outing. The smell of fresh fish eminateas from their nets filling the basin where the marina is located. The crews are friendly enough, but my icebreakers may account for most of the interacions on the pier. Most of the guys enjoy petting my girls and comment about their own pets left home.

During my walks I have encountered folks from many different areas of the nation and the world. Many comment on how much they miss their dogs which remain home while they are on a cruise, or here for work. When the sidwalks are congested with tourist, it may take 10 minutes to get a block as my girls are certainly an attraction.

We enjoyed a small town USA 4th of July parade that seem to encompass everything, a celebration of the nations independence, no kings, LGBTQ+ presence, celebrating the highschool graduates from the previous decades ending in 5, the local agencies and business parading their motorized equipment, celebrating the local school sports teams.

Our stay in Alaska is coming to a close as we return to Canadian waters on our way to the Puget via the Queen Charlotte Strait,the Straits of Georgia, The Salish Sea etc, on our way to Port Orchard. We will revisit some of the places we have been to and discover some new ones as we cruise back to our homeport.

We have enjoyed walks, hikes, visiting totem "museums and parks" as well as bear watching and as always the ubiquitous bald eagle. We watched, from our flybridge deck, the firework display and dined in pubs, diners and upscale restaurants.

Totems and Clan Big Houses

Bald eagle roosting at the Thomas Basin, Bald eagle in flight over Herring Cove, Bears at Herring Cove