Monday, May 18

Our first port of call was Ketchikan, located at the southeastern tip of Alaska. It has a year-round population of about 7,200 people. One of the shop owners told me that they get multiple ships in port every day, seven days a week, for the entire cruising season. Three big ships will unload enough tourists to easily outnumber the residents of the town! Ketchikan is known for its totem poles, some modern, some recarvings of old poles, and some historic specimens preserved in a museum in town. Its other big tourist attraction is Creek Street, originally site of the town's brothels, now full of gift shops.

On deck at 6:00 a.m. for arrival at Ketchikan	Sunlight hadn't yet burned away the overnight fog	Waterfront with docked boats and seaplanes
Another cruise ship approaching through the mist	The Norwegian Pearl gliding toward the dock	Checking for free wifi, but no luck; we stayed offline until the end of the cruise
	Three of many totem poles
The creek for which "Creek Street" is named	View from the hillside to the Sapphire Princess at dock	Two more ships had arrived during the morning; they're so much taller than the buildings!