Ketchikan was our last port in Alaska and the most rushed. We had about five hours to explore the town and go on our pre-booked excursion. It was another early start; so early that we opted to eat breakfast in town, rather than on the ship. We wanted to maximize our time in Ketchikan.

Here are some snaps as we explored "The Salmon Capital of the World." 

One of the most popular Ketchikan attraction is the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. We were not able to do it in 2016, but we booked it for our upcoming 2017 trip with the kids. We could hear the cheering from the show and it sounded like a lot of fun. I can't wait for some log rolling action!

Just as the rain was staring to pour, we ducked into the Alaska Fish House. I know it sounds weird to have breakfast at a fish place, but pretty much everywhere in Alaska is a "fish place." I highly recommend the Alaska Fish House for breakfast. It's cute, cozy, and serves hearty oatmeal. Plus, it has beautiful views of the marina.

We caught up on the local news and considered adopting some dead pets.

After breakfast, it was time for our Ketchikan excursion: a floatplane ride!

We were taken via shuttle bus to Taquan Air, a private airport just outside of town. After a short briefing on floatplane safety, we met our captain and he took us to the dock. Our plane held five people, so we paired with another couple. Our plane was a DeHavilland Beaver, last produced in the late 60's and our captain was a retired Airforce pilot. Air time was approximately ninety-minutes, as we flew over the Misty Fjords National Monument. Lucky for us, the rain was slowing down, leaving mist, but providing mostly clear views during our excursion. 

Half-way through our trip. our pilot landed our plane on a bay and we were able to walk on the wing to take pictures. The water was absolutely crystal clear. I'm a bit of a klutz and although it was amazing to stand on the wing, I was paranoid about falling into the icy water. Luckily, no mishaps!

When we returned to the airport, we were given a certificate to note our excursion. 

This was definitely the highlight of our cruise. I would highly recommend the Misty Fjords by Floatplane excursion to those visiting Ketchikan. It was spectacular and worth the price-tag. I would also recommend that you book directly through your cruise line. We were late getting back to the ship, but because we had booked directly through Holland America, they held the ship for us. We probably could have saved money booking on our own, but we would have missed our ship and had a vacation disaster!