Our very first shore excursion during our Alaska cruise on Celebrity Edge was in Ketchikan . The ship arrived at 7:00 am and was scheduled to depart by 4:00 pm. Our Shorex meeting time was at 12:15 pm, so we had a good chunk of the morning to explore. Although we stepped out right after breakfast, I quickly realized I had underestimated Alaska in summer. I thought a knitted sweater and jeans would be enough—but less than five minutes off the ship, I was freezing . We had to go back to the cabin to layer up before trying again. Lesson learned: even in August, Alaska mornings can be chilly! For our excursion, we joined the Totem Park & City Highlights tour , which was essentially a bus tour around Ketchikan with a driver/guide sharing stories about the town. We also learned that most of the workers in tourism are actually seasonal—they come to Alaska just for the cruise season, then move on elsewhere or back home. Our first stop was Potlatch Park , ...
Our very first shore excursion during our Alaska cruise on Celebrity Edge was in Ketchikan. The ship arrived at 7:00 am and was scheduled to depart by 4:00 pm. Our Shorex meeting time was at 12:15 pm, so we had a good chunk of the morning to explore.
Although we stepped out right after breakfast, I quickly realized I had underestimated Alaska in summer. I thought a knitted sweater and jeans would be enough—but less than five minutes off the ship, I was freezing. We had to go back to the cabin to layer up before trying again. Lesson learned: even in August, Alaska mornings can be chilly!
For our excursion, we joined the Totem Park & City Highlights tour, which was essentially a bus tour around Ketchikan with a driver/guide sharing stories about the town. We also learned that most of the workers in tourism are actually seasonal—they come to Alaska just for the cruise season, then move on elsewhere or back home.
Our first stop was Potlatch Park, where the guide explained the stories behind each totem pole. The park was lush, green, and absolutely gorgeous—I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Honestly, Alaska might just be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to.
There were also a few native clan houses, with intricate carvings both inside and out—such beautiful craftsmanship.
And surprisingly, tucked inside the park was a vintage cars collection! It felt a little random in the middle of a totem pole park, but the classic cars were beautifully kept and such a fun bonus to see.
Next, we visited a totem pole carving center, which I loved. The main carver was a woman (unfortunately, I forgot her name), and inside the workshop was a totem pole in progress that looked about 10 meters long! Again, the craftsmanship was incredible.
Of course, no tour is complete without a stop at a souvenir shop. I picked up my usual magnet for the collection and admired a miniature totem pole that was maybe a foot tall. I would have loved to buy it for my mom, but it was $218 (about Php 12,426 😱). I settled for a photo instead and sent it to her with a laugh.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ship. With departure at 4:00 pm, we barely had time left to wander around the port. Looking back, I think we should have explored the town in the morning before our Shorex—but oh well, maybe next time!
That wraps up our first shore excursion in Ketchikan! It was the perfect start to exploring Alaska’s beauty and culture. If you’d like to read more about our week at sea, check out my full blog on our Celebrity Edge Alaska Cruise experience here.
If you want to recreate my Alaska and Ketchikan Scrapbook titles, you can visit my Cricut Design Space here. I recreated the Alaska piece from Kim Shears while I designed the Ketchikan one myself.
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