Ketchikan, Alaska, June 23-26, 2011

We set out on the M/V Taku.  The ferry trip to Ketchikan was 6 hours in the early morning. So exciting to see everything along the way. Met some people on the ferry and some are following our destinations…Mark and Mary (and their two big dogs) from Michigan and Bob and Pat from Mississippi. Got to Ketchikan and off the ferry and found our campground, Clover Pass RV Campground. It is a fishing marina and our site was back behind the little hotel. Not exactly the water view I thought. We only paid for one night in anticipation of finding something better. We did get out and looked at some other camps but decided we were hooked up and decided to stay. It helped that I could see bald eagles from our rig! Some of the ferry people were camping there too.
Ketchikan is a big cruise ship port. There were four ships in port when we got there. The town is very touristy...lots of shops selling trinkets right alongside shops selling diamonds and furs. We got a walking tour map and set off. Saw Creek Street...formerly the area for brothels now full of t-shirt shops and such. A creek with waterfall runs right through the middle. Very interesting. There are also boardwalks all through the town. Of course, it's built on the side of a mountain! Jim and I walked up lots of stairs and down many streets with homes. Saw lots of bald eagles flying all around. We even found a little back street near the docks and found eagles catching fish in the water. Nice pics and movies of that. We ate fish and chips on the dock one lunchtime and Mexican food for dinner at the Oceanview our last night. Found a little bar (coupon in visitor's book) named Fat Stan's the first day. We used the coupon for a free glass with a beer. The beer was $6! The glass is nice. We managed to visit Fat Stan's every day and collected 6 glasses! We figured we needed a set.
One day we drove out past the town all the way to the end of the road. Saw some waterfalls and open water with lots of fishing boats. Saw lots of people stopped on a bridge so we decided to join them...they were watching a tree full of eagles. If only my eyes were cameras I would have some amazing shots. Did take some pics but I'm not as fast as the eagles. Some were flying all around us and right overhead. I saw several fly down low right along the road and around a curve through the trees. Looked like a movie! We met a man who had come just for fishing. He stopped and talked to us for a while.

Hyder to Prince Rupert and the ferry, June 20-21, 2011

I can't believe the last time I wrote here was June 19th. We were in Hyder, AK, looking for bears. We did find them...a mama grizzly with one 2-year old baby. We were able to watch them feed on grass and look longingly into Fish Creek for salmon. We also saw a black bear in our campground raiding someone's trash. It was fun watching until someone came and shooshed him (or her) away.
We also took an exciting drive up to Salmon Glacier...the road was gravel and full of holes. Some of the places were very narrow and steep. Finally made it to the top and met The Bear Man. This man has been camping at the Glacier for the last 30 summers. He has written books and has a photo album with lots of pics of the glacier and wildlife he's seen. Very interesting to talk to. We were the only people up there so we had a nice conversation and I took his pic with Jim. Jim also bought one of his books on bears.
After Hyder we went back through Stewart and the same road we came on and across the wooden bridge spanning Nass River. Saw some bears and deer and a family of grouse...the mom must have had 15 tiny chicks with her. Traffic was stopped in both directions to let them get off the road.
We made it to Prince Rupert on June 21 and camped at the Prince Rupert RV campground near the ferry terminal. We will get on the ferry, our first, on June 23rd. We have to check in at 3:30 AM for our 6:30 AM departure for Ketchikan.
All the scenery to Prince Rupert was beautiful. Followed alongside the Skeena River, a very fast river cutting through the valley. It was all so beautiful to see.
We got to Prince Rupert and looked around the town. We went to the ferry terminal to make sure of what we needed to do the next EARLY morning.
Did manage to get some sleep that night. Jim slept on the couch to make sure he heard anyone else leaving. There was only one road out of the campground and we were sure many of the people there were going to catch the same ferry as us. We left around 2:30 am and got to the ferry just fine. The crews were already beginning to wake people sleeping in the approach. We were shown through to the terminal, checked in and got in line. Next thing we were boarding. We were loaded with no problems...and all that worry for nothing.