It was the afternoon of Friday, August 1st, when we docked at Ketchican, a port city nestled between the sea and rain forest.  This colorful spot on the map is called the Salmon Capital of the World and also Home of the World's Largest Totem Pole, which we photographed.
Since some of these inland passage cities can only be reached by plane or ship, cars must be ferried.  With the state's short tourist season, there is no need for elaborate and expensive traffic signals.  Instead, pedestrian patrols in bright orange vests and jackets held bright red stop signs at the intersections.
Much of the flavor of Ketchikan's past is preserved along quaint wooden walkways of Creek Street.  We were told this area was once the town's bustling Red Light District.  We found the creek active with large salmon swimming upstream and a few anglers under bridges trying to (illegally) snag one.
Houses are literally built high into the rock, and the only access to them is a long steep stairway.  I wondered if the occupants of those high places ever purchased pianos.  We learned that they each do have to purchase gallons of water for an elevated tank and then pay to haul away gallons of wastewater from a "basement" tank.
Allan and I shopped from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., then shipped a package home to Victoria, Minnesota, through Mailboxes Etcetera, which was a busy franchise shop located on one of the little side streets.
That evening it was our turn to host the happy hour on the Statendam with our friends prior to another fine dining experience, this time featuring luscious lobster.  Later we joined friends to dance at the Ocean Bar.
Saturday, August 2nd, gave us the most blue sky of the entire trip, from sunup to sundown.  Gorgeous.  Warm.  Even hot on deck by the outdoor pool.  A many-masted ship appeared in the distance and seemed a mirage.  I imagined it to be swarming with pirates.
There were no more port cities for us to visit as we continued to cruise south to Vancouver, Canada.  We whiled away the time by walking the deck for sun and exercise to wear off some of our meals.  We met friends by the pool and found other friends at an ice-carving show. 
At 5 p.m. we went to Mass in one of the theaters and noticed that all four of us Minnesota couples were in attendance.  We felt to home.
That evening we selfsame couples had reservations at The Pinnacle, the finest place to eat on board.  I had appetizers of sushi and seared duck breast, a 10-ounce entree of filet mignon, and chocolate mousse for dessert.  All of it was excellent.  We invited Navigator Paul to join us, and we bought the young man's dinner.
Our suitcases had to be totally packed and outside our door for pickup at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 3rd.  We had to be out of our suite by 7:50 a.m. and ready to receive our disembarkation number.  It was a little bit unsettling going to bed that night knowing most of our personal belongs were no longer at our disposal.  It has been reported that, more than once, a gentleman has disembarked without his shoes and pants.
It was Day #15 for us wayfarers when we arrived in Vancouver, a city that receives cruise ships directly into its downtown area where people are shopping and sitting at sidewalk cafes.
Buses took us to the Vancouver airport where Allan and I were fortunate to experience customs in a fast and efficient manner.  For others, we learned, there were interminable delays and unending lines.
We arrived at the Minneapolis and St. Paul International Airport about 5 p.m. that Sunday, August 3rd.  It was a trip of a lifetime.  Alaska is no longer a foreign land to us for we lived and breathed part of it for a time.  We experienced it with all of our senses, and now when I listen to my Alaskan CD, it seems more than a memory …

Have you ever heard of the Land of Beyond
That dreams at the gate of the day?
Alluring it lies at the skirts of the skies,
And ever so far away.  --Robert Service

P.S. An arry of full color photos and captions is on display in Sue's Album.  Just scroll to the bottom.