The last Alaska stop on the cruise was Ketchikan. Apparently Ketchikan is a good place for fishing, but what interested me was that it is a temperate rain forest. So of course the excursion we (yes, Michael had some say in the matter) chose was a hike in the rainforest.

Hike was used very loosely here. It was really a very casual stroll in the woods.

Living in a land lock state, one thing that was new (and thus fascinating) to me was the preponderance of float planes.

The idea that they best way to get from one city to another is by a plane that takes off and lands on the water was a completely bizarre concept to me. I’m not sure we have a body of water upon which you could land a float plane.

The rainforest hike was easy, but still very pretty. I would have liked to have taken more time in the woods, but, when you’re with a group, you’re stuck at their pace.

And there were a LOT of bald eagles.

And Kingfishers. I was very pleased that this picture turned out so well, since I couldn’t see the birds at all clearly, since they were so far away.

Part of the land on which this park was built, was an abandoned lumber mill. I found the equipment fascinating. (Not that we don’t have lumber mills in WV. It’s just I don’t get to walk through abandoned machinery very frequently.)

When we wandered around town, we not only got to see a fish ladder, we also got to see lots of moon jellies! I love watching jelly fish. I find them so relaxing.