August 19: Ketchikan
Day ten....sigh, the big and highly anticipated return to Alaska is nearing an end. Today was our final day of excursions off the ship as when we left Ketchikan today we won't stop again until Sunday morning in Vancouver when it's time to disembark. BUT....today was a BIG DAY for our Alaskan cruising traditions. You see, when we begin looking at a return trip to Alaska we always look for something new as part of the itinerary. But the one thing we will not, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, change is what we do when in Ketchikan. In fact, if an Alaskan cruise-tour does NOT include a stop in Ketchikan, or it includes a stop there but does not include the "Wilderness Safari & Crab Feast" then we won't take that cruise. We love this adventure and today proved to be every bit as good as the previous ones!
The morning began with, unlike the other days with stops, we were still cruising. We did not arrive in port until 11 am. As we sat at our table on Deck 9 watching the water flow by, having our morning coffee there was a thick fog hanging low on the mountains. But not like yesterday when you could not see beyond the railing. The closer we got to Ketchikan the more the fog lifted and by the time we'd docked it was a gorgeous day. Now this is significant because Ketchikan is known as the "Rain Capital of the US" with an average annual rainfall of thirteen FEET - yes, not inches, FEET. And it rains over 280 days a year here. With the spectacular weather my wife Kim who is a self-admitted pickleball addict decided to see if anyone was playing. Now this girl is SO addicted to the game and loves it so that she, a full fledged, good looking woman gave up room in her suitcase for cute outfits and additional shoes to make room for her paddleball equipment including her bulky knee braces. That my friends is dedication. Shortly after she left for the upstairs courts she texted that they were playing. Could not have asked for a better morning! Later, we got off the ship and walked around, still in search of a Christmas ornament - which we like to get from every trip we take - and we still had not found one. But today we did. Two cute Alaskan ornaments in holiday red & green. One with a moose theme, one with a bear theme and what made them unique was that each had a pair of Alaskan/Christmas socks inside. I have begun buying socks on each trip; but I wasn't looking for socks because our great friend Patti, who's traveling with us, had bought me socks yesterday themed to Alaska. And I was wearing them today! Our tour left on time and within twenty minutes we were at the George Inlet Lodge. We descended the 79 steps down to the boat and soon were on a scenic cruise. The photo below of the cannery is as much about the crystal blue sky as it is the cannery. Just glorious weather. And for me personally, I loved sitting by the open air window with the cool breeze blowing through my hair and the spray misting on my sunglasses. We got to the crab pots and our excellent guide/narrator Sam pulled up a Doneness crab to illustrate the process and how the trap works.
Once we returned to the lodge we were seated and the process of how to eat a Dungeness crab was explained and then out came the food. DEEEEEE-licious as always! Now one tradition that the lodge has had ever since we first came here is a "contest" between tables to see who has the tallest pile of crab shells. Now I'm competitive, but not nearly so much as my wife. And the first year she was so irate when the winners came from a table who'd mounted their plate on a glass to extend the height of their scraps. So each year we too have set out to WIN! The last time we were here we DID WIN and our "prize" was we got to sing the "Crab Song" and do the "Crab Dance" in front of our fellow passengers. So today I said we didn't need to try to win, but there's no holding back my wife! We were the only ones with "experience" and easily took the top prize at 16 inches because of the glass we used - and when a couple of tables complained, good naturedly, the waitress said there were no rules as to how to build your tower of scraps. When we were announced the winner I was awaiting the unwanted announcement that we would be singing and dancing. But apparently since our last visit the lodge had determined that that was NOT a suitable prize and now they bring out an old-fashioned polaroid camera take your photo....you sign it....and it goes on their wall of fame!
After the photo developed and it was properly signed and placed on the display board we went outside for the "required" sign by the iconic sign. We returned to the ship where it was the last of the "formal nights" in the main dining room and so we got more dressed up than "smart casual" for the evening. As a side note, we've been amazed that with the ship at even 70% capacity the main dining room with always hosts the vast majority of the guests for the evening meal was yet again not even a quarter of the way full. Where is everyone? We can't figure it out! Tomorrow we cruise the Inside Passage with scenic vistas all day while we leisurely pack for our disembarkment in Vancouver on Sunday.
