Our next to last cruise stop was Ward Cove (Ketchikan). We had previously paid for a Tongass Rainforest Exhibition excursion out of Ward Cove. We didn’t know until arriving at Ward Cove that it is an old mill 14 miles outside of Ketchikan. Norwegian Cruise Line has converted the building into a cruise terminal shuttling people into Ketchikan or on excursions. Before serving as a cruise terminal, it was a pulp mill that operated from 1954 to 1997.Â
There were several shopping opportunities in the Mill at Ward Cove.Â
Many of the land excursions involved “hurry up and wait,” in this case, standing in the rain.
With hoods up and umbrellas, we headed on our trek into the Tongass Rainforest.
Banana Slugs and Rain, and More Rain
Tongass Rainforest Photos
As a naturalist and nature guide in Sabino Canyon, I found myself frequently critiquing our guide. He was not very engaging.
While in Sitka, we had reservations for the Historic Park and the Raptor Center. On an island amid towering spruce and hemlock, Sitka National Historical Park preserves the site of a battle between invading Russian traders and indigenous Kiks.ádi Tlingit. Totem poles from the Tlingit and Haida areas line the park’s scenic coastal trail.
Photo Gallery Since our visit to the park was on Memorial Day, no one was craving the poles.
