After leaving Skagway, we cruised down the Lynn Canal south to Juneau. In 1996, we cruised the Lynn Canal fjord in daylight from Skagway to Juneau in small vessel and I can say it was truly a memorable part of our first visit to Alaska.

Since we had been to Juneau before, Barbara and I just strolled the main street, dropping into the Red Dog Saloon before heading back to the ship. For more of the history of Juneau and other photos, check out our earlier visit at Juneau 2003.

Our next stop on our southward bound trip along the Alaskan coast was Ketchikan, considered "Alaska's 1st City", since it is the first major city when your travel northward to Alaska. We were lucky to have warm, sunny weather in Ketchikan, since it is the second most wettest place in the world.

For more of the history of Ketchikan and other photos (in the rain), check out our earlier visit at Ketchikan 2003.

In 1978, over 2 million acres within the Tongass National Forest was designated as the Misty Fjords National Monument. By granting Monument status to this unique wilderness, the ecological, cultural, historical, and scientific value of Misty Fjords will be protected for generations to come.

Misty Fjords owes its incredibly lush landscape to water, saltwater passageways, freshwater streams, waterfalls and frequent rainfall averaging 160 inches a year. Luxuriant plant life is everywhere, from the lichens and shrubs that grow on the steep rocky cliffs to the sedges and sphagnum mosses that grow in the muskegs (a variety of bog) scattered throughout the forest.

Because of our beautiful, sunny weather, we saw a Misty Fjords that was a stark difference as compared to 2003 when we meandered the passageways aboard the ms Prinsendam. With the lack of rain, there was a significant lack of waterfalls and other breathtaking beauty. To see a different, more majestic Misty Fjords, check out our earlier visit at Misty Fjords 2003.