Ketchikan, AK
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Sunday morning, we woke up in Ketchikan, Alaska on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship. This was our first port stop on our 7-day northbound cruise through southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage. The ship docked here from 7:30am-4:00pm today.
We didn’t book a specific excursion in Ketchikan; rather, we planned to get off the ship and explore the town. About 8,000 residents call Ketchikan home, with population numbers doubling on cruise ship days. We figured it would probably be pretty busy in town, so we took our time having breakfast, going to the gym, and letting Tory and Aden sleep in a little bit before making our way off the ship for the day.
Janie and Jim had breakfast on their own this morning in the Cosmopolitan main dining restaurant. They both enjoyed the quieter atmosphere and waiter-service of this restaurant yesterday, so they decided to eat there again this morning. Meanwhile, Andi and I did our workouts in the gym on Deck 10, then grabbed a quick buffet-style breakfast together in the Oceanview Cafe. We snagged a spot at a high-top counter by the windows and admired the view of Ketchikan while we ate.
After we finished breakfast around 8:30am, we woke up the kids and spurred them into getting ready for the day. Aden is quick — just a change of clothes and a prompting to brush his teeth — but Tory requires more time. She sat in front of the lighted mirror in her stateroom applying makeup and styling her hair for the next 30 minutes or so. Meanwhile, her father sat on the nearby bed, sighed repeatedly and tapped his toe on the ground, while he not-so-patiently waited for her to get ready for the day.
Jim also sighed when our family of four finally arrived to their room to meet up for the day. “We’re never going to be on time, Dad,” Andi said to Jim with a tone of defeat. Part of traveling with teens (especially a teen girl) is allowing them time to sleep in and get ready for the day. Do we all wish Tory would wake up earlier so the rest of the family didn’t have to wait for her to do her makeup? Yes, but teenagers don’t like waking up early and I’d rather take the trip and wait for her than have her refuse to travel with us at all.
Together, the six of us walked off the Celebrity Summit ship and into the town of Ketchikan around 10:00am. The weather was a cool day in the upper 40’s with overcast skies. Surprisingly, the air temperature didn’t feel too cold, but it helped that we were dressed in layers. Most of us wore our winter coats with raincoats over the top, stocking hats, gloves, and waterproof boots. Tory refused to wear a coat over her sweatshirt because it didn’t match her outfit. Aden’s rain coat was way too small; he looked like a stuffed marshmallow wearing it. Oops! I guess I should have had him try it on before we left Wisconsin.
The first thing Jim wanted to do when we stepped onto land was go into the Tongass Trading Company. He’d seen the store from the ship, and was determined to find safety pins to fasten his pairs of socks together. Surprisingly, the mercantile had safety pins and just about everything else one could want. We browsed through the large assortment of apparel & toys, fishing gear, household supplies, souvenirs, and more. The Tongass Trading Company is the longest running store in Ketchikan; open since 1898. Jim bought his safety pins and some postcards to send back home to his friends, and I bought a sweatshirt for Tory and stuffed bear for Aden.
Next, we continued our walk through the streets of downtown Ketchikan. It’s very touristy, but in a good way — the old, wooden buildings scattered around the downtown area were adorable. Ketchikan is the fourth largest city in Alaska when cruise ships visit the town, and that was evident today. Several ships were in port, and people filled every restaurant, cafe, and business. In the distance, we could hear laughter and cheers coming from the local lumberjack show.
Our group decided to visit the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, and were surprised to learn our National Park Pass granted us free admission. Typically, the museum costs $5 for adults and kids are admitted free of charge. The museum is operated by the United States Forest Service as part of the Tongass National Forest, and works to tell the story of Ketchikan — from the history of the Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian indigenous cultures to the beauty and diversity of the area’s temperature rainforest.
A national forest service ranger was mid-way through his nature presentation when we arrived, so we squeezed through the crowd and made our way to the theatre to watch a documentary film about Tongass National Forest. These movies are such a nice, easy way to gain a basic understanding of the place we’ve visiting.
After the movie, our group wandered around the museum a bit and admired the many totem poles and exhibits on display.
During this trip to Alaska, we’ve visiting the Kenai Peninsula in southeast Alaska so it was interesting to read more about this landscape. Carved by glaciers, this region of pristine water, snow-capped mountains, deep fjords and forested islands has a maritime climate and is prime habitat for bald eagles, sea lions, whales, and birds.
Jim wanted to send off the postcards he bought, so the six of us walked across the street to Polar Treats Coffee Shop to find him a place to sit down and write. We ordered coffees inside the cafe, and Tory ate a bagel with cream cheese. While Jim wrote, the rest of us wandered around a small park nearby. The sun peeked through the clouds, so we all felt like we should get outside and enjoy it!
Andi, Janie, Tory, Aden, and I didn’t wander too far before we returned to the coffee shop to collect Jim. Together, our group walked to Ketchikan’s historic Creek Street, a boardwalk that sits over the Ketchikan Creek. Dedicated to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, this area of town has a colorful history as it once operated as a red-light district in the 1920’s. During prohibition, Creek Street was the place to go for a drink as bootleggers would smuggle in Canadian whiskey to supply the houses of prostitution and backroom saloons.
Today, Creek Street is home to restaurants & shopping — and a great place to watch the salmon run through the creek. We visited too early in the season to see any fish in the water, but we heard the boardwalks are packed with fishermen, tourists, (and bears!) most of the summer.
We wanted to see more of Ketchikan, so Andi and I decided we’d make up our own walking tour of the town. From Creek Street, we walked toward the City Park & Deer Mountain Fish Hatchery. It’s always interesting to get off the beaten path, and see the non-touristy side of town. Many of the homes we passed were pretty run-down and full of mold. It’d be a different way of life living on an island in a temperate rainforest that receives 13 feet of rain annually!
Ketchikan’s City Park was a magical forest filled with moss-covered trees, small ponds, and wooden bridges. A local couple out walking their dog approached our family & shared an experience they had last year when they saw a family of baby bears in the trees of this very park. “Don’t forget to look up!” the woman told the kids. There’s a fish hatchery near the park and salmon run through the creek here during the summer making this a popular hangout for people and bears alike.
Just then, the sky opened and poured rain down on us. Our family sought shelter under the front porch awning of the fish hatchery until the heaviest part of the storm passed. I have a feeling our rain gear will be put to use during our time in southeast Alaska!
When the rain subsided, we headed in the direction of Creek Street to conclude our walking loop. We passed Married Man’s Trail and a salmon ladder on the Ketchikan Creek. Once a muddy path leading to & from the red-light district, the famed Married Man’s Trail is now an extension of the wooden boardwalk through the forest.
From Creek Street, the six of us made our way back to the cruise ship docks. We walked through a few more shops in downtown Ketchikan before re-boarding the Celebrity Summit. I love how easy it is to migrate from the world of travel to the luxury of cruise life. We simply walked up the gangway ramp, sent our bags through a security screening machine, and voila — back to the comforts of the ship.
Our first stop on the ship was to the Oceanview Cafe buffet because we never ate lunch in Ketchikan. We had about 20 minutes to grab food before the buffet closed at 3:00pm. Apparently, lots of other cruise passengers had the same idea because the buffet was packed with people! We ended up splitting up our group in the dining room so we could all find a place to sit and eat.
The Celebrity Summit kitchen was ready for the crowds! There were all kinds of delicious food options on the buffet line this afternoon. We loaded up our plates with bbq ribs, fried chicken, and roasted potatoes. Jim is really enjoying all the different fish options. Of course, we finished our late lunch with dessert — so many offerings of flavored cakes and ice cream. It’s OK to try one of everything because the slices are small, right?
After lunch, we split up — Aden went to Camp at Sea kids club, Jim went to the Celebrity Theatre to listen to the ship’s naturalist present information about whales. Andi, Tory, and I decided to go to the solarium pool to lounge & watch the Celebrity Summit depart the city of Ketchikan. Janie joined us there a while later. We met a nice lady from Montreal, Canada there, and enjoyed visiting with her about cruise experiences and travels around the world.
None of us were hungry for dinner at our 5:30pm reservation time, so we opted to see the 7:00pm show and then eat a later evening meal. Tonight’s headlining performance was a Canadian magician by the name of Ryan Joyce. The show featured lots of great illusions and tricks, with a special appearance from Joyce’s dog, Whiskey. We really enjoyed it!
Afterwards, the six of us went to dinner at the Oceanview Cafe. The buffet’s dinner crowd is so different than lunch; a much quieter scene at 8:30pm. The six of us had a nice, simple dinner together. Then, Tory and Aden scooted off to Camp at Sea and the X Teen Club for the rest of the evening. Andi and I said good-night to his parents and returned to our stateroom. It’d been a busy day! We were tired and ready for sleep.
Andi was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but I stayed awake until the kids returned to their room at 10:00pm. The ship is underway overnight, and tomorrow we’ll arrive to our second port in Sitka, Alaska.
