Our jet boat tour of the Stikine River was a beautiful trek. We saw seals and eagles and lush greenery on mountains. Then we got to Shake Lake and Glacier. So much floating ice...& we stopped to have wine & cheese :-) Our timing (morning trip) was good because rain started at noon.

Our arrival in Sitka before breakfast was a better temperature but still a bit rainy. We got picked up right by the ship for an excursion to view wildlife, rain forest, and spend about an hour on the beach. We did see otters and eagles and porpoises....still no bears! But, on the beach were mama & baby bear tracks, as well as deer. The rain stopped and it was all just beautiful! After the excursion, we ate lunch in the town of Sitka....crab & chowder! Yum...

Icy Strait is a tiny stop and won't accommodate large ships, so we were alone in port. Our excursion was a "bear search" and then Whale watching...no luck with the bears, but a lovely rainy walk in the woods! :-) We did see more whales, and that is always fun.

Today was "at sea" with a Wonderful visit to Hubbard Glacier. We got up close & personal, spending a couple of hours just watching the calving and ice floats. Our Texas A&M flag is up and flying!

Our first port, Ketchikan Alaska, was a nice visit. We took a float plane tour to Misty Fjords and the view was spectacular! After a yummy lunch at Annabelle's restaurant, we took the Duck Tour to learn about the town, the island, the local culture. Ketchikan depends on tourism 5 months each year, but they also supply about a billion pounds of fish.