Ketchikan

Ketchikan hugs a narrow strip of Revillagigedo Island on the southern edge of the Inside Passage and is usually the first or last Alaska port of call on Seattle and Vancouver round-trips. The town bills itself as the "Salmon Capital of the World" and the "First City," and its downtown is built on pilings over the water, with Creek Street's boardwalks, totem-pole parks, and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center all within easy walking distance of the cruise berths. Popular excursions include the Misty Fjords floatplane tour, a visit to Saxman Native Village for Tlingit carving demonstrations, and the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Expect rain — Ketchikan averages over 150 inches a year and is one of the wettest cities in North America.