Our First Dam Ship: Amsterdam to Alaska Trip Review

[Steppy08]

Fish and Chips and Planes and Ships

We went back into our cabin and changed clothes - our pants were slightly wet from a little bit of water that splashed into the kayak despite the spray skirts. We weren't onboard very long at all, and headed to the little blue building at the end of the cruise ship dock for lunch. Steve had researched possible lunch places and came across The Hangar, and with Hannah's recommendation we were excited to try it. Of course, for people obsessed with airplanes any place called "The Hangar" that sits on the water overlooking floatplane terminals is pretty much heaven.

 

That picture is a bit zoomed in because I took it as we were leaving... but this is what the building looks like.

 

The Hangar is a popular place, both with locals and tourists. According to Hannah it has the best selection of draft beers in town. It was jam packed when we got there around 1pm. We didn't want to wait, and we didn't have to, the waitress offered us a seat at the bar and we took it. Plus, the bar overlooks the actual hangar. There were models of planes hanging everywhere and every 10 minutes a floatplane would motor past the windows. Steve was overstimulated.

 

 

They are famous for their fish and chips. I found when you go to Alaska you can't just say "I'll have the fish and chips." You need to be specific. So I had Cod and Chips, and Steve did as well. We also got the salmon chowder, because I had never had salmon chowder before and figured if there was a time and place to try that, it was here and now. Good move. It was creamy and warm and delicious. Steve even liked it, and as I said before he's not a huge fan of salmon. The cod and chips was also good, the french fries were particularly good, just the right amount of seasoning and salt and crispy. The Hangar, like most good businesses nowadays, also has free Wifi for customers, so after 4 days of electronic isolation Steve and I were able to connect with the rest of the world for a bit.

 

Our bellies full of salmon chowder and fried fish, we headed back to the main street in the cruise dock area of Juneau. On our way, we saw a bear!

 

 

Okay, so not a real bear. But The Hangar shares the building with other shops and restaurants and this guy was in the hallway.

 

We had discussed doing Mt. Robert's Tramway about a month before our trip, and decided that it was going to be a game-time decision. It is not cheap ($31 per person) and if the weather is terrible there's really not much to see up there. Well, it was raining and misty all day in Juneau. We walked to the base of the tramway and looked up. We saw the top, which is about 1800 ft up. We figured if we could see the top, then we could see something from the top once we were up there. The station is right next to the docks. (Tip - they have automated kiosks to buy tickets, which we found after we waited in line). The tickets are for all day, so if you want to make several trips up and down you can. We walked to the loading area and were met with an interesting sign:

 

I wonder how many bears are disappointed when they see this sign...

 

We got onto the tram and headed up Mt. Roberts. If you don't like heights, this may not be for you.

 

 

 

 

 

[Steppy08]

Mt. Roberts

The facilties up at the top include a restaurant, a large gift shop with reasonable prices, a small theater, and a few exhibits. They had the Alaska String Band (a guitar/violin folk group) playing a few shows daily, though unfortunately I did not get a chance to see them. Maybe next time.

 

One of the attractions is a live bald eagle that was rescued from the wild. Her name is Lady Baltimore and she is gorgeous. Her story is sad - she was shot through the beak by a hunter and has a detached retina in one eye. So she can't be released back into the wild. She is also enormous. I had no idea eagles were that big!

 

 

I could have watched her all day. If you go see her, PLEASE adhere to the rules that are clearly posted on the sign and do not whistle or click or yell at her. I have a big soft spot in my heart for birds - my only pet for the last 23 years is a little gray cockatiel named Rocky (who is chirping in my ear as I'm typing this). So pretty much any bird reminds me of Rocky in some way, shape, or form. Steve usually just rolls his eyes. As he did when I found the bald eagles nest they have set up on the observation deck across from Lady Baltimore's house. It had a sign encouraging you to climb in and see how big it is. I'm sure that is directed at small children, but if you spend any time with me you know that sometimes I act like a small child.

 

 

I'm pretty sure at this point Steve pretended he wasn't related to me at all.

 

Anyway, there is a short and simple trail at the top of Mt. Roberts that Steve wanted to hike, so we did that. And here is where it got interesting. Steve had been saying for the last three months that he wanted to see a bear. I was perfectly content to NOT see any bears, aside from stuffed ones or carved ones. As we began the hike, we came across this very detailed sign saying what to do when you're hiking in bear country:

 

 

This led to the discussion of how you introduce yourself to a bear... "Hello Bear, my name is Steve..." and also just how many times you let the bear bite you before you fight back. After this sign I definitely DID NOT want any parts of seeing a bear.

[Steppy08]

The Hike

We left the Visitor's Center and headed towards the right, past the small gift shop and the Bear Sign. The hike is fairly easy and quick, it maybe took us 30 minutes and that included stopping a lot for pictures and to admire the view. Even though visibility wasn't great, we could still see Juneau and the channel that leads to the sea.

 

 

From the first overlook there is a small trail that leads to another overlook, or you can head back to the trail. The trail is not hard at all, and stairs have even been constructed in some parts to make it easier. At the highest point of this trail, another branches off and heads upward towards the crosses that mark the peak of the mountain. Now, THIS is a strenuous hike for more advanced and fit hikers. Steve and I had enough death-defying antics for one day and opted out of that. We continued along the main trail and were treated to a view of the valley and Douglas Island, which is across the water from Juneau. Hannah had mentioned on our way back from the lake that sometimes at low tide people can walk across to the island.

 

 

We headed down the trail back towards the Visitor's Center, bearing to the left at the large fork in the road. If you go straight you'll be treated to an 1800 ft. climb down the mountain. As we headed back towards civilization, we saw this interesting carving on one of the trees.

 

 

 

And then, out of the blue... it happened. We saw another bear.

 

 

Hint - not real. But after reading that sign, I'm GLAD it wasn't real.

 

Steve and I were just about done up here. We purchased a few souvenirs... by the way, the Poop Candy (Bear, Moose, Polar Bear, etc) souvenirs up here on Mt. Roberts were cheaper and nicer than the ones down in town, if you have a need to buy someone Poop Candy as a souvenir. We took the tram down to Juneau and had about 2 hours to shop around for more stuff before All-Aboard. Mt. Roberts was time well spent, despite the mist and fog.

 

 

[Steppy08]

Northern lights and t-shirts

The main street in the touristy area of Juneau is somewhat picturesque. The little stores are dwarfed by the huge mountains, and the mist curling around the mountain tops made for some interesting pictures.

 

 

Steve and I shopped for random souvenirs for family members, until I decided I wanted to look in jewelry stores for the "Northern Lights" topaz or quartz. After some extreme eye rolling he said he wanted no part of that and went back to The Hangar, not to drink but to purchase one of their t-shirts. Although I'm sure my obsession with jewelry would drive most men to drink. :D The "Northern Lights" moniker is really just a tourist thing. The stones have been heat treated with specific minerals to create beautiful bursts of color. It's been on the market for years and goes by a million different names south of Alaska. I had my eye on it for several years because it's pretty. It's also fairly cheap, or should be. White topaz or white quartz is quite common, even cut into stones. What you're really paying for is the silver it's mounted on.

 

So Steve got his shirt, I got my ring. We met up back in the cabin with about 30 minutes to spare prior to All Aboard. We then went back on the balcony to bid a fond good bye to Juneau.

 

 

We quickly went to the Thermal suite to recover from our activites of the day before formal night #2 happened.

[NoobCruise]

I'm only on page 2 and have to say I'm loving your review! I have to get another cruise booked soon and sailing the Amsterdam looks amazing! Beautiful! Unfortunately, I'm recuperating from back surgery right now and travel of any kind is out of the question for awhile. However, I am enjoying vacationing vicariously through cruise critic reviews ;)

[Steppy08]

Formal Night #2

Really, the last thing I wanted to do after we got back on the ship was dress up and look presentable for the second formal night. And that's saying something. I, like most women, enjoy the chance to primp and get "all dolled up" for a night on the town, er... ship. I sucked it up and made myself beautiful, because I certainly did not want to be THAT person that wears jeans and a sweatshirt to the MDR on formal night. My Tuffet came in quite handy that night. I seriously didn't even check my make up in the bathroom mirror I was so tired.

 

There was another cocktail party with the Captain and Ship's Officers in the Crow's Nest from 7:15-8:00. I'm guessing because we were in a suite? We were hoping to see Cindi and Roger. We dutifully headed up there for some free alcohol and music. I had been wanting to ask the captain about the fog the first night since the beginning of the cruise. So I did. He said it was very typical of this area, though it did not happen every cruise. Steve and the Head of Housekeeping got into a brief conversation about Indonesian airlines (Steve knows pretty much every airline in the world). We did not see Cindi and Roger at all, and left about 7:40 to make sure that we did not lose our precious Table 134.

 

Redemption and Lobster

I should mention, because I forgot to mention it at the end of the Skagway posts, that we did thankfully return to Table 134 the evening right after the atrocity of a dinner on Glacier Bay night. We were really happy to see Edy. Steve took notice that he always had our next course ready to go when we were eating the previous course. He would clear our plates, wait an appropriate amount of time (5 minutes) and bring the next dish. All was right with the world. He still wasn't winning any medals for conversation or bubbling personality, but his service was great. Our wine steward, Arn, was also excellent. We ended up with one of the wine packages, and he came by every night if we still had an open bottle, ready to pour.

 

So after the obligatory waiting-in-line-even-though-we-already-had-reservations, we walked to our Table and greeted Edy. It was Surf and Turf night, and our menu choices were pretty clear cut. The steak was okay, I asked for medium rare and it was done a bit more than that. The lobster tail was fantastic. On all the cruises I've done, especially within the last ten years, I have not had an MDR lobster tail that was as big or well cooked as this one. Both Steve and I noticed this right away. It was that good. (I'm actually drooling a bit as I write this remembering it... :D)

 

The rest of the evening was spent in the casino and listening to some of the live music on the ship, before we retreated back into the cabin and collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. Before we collapsed, I wanted a picture of us in our formal stuff for the last time (TIP: We REALLY wanted a formal picture from the ship's photographers with the Astrolabe, which they were doing the first formal night. They apparently ONLY do that the first formal night. Just an FYI)

 

So here is our self-portrait on our balcony at the end of a very tiring but absolutely amazing day in Juneau.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Steppy08

[Steppy08]

That's all for today. Tomorrow: Ketchikan and our most anticipated excursion of the trip - Misty Fjords flightseeing.

[Lady Arwen]

Just loving your review! Can't wait for the next chapter. You really have a knack for this, so enjoyable and entertaining. You've made Alaska come alive for us. Thank you!

[Greyshadowfax]

LOVE your trip report and your writing style! Pictures are awesome and you and Steve are adorable! (You looked gorgeous and I love your long sparkly earrings). Can't wait to read more, but I am sorry your trip is coming to an end.

[jimbri]

Great review and pictures - thanks.

[VermeulT]

Wow. You get me so excited for my trip that's still over a year away (on the Amsterdam). GREAT review!! Keep going!

[Steppy08]

I'm only on page 2 and have to say I'm loving your review! I have to get another cruise booked soon and sailing the Amsterdam looks amazing! Beautiful! Unfortunately, I'm recuperating from back surgery right now and travel of any kind is out of the question for awhile. However, I am enjoying vacationing vicariously through cruise critic reviews ;)

 

Get well soon! Back problems are the absolute worst. :( I had a consultation with a surgeon about mine (bulging and herniated discs) but they did not want to recommend surgery. It's actually been okay for a while (knock on wood) but of course that can change in an instant. I think that's why Steve and I plan such physical things on vacation, I want to do these things while I can!

[Steppy08]

Breakfast with new friends

One of our Neptune suite perks was the ability to eat breakfast on Deck 5 of the dining room, served by the competent staff of the Pinnacle Grill. As I understand it, on the larger ships the Pinnacle itself is open for breakfast for suite guests. We had run into Cindi and Roger several times since our initial breakfast and cocktail meetings on Day 2, and we had plans with them to eat together this morning in the MDR.

 

It was quiet and peaceful up there, and we walked in to find them already seated by the window on the starboard side. (We have no ill feelings against the Starboard Side itself, lest you all think we are biased. :rolleyes:) Great conversation and a summary of the activities in Juneau and Skagway followed. Cindi had an amazing helicopter/dog sled excursion planned for Skagway which had to be cancelled due to weather, but they talked about their glacier hike instead. I had wanted to do a glacier hike, Steve wasn't really interested. Sigh. Maybe next time.

 

We talked about our recent activities, including me nearly getting eaten alive by mosquitoes in Skagway. Cindi offered up bug repellent for our final day in Ketchikan. I gladly accepted. Not that we were going to be out in the wilderness at all, but the Alaskan mosquitoes appeared to be cunning and opportunistic, so who knew when they would ambush me? She and Roger also offered up an extra bottle of white wine if we wanted it - they had brought too much along and weren't going to drink it.

 

We left breakfast and wandered through the ship a bit before returning to our cabin. We didn't arrive in Ketchikan until noon, and our tour wasn't until 1:00, so there was no hurry.

 

Ketchikan

One of my favorite things about Alaska was how accessible the towns are from the ship. It's not like the Caribbean or Europe where you have a half mile walk down a never-ending pier before you get to your ship. Here you can talk to townspeople from your balcony, and see who is coming and going from the shops. This would figure prominently in our story later...

 

One of the big things to do in Ketchikan is take a floatplane flight into the Misty Fjords. If you've been paying attention, you know that Steve is really into airplanes and I grew up with two brothers and a father that are equally obsessed. So it wasn't difficult to figure out what we were going to do in Ketchikan. It is not a cheap excursion and most of the small operators charge about the same amount ($199 per person for a two hour excursion). For comparison, the same thing through the ship was $269 per person. Steve had booked with Carlin Air, one of the smaller outfits there. Tip - if you know you want to do this, don't wait to book. Laura from Carlin Air was telling us that they were all completely booked for the following day. And by all I mean ALL of the planes, not just Carlin Air. Steve had been corresponding with Laura for the last few months, and we were to wait next to the rain gauge at the dock for her to pick us up at 1:00pm.

 

Laura called Steve on his cell at about 12:45 to say she was running late and would be there at 1:15. So we decided to do a quick trip around the block and look in all the little stores. Steve had been saying that of all the towns he went to the first time in Alaska, Ketchikan was his favorite. It's a bit more laid back and artsy than Skagway and Juneau. So we wandered for a half hour before coming back to meet Laura.

It was quaint and cute. I decided pretty quickly that I liked Ketchikan.

 

Your All Aboard is WHEN?

The pale gold van with Carlin Air across the side pulled up near the dock, and we walked over. A couple in their 60's and a single guy probably in his 20's or 30's were already inside. Laura greeted us warmly and we got in. We were driving to pick up one more person, she explained, then heading right to the plane dock. As we drove, she asked each of us when our All-Aboard was... the older couple were on the Celebrity Millenium and theirs was 5:30, ours was 7:30, and the young guy from the Norwegian Sun said "3:30."

 

Seriously? Both Steve and I looked at each other, as well as the other couple, in disbelief. The time on Laura's van when he said that was 1:19. it was a 2 hour excursion. The young guy didn't seem to be concerned, and neither did Laura. Uh, okay. I know the ship is right there, and the chances of things going wrong are slim to none, but this is why people miss their ships. We picked up one more single gentleman, also from the Millenium, and headed the back way to the dock (There was a bus accident on the main road).

 

[Steppy08]

All by myself... again

We got out of the van onto the dock and filled out waivers and how much we weighed. Yeah, sorry ladies, this is a requirement for little planes. And don't lie! Your vanity over 10 pounds could mean life or death! By the way, this is probably my least favorite thing about flying in small aircraft. I love every other aspect of it.

 

I should give some background - not only is my family obsessed with planes, it is a family profession of sorts. My dad was a mechanic for USAir, my younger brother was also a mechanic until he got a job with NASA, and my older brother is a pilot- both commercial and corporate. So when he got his pilot's license as a teenager he took us up on flights with him - in tiny Cessnas that seat 2-4 people. I love little planes - it really gives you a freedom and sense of flight that large jets cannot rival.

 

Our plane for this afternoon was a DHC-2 Beaver, probably one of the most common "bush planes" in Alaska. It was about 50 years old but was in absolutely pristine condition. The Beaver seats 8, depending on weight of course. Carlin Air is a family operation - our pilot was Jeff and his son was helping to get us all in the plane. Someone was going to have to sit by themselves all the way in the back of the plane, and due to weight and balance it had to be one of us ladies. After a moment of hesitation, I agreed to sit all the way in the back by myself. Jeff said "You'll be close enough to your husband so you can hold his hand." Yeah right.... I wasn't the one who took motion sickness medication preemptively before our flight. If anything, Steve would want to hold MY hand.

 

 

On most vacations Steve and I get into competitions about who can take the most "sensitive" pictures - by juxtaposing some flowers in the foreground of the picture and something scenic or unexpected in the background. I feel I won this round.

[Steppy08]

You took HOW MANY pictures?!

Despite all of my flying experiences in little planes, this was my (and Steve's) first time on a floatplane. We were both really excited, especially after watching numerous floatplanes buzz around for the last 5 days. We always marveled at just how long it took for them to take off, and how quickly they came to a stop while landing. It's far more interesting from inside the plane.

 

We began our take off roll, er...float, right in front of the Norwegian Sun. It took a while for us to get off the water, and then we just kind of stayed about 75 feet above the water. For a long time. If you're used to flying large planes with retractable landing gears that climb instantly, this is a bit unsettling until you get used to it. Plus our plane had a full load. We eventually climbed up to about 1000 feet and headed down the channel, before turning east towards the fjords.

Steve, super excited and hopefully not the least bit queasy...:D

 

Several of the flightseeing operators pump inspirational music through the head sets while you're flying through the mountains. Carlin Air does not, and thank goodness for that. We were quite content to listen to the ATC (air traffic control) feed from Ketchikan airport, Jeff talking to the other pilots in the area once we were out of controlled airspace, and the comforting drone of the plane's engine. Who needs cheesy music to interrupt that?

 

My decision to sit in the very back proved to be excellent. I had unlimited ability to take photos from either side of the plane, while everyone else had to be content taking pictures of whatever was on their side. And take photos I did. Before I started weeding out the bad ones I probably had well over 200 pictures from our flight. Digital cameras are awesome.

 

 

The first 15 minutes of the flight were probably the least interesting in terms of scenery, but the worst scenery in Alaska is better than most any of kind of scenery you can imagine. There were small islands and penninsulas jutting into the sea, rolling hills and medium-sized mountains. Everything was covered with a thick blanket of evergreens, and signs of civilization were non-existent. It was wonderful.

[Steppy08]

So close you could almost touch it...

Pretty soon, the rolling hills and medium-sized mountains gave way to some pretty large mountains, complete with picturesque snow caps. Picturesque snow caps that we flew REALLY close to. I've never been so close to terrain like that in any plane. It was exhilarating. After I showed the pictures to my brother (the pilot) he remarked "Plenty of room. Just not for mistakes." Jeff was a good pilot, for sure.

 

 

We didn't see any wildlife on our flight, but Roger did a flightseeing tour as well with another plane and reported seeing mountain goats up close.

 

 

And so for about 10 minutes we were treated to fantastic views such as this. Mountain peaks almost brushing our wings on one side, and valleys and mountains with countless lakes, streams, rivers and waterfalls on the opposite side. And it went on for miles, as far as your eye could see off to the horizon. Beautiful palette of purple and blue and green mixed with snow and rock. Much like Glacier Bay, pictures can't do it justice. You really must see it for yourself.

 

 

 

 

I could have looked at these views all day. We weaved in and out of the mountain tops and came across some larger lakes. Just when you think the lake is the lowest point around, you fly over a cliff and it drops into a gorgeous waterfall to another lake hundreds of feet lower.

 

 

Eventually, we got lower and lower in the sky, and touched down in one of these remote lake valleys, with towering mountains on all sides of us. We floated over to a large new dock in the middle of the lake, and Jeff tied the airplane up while we climbed out of the Beaver. It was quiet and serene, and the water was like glass reflecting the mountains and trees around it.

 

[Steppy08]

More mountain views

We had been listening to our pilot Jeff talk to the other aircraft in the area (made possible by Steve's knowledge of ATC speak and lingo), and not long after we touched down in the lake we were joined by another floatplane with tourists on it. Of course, there were only 6 people in it, so it was not like hordes of barbarians descended on our quiet sanctuary.

 

 

 

Steve posing in front of the Beaver...

 

We snapped photos, chatted with our pilot and took in the beautiful scenery for about 10 minutes, when another floatplane descended from the sky and came towards the dock. It was time for us to go.

 

This time the take off was just as interesting. If you'll notice, the lake had an enormous mountain at the end. As previously mentioned, the Beaver doesn't climb very quickly. Quite the dilemma. As I thought we were going into the trees and mountain, we banked left and lo and behold the lake and valley continued and gave us room to climb. The scenery on the way back to Ketchikan was not quite as spectacular as the mountain tops on the way out, but it was close.

 

 

 

We came back along the channel that we had passed on the way out. Jeff had mentioned that this large rock in the middle of the channel was often referred to as the "Gateway to Misty Fjords."

 

 

We headed back towards the less dramatic terrain and to Ketchikan.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have loved reading every post.

And your pictures are fantastic!!

[Steppy08]

Landing in Ketchikan

We turned down the channel to see the little town of Ketchikan awaiting our arrival. We had great views of the Amsterdam on the way back in.

 

 

We flew down the channel on the opposite side of the town, and right as I thought we were going past it, Jeff banked the plane sharply to the right for an exciting short-approach landing. Now, as long as it takes the float planes to get airborne, they pretty much stop on a dime thanks to the drag caused by the water. We lined up in the direct path of the Norwegian sun and came to a stop quickly. One thing I was surprised about... the water landings and take-offs were much smoother than I anticipated them to be. I thought it would be jarring and bumpy, not so. I owe that to the expertise of our pilot, as well as the fact that the water was super calm that day. In fact, the weather was good for our flight. Not bright sunshine, but high clouds and no rain.

 

 

We got back to the dock, thanked Jeff and his son for a great flight and piled back into Laura's van for the short ride back to the dock. The guy on the Norwegian Sun didn't wait for the van, he hightailed it at a full run back to his ship, which was docked fairly close, but still. It was 3:20.

 

It really was worth the money, especially when Steve couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear after we got off the plane. I highly recommend doing a flight if you can handle being in a small plane.

[Rowsby]

Wow.....these are amazing photos......!!!

There is NO way that I would ever get on that tram or in a seaplane.......:)

But......the views are fantastic.......thanks for taking us along......

[jer_l]

We were considering a Misty Fjords excursion on our upcoming trip. We generally do one big excursion on each cruise to Alaska. Instead, we opted for an 8-hour excursion to the Yukon while in Skagway, mainly because we are there for 14 hours; however, the Misty Fjords trip is definitely on my "to do" list--perhaps next summer or the summer following--especially after seeing your pictures.

[NMLady]

You have no idea how happy your post makes me! I thought I was the only one! It seemed no one else was searching for the soup! I felt alone and dejected...

 

We should form a support group... Pea Soup Anonymous or something...

 

We were on the Amsterdam for the very first 14 day Alaska adventure in May of 2010.

I'm loving your review, although it makes me want to instantly book another Alaska cruise. Your photos are AWESOME. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

Count hubby and me as among those disappointed by also missing the pea soup. We love pea soup and were looking forward to having it in Glacier Bay with that fantastic scenery. Alas, as you discovered, they only serve it for about 10 minutes before running out of it.

I had to be satisfied with hot chocolate so I splurged and had the steward add a shot of Amoretta to it :)

Edited July 14, 2013 by NMLady

[Steppy08]

Creek Street

Laura dropped us off right where she had picked us up, near the rain gauge and statue right on the dock. Steve and I crossed the street and walked down towards the infamous Creek Street.

 

Creek Street is just what the name would imply, houses built up and around the Ketchikan Creek, which runs through the middle. It has an interesting history as the former Red Light district in town, and the famous quote about Creek Street says "where the men and salmon swam upstream to spawn." There is even a street/trail that leads into the woods from Creek Street called The Married Man's Trail, where married men could escape police raids on the brothels.

 

 

Steve and I loitered near the entrance for a bit, looking down into the water and once again admiring how clear the water was. So clear, in fact, that we could see a school of jellyfish floating aimlessly beneath the surface. I don't know why, but I never figured there would be jellyfish in Alaska. They were pretty to watch. We also saw a seal further up the creek. We were too early in the season to see the salmon begin their famous journey upstream though.

 

 

This is at the end of Creek Street. During spawning season, we heard stories of hundreds of salmon flinging themselves up over the water falls. Some of them have poor judgment and trajectories, and end up dead on the rocks, where the bears help clean up.

 

Creek Street has many local artsy shops, all locally owned and offering interesting wares. It was here that Steve and I made our big purchase of the trip (well, symbolically big. The gold nugget was definitely the priciest thing we bought). We bought an ulu knife.

 

Ulu knives are THE souvenir to get from Alaska. It is a chopping knife used by natives, a crescent shaped blade with a handle that sits on top of the blade. The ulu knives on the ship were about $12 each, and the price range runs the gamut from $12 to well over $100 for the artsy ones made out of rare materials. Steve and I were in the market for one of the more expensive ones that was handmade in Alaska. They come in materials like moose antler, caribou antler, walrus tusk, walrus oosik bone (please, google "oosik"), and more. If the craftsman making the ulu is a native Alaskan, or even partially, they are allowed to use certain animals that non-natives are prohibited from using (like the walrus tusk). After giving serious thought to the oosik ulu knife (I mean, how's THAT for a conversation starter!), Steve and I settled on one made from fossilized woolly mammoth bone. So now we own a small piece of woolly mammoth. How cool is that?

 

The totem pole by the end of Creek Street.

 

We went through the rest of the town and window shopped for final Alaska souvenirs. We grabbed some popcorn to eat and a drink at Yukon Heath's . Not sure why there is such an abundance of popcorn-selling stores in Alaska. I think because it's cheap and easy and appeals to a wide variety of people. In other words, great for tourists. As Laura said "They should sell ice cream. We consume more ice cream per capita than any other state in the US."

 

It was about 5:30, and Steve and I had seen most of the important sites in Ketchikan and had gotten our souvenirs. We were the only ship left in port at this point, and some of the stores were actually beginning to close up shop. Steve and I called it a day and headed back to the Amsterdam, content with our last visit on Alaskan soil.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Steppy08

[shrimp56]

I did this cruise in the early 80s. We got out and walked the pontoons! I guess someone fell in so they built a dock. Good idea though.

 

We were booked for it again last summer, but, alas, Ketchikan's "liquid sunshine" scrubbed the trip. For my money, and it IS expensive, it is worth every penny.

 

Thank you for your wonderful report.

[mamaofami]

What a wonderful review. Your pictures are amazing.:)