jerseygirljourneys
Aug 2022
My family of 4 (Parents early 70s, “kids” late 20s and early 30s) booked a private hummer tour with Alaska Hummer Adventures through Alaska Shore Excursions and it was the best excursion ever! Our ship, Ovation of the Seas, was docked at Ward Cove on August 14th, 2022 and our wonderful, informative, and hilarious tour guide, Shannon S, met us right where we got off the ship! Our goal was to see bears, eagles, totem poles, salmon, and the Tongass National Forest. She promised us we would see everything on the list — except for the bears. No guarantees there.
Our first stop was Herring Cove, where bears would be most likely to make an appearance. Unfortunately we saw a lot of salmon but no bears! From there, we went to a scenic water fall. Before leaving the area, she was kind enough to take us back to Herring Cove to see if any bears had arrived but unfortunately, nothing.
On our way to the next stop, we took a little detour so she could find us some Eagles, as she said she knew of a nest nearby. Sure enough, we saw one atop a tall tree and a few others nearby! It was such a treat to be on a tour led by a true local. She told us a lot of stories about growing up in Ketchikan and answered any questions we may have had about the 30 mile city!
We moved on to Totem Bight State Park where we got to see several totem poles, walk on the shoreline, and try wild huckleberries!
We then moved on to Tongass National Forrest where we took a short hike through the woods on Lunch Creek Trail. We ended up at a secluded beach with extremely low tide. Because the tide was so low, Shannon took us “out to sea” where we walked on the sand and rocks to look for washed up sea life. We found SEVERAL beautiful starfish ranging in size and color, crabs hiding under rocks, a lot of barnacles, a sea urchin, and a baby eel.
On the way back from the park, we drove through downtown and she showed us where the welcome to Ketchikan sign was. As requested, she dropped us off in town so we could explore on our own, but not before confirming where and how we could get the free shuttles back to ward cove.
I highly recommend Alaska Hummer Adventures to anyone visiting Ketchikan and if you’re lucky enough to get Shannon as your tour guide, I’m sure you will have an absolute blast!