Wine and Spirits Travel

It was another early day as we arrived in Ketchikan. Brittany and I had a quick breakfast and coffees from the International Café before we got off the ship in this Alaska city. We were once again going on separate excursions. I was doing the Historical Ketchikan & Creek Street Walking Tour, with my scooter. Brittany was doing Ketchikan Safari with a Local Photographer. We both learned a lot about this unique city and its history.   My guide was of Tlingit descent. They are one of the Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest, mostly in Alaska and Canada. They are one of 229 recognized tribes in Alaska. He had lived in Ketchikan all his life. As we walked, he told us all about the colorful life of the city built on water. The streets are all built on trestles and stairs, with a 274-foot-long tunnel in the middle of town.   During the Gold Rush, this town was Alaska’s center of fun, with bars on every corner and legal prostitution. Many of the bars are still there and 18

I had waited a long time to go to Alaska. As I arrived in my 50th state, I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome. Brittany and I were sitting on the balcony and sipping our coffee when we saw the first spout. More followed and as we got closer to Juneau, we saw quite a few humpback whales greeting us! Juneau is one of the best places to see the humpbacks, who are here in the spring and summer before making their way to Hawaii for the winter months. I would be going on a whale cruise later in the morning, while Brittany was heading on a kayaking trip. Before our excursions, we had a private tour of the Lotus Spa and its Enclave section. The spa is huge, and treatments range from massages, facials, and scrubs to derm fillers and acupuncture. They also have a fitness center on the Royal Princess, filled plenty of equipment. I had a treatment scheduled for another time and we had access to use The Enclave whenever we wanted. This is a thermal suite area with a hydrotherapy pool, h