Mother Goose - July 29, 2010 - Leg 5, Day 9 - Meyers Chuck to Ketchikan

We cast off from our moorings in Meyers Chuck, but not before cinnamon rolls were delivered to our boats by a local baker – such service! This is our last day of cruising and it was hard to leave the pristine beauty of our wilderness cove, knowing we were heading back to civilization and the end of our trip. As we cruised down Clarence Strait toward Ketchikan, we began to see more traffic – cruise ships, pleasure crafts, as well as fishing vessels. But our wildlife experiences were not yet over, for a pod of Dall’s Porpoises sped over to several of our boats, even riding the bow wakes of Inside Passage and Navigator for quite some time – a truly awesome experience!

But soon we turned the corner into Tongass Narrows, the waterway on which Ketchikan is located, and suddenly it was an urban landscape. Float planes looked like they were aiming directly for us as they headed in for landings on either side of us, ferries crossed back and forth in front of us going to and fro from the airport, giant cruise ships dominated the Ketchikan waterfront, and the maritime traffic in general was more than we’d seen on the whole trip!

Far too soon, our Best of Alaska adventure comes to an end. The boats are fueled and snug in their slips, folks go off to explore town and purchase any last souvenirs of Alaska. One more night on the boats and then it will be time to say good-bye to our new friends – always the hardest part of any trip. As the crew of Navigator put it, we start out as strangers, but end the journey as family! Thank you to all the goslings for a wonderful journey!