Alaska Cruise: 7 Days, 4 Ports & 3 Excursions

Bald eagles, salmon, totem poles, seals, otters, glaciers, deer, and gorgeous flowers—our seven-day Alaska cruise was filled with amazing scenery and wildlife. Everywhere we looked, there was something exciting and new to see.

Our journey began with a flight from Newark, New Jersey to Seattle, Washington. The six-hour flight went by fairly quickly. I kept myself entertained with a movie and a book. I watched The Devil Wears Prada 2 ( I liked the first one better than the sequel) and read I Should Talk to Someone ( an interesting book about a therapist and her own advice).

 I wrote about our time in Seattle in my previous post, so if you're interested in what we did before the cruise, you can read that post here.

When it was time to board the Celebrity Edge cruise ship, we begin our Alaska adventure. We sailed into the Pacific Ocean and spent our first day at sea before arriving at our first port, Ketchikan.

Ketchikan, Alaska

The rain was off and on. Here it was off but very cloudy and chilly

Known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” Ketchikan is also famous for its waterfront, Native * see notes- totem poles, lush forests, and abundant wildlife. We were warned that it rains a lot in Alaska and to bring raincoats. Sure enough it was raining off and on in Ketchikan. We walked around the port area and then took a trolly and guide excursion to show us the sights. Our first stop was to see the salmon swimming upstream. They were king salmon, grey in color that kind of blended into the stream. This is what we learned: 

 

Fun Facts About King Salmon: 

•  King salmon return to Alaska's rivers and streams after spending several years in the ocean. 
• They swim upstream to the very same freshwater areas where they were born to spawn (lay their eggs). 
• This incredible journey can take them hundreds of miles and requires them to battle strong currents and waterfalls.
• After spawning, the salmon die, completing their natural life cycle. 
• Their bodies line the river and then provide important nutrients to the river and surrounding ecosystem. 
• We were told that by the next month, many of the streams would be lined with dead salmon. 

Why Don't the native tribes call themselves Native Americans? 

The National Park Service says,

"Ketchikan is in Southeast Alaska, in the traditional homeland of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. The Tlingit have lived throughout much of Southeast Alaska for thousands of years, with sophisticated communities, trade routes, fishing systems and clan structures long before Europeans arrived."  The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867. Therefore the Native tribes of Alaska do not refer to themselves as "Native Americans". 

Salmon swimming and spawning in the stream in Ketchikan

We took an excursion tour that had 3 outdoor stops. First to see the salmon, next to a nature spot to see bald eagles, seals, and otters, next to the totem pole museum. 

Bald Eagle in Flight 

This photo above is a teenage bald eagle in the tree. They are entirely grey.

A sea otter swimming across the lake. Can't really see him.

At the Totem Pole Museum- it was raining

My bear encounter; This is the closest I got to a bear

              Next Stop and Next Post Juneau, Alaska

A dear friend brought these salad bear claws back from Alaska for me many years ago.  I have always loved them. I never imagined that I would go to Alaska one day. I used them to toss my Mason Jar Salad Post.