Land Ho!

TOP: Small boat cruising the fjords near Ketchikan Alaska

2nd: The fjordettes (Laraine, Jan, Kathy) getting windblow topside

3rd: Skateboard Kathy moosing about

BOTTOM: Kathy and Lumpy touch down on their 50th state!

x

After a few days of cruising the open seas, we finally did the old "Land Ho!" into Ketchikan, Alaska. It was really cool to see the Captain dock this monstrous ship into dock, alongside 3 others, in a town that was probably smaller than any one of the ships individually. Apparently this goes on from June-September all summer long, every day 3-4 ships with 3,000-5,000 passengers and crew arriving for day trips. And, every one of them wants to buy "tourist crap" at the warfside markets.

x

We exited the ship, above, and in doing so bagged our 50th state!!!!!! How cool is that, and the culmination of our multi-year adventure. (Ed Note: Next Up: 100 countries).

x

Ketchikan was a dinky tourist trap, so we all grabbed a small ship and did a boat tour of the fjords. They were awesome, all sorts of spikey islands, and massive, vertical walls, some rising 1,000 feet or more off the waterline, and at least as far straight downward. Well worth the trip. After a quick walkabout around Ketchikan, back onboard and cruising on to the next port.

x

"50 state down" Lumpy out