July 1, 2012 Ketchikan, Alaska

During the native dancing.

Totem Poles

During our stop on the float plane.

Today was our first stop at Ketchikan, Alaska.  This town has a population of 7, 680 people. It is known as the "Salmon Capital of the World". This land is home to the Tlingit clan.  We started our day by visiting the Saxman Native Village. Here we were greeted by native people and watched a short video on the Tlingits. We were invited into an authentic clan house where these people entertained us with traditional native dancing. Kristy and I both joined in the dancing and were allowed to wear native tribal wear. The people were extremely friendly and welcoming. After the dance we walked to the totem pole area where we heard stories of the totem.  Alt the end of the tour we learned how they were carved and the tools they use for carving.  This was a wonderful learning opportunity to bring back to our students.  After a quick lunch, we were off on a float plane adventure. We boarded a bush plane and took off over the Tongass National Forest.  The landscape and scenery was breathtaking as our guide pointed out a bald eagle.  We stopped at a secluded lake and got out on the floats to take in the scenery. This was a once in a lifetime experience we will never forget.