Last Stops: Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia

Our last few days on the cruise seemed to just fly by.  The end of vacations always seem that way – the dread of returning to reality slowly creeping in.  Our next stop was Ketchikan, also known as the “Salmon Capital of the World”.

 It was a fairly small town, but it was still pretty interesting to see.  We started our visit with another Duck Tour. 

 To be honest, I would not recommend this tour if you are going to Ketchikan.  There was not much to see and the tour was not worth the money we spent.  They also advertised that it was a 2.5 hour tour, and we were finished in about an hour and a half.  So, we were a bit disappointed in that regard.  After our tour, we wandered around Ketchikan and checked out the local shops.  We saw quite a few totem poles, which were all very impressive. 

Close up of the totem pole - they are so detailed

 We also headed over to Creek Street – an area that once housed nothing but brothels, but has now been converted to trendy shops, art galleries, and restaurants. 

 It was interesting to learn that at one time, the number 1 occupation in Ketchikan was… a lady of the night...  (I don’t really know the best way to phrase that.)  Anyway, THAT business was pretty popular in the era of the gold rush.  After checking out downtown Ketchikan, we headed over to watch the Great American Lumberjack Show.   I have seen this on ESPN before and thought it would be something that my dad and Lee would both enjoy.  The show was entertaining; I think my Dad and Lee enjoyed it a lot.  Mom and I would have probably preferred a few extra hours of shopping time.

   After the Lumberjack Show, it was time to head back on board the ship and set sail for Victoria, British Columbia.  We spent the remainder of the night onboard eating dinner, going to see a Broadway type show, and trying our luck in the casino.  We arrived in British Columbia at 6:00 pm the next day.  We had arranged for a tour of the city since we knew it would be dark during our visit, and we didn’t want to chance getting lost and being left in Canada.  We learned that Victoria is the retirement capital of Canada and their home prices are outrageous: a downtown 2 bedroom bungalow costs anywhere from $700,000 to $900,000.  Crazy! It really was a beautiful city, and I wish we had been able to spend more time there.

 Our tour lead us to the Craigdarroch Castle, a private home built by a coal tycoon for his family.  It was very pretty (but nowhere near as beautiful or big as the Biltmore House).

After leaving the “Castle,” we headed off to downtown Victoria for sights of the Parliament Building and other landmarks, including the Empress Hotel.  This place was gorgeous!  It was built in 1908, and is ranked as one of the top hotel destinations in Canada.  I definitely wouldn’t mind spending a few nights there (hint, hint Lee). 

Parliament Building illuminated at night

Empress Hotel

Another interesting place was Roger’s Chocolates, a chocolate shop that has been in Victoria since the late 19^th century.  Apparently, it was a favorite of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and he constantly had chocolates shipped to him in office.  Chocolate is definitely an important part of the US government budget, right?

Unfortunately, they were already closed so we didn’t get to sample their treats, but I found that they do have a website and I am still tempted to order something.  Victoria was such a pretty town, and I would love to go back there some day.

  It was the perfect end to an incredible vacation.   I am so happy we had the chance to see the things we did, and I hope you all enjoyed reading about our experience!