Ketchikan

(And unfortunately, The End)

One of the interesting things about all of these Alaskan towns that we’ve visited over the last few days is that even though they may cover a large geographic area as far as a political entity goes, they are, in fact, quite tiny when it comes to the ‘civilized/settled/urban(?) area goes.

                     When driving around all one needs to do in order to get to the wilderness is to go right….over….there! A few streets up any road will lead you to all of the bears, eagles, salmon, mountains, and incredible scenery that you may ask for. The “city” part is a relatively tiny enclave clinging to some rocky hills on the coast.

                     Ketchikan is no different. Our last Port of the voyage was visited yesterday under the unusually blue, cloudless sky which was just fine with us! Our outing was arranged by Paula and consisted of a local tour guide (Hanna) who was recommended to us by Sherry and Harold who had done this exact voyage just a few weeks ago. We were warned that the local B.S.A. (Bear Sighting Area) does not always bear 😊bears! Time of year, salmon runs, tides, and moods of these fuzzy guys all play into whether or not one will avail themselves to us.

                     The nine of us joined the already busy area and we wormed our way to the front of the viewing area that bordered a large tidal marsh. Scanning the area we saw….. nothing. We waited patiently as Hanna pointed out the wildlife had a schedule of their own and ‘didn’t give a dead salmon’ if they were viewed or not.

                     I think that they do have a schedule and they rotate the responsibilities between themselves as literally from out of nowhere (actually right beneath us as we were on elevated knob type hill) this guy comes ambling out and strolled over to the river, snagged a salmon, looked back at us as if to say, “Satisfied?” and then laid down and devoured his mid-morning snack.

                                Munchies over, we proceeded down the coast which resembles Down East Maine (and that is a compliment!) to a nice roadside waterfall.

                                It’s crazy how many Cruise Ships can jam the harbors of these little towns and how it does not seem to inundate the local streets with all of us. Don’t get me wrong, it’s crowded, but I think that most of the passengers take advantage of the outback type tours and get themselves out of town.

                                Hannah was prepared with several plans as we made our way back into town depending on whether Creek Street was crowded or not. Creek Street is as quaint and cute as can possibly be and its roots are literally buried in the creek. Way back in the day, back when the miners and the ‘visionaries’ came to town, they built these buildings right on the Creek and then extended them out into the creek utilizing a cribbing system for their foundations. They built cribs of lumbar and then filled them with rocks which made them quite sturdy. But the real genesis of Creek Street is not so innocent. It was born out of a local ordinance that banished the brothels to the eastside of the creek, out to the “Indian Town” side the area. Today there is a Dolly’s House museum located in Dolly Arthurs old house where she lived from 1919 until 1973. Dolly had a questionable business if you catch my drift. Now Creek Street is chock full of artsy stores that sit side by side with tchotchke stores, the combination of which keeps everyone happy.

                     The only place on the planet that has authentic totem poles is this area of the Pacific Northwest from about Washington State, and up and into the panhandle of Alaska.

The indigenous folks that live here, the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian are the only ones that utilize this way of commemoration and communication. These carved cedar trees are not in any way worshipped, they are strictly used as family crests, storytelling figures, honor ancestors, or a way of passing on oral traditions. We visited the very fine Totem Heritage Center where they not only help preserve the poles themselves but also the tradition of teaching their carving.

Thanks for making this trip with us!

Not sure where the next one will be, but I’m sure there will be some Terrestrial Motorhome Adventures along the way!