We sailed on the Amsterdam out of Seattle on May 31. It was raining in Seattle. Our first port was Ketchikan where it was also raining! We always pack for rain. Jeans, Fleece jacket, lightweight rain jacket, rain pants, and waterproof shoes. REI gave us good advice about what to buy for our first Alaska trip five years ago!

Not many ships were in port and I suspect a lot of people stayed on the ship so we had a wonderful time wandering through Creek Street, up the funicular to the Cape Fox Lodge, walked around town a bit and started our collection of coins and charms from the tour book we got as we boarded the ship in Seattle.

Sitka was a beautiful day. We did the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest and saw sea otters, whales, seals, and eagles. Nice tour. Next we wandered around on a local tour of scenic and historic places. Also bought a Russian nesting doll. It was cold and I was again wearing my raingear for warmth. This is a tender port so you need to be prepared for anything when you go ashore. We had a wonderful Halibut sandwich at Van Winkle and Sons upstairs and overlooking the harbor. They have a chair to transport handicapped people up the staircase. That was interesting! Read more