Tuesday, July 1, 2025 Day Seven Ketchikan
Ketchikan by Bill Pike
Per usual, I’m up early.
At 5:05 a.m., the ship’s foghorn sounds every two minutes.
A gray fog is trying to conceal the Alaskan coastline. The water is a darker shade of gray.
We are scheduled to dock in Ketchikan at 6:30 a.m.
I always enjoy the last few miles of the approach into a port. A few minutes ago, a small, sturdy boat departed from the back of the ship. This is all guessing on my part, but I’m assuming, this was to drop off a local captain to help guide the ship into the Ketchikan harbor.
Our group is excited about exploring and touring around Ketchikan. We have a window from 8:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Closing in on Ketchikan, the visibility begins to improve. The hills and mountains that form the backdrop for the town are still shrouded with fog and low clouds.
Our first bald eagle is spotted. The eagle was resting on top of a singular docking pole.
As we inch closer to our docking berth, I notice a massive yacht complete with a helicopter, Coast Guard station with three ships, and a NOAA ship.
It is interesting to watch the landing crew on the dock doing their final preps. A safety perimeter is set using cones and rope.
For the two gangways, a separate crew is present. With finesse and precision, they connect the ship to the dock.
Looks like some of the merchants closest to the dock are already open for cruise ship traffic. The store fronts look inviting.
The Commander and I hustle to breakfast. A few minutes after 8:00 we are off the ship.
I’m fortunate to be with a savvy tour guide. We want to take in as much of Ketchikan as we can before our scheduled excursion out to Totem Bight State Historical Park.
Our feet push us off, and we quickly come across Ketchikan Creek. This pretty creek runs through sections of downtown.
We skirt through a section of shops on historical Creek Street. Following the creek bed, we notice an emphasis on salmon. A salmon ladder is part of the creek.
With the creek as our guide, we work our way to the Deer Mountain Fish Hatchery. Apparently, we were too early for any peeks at fish or tours.
Near the hatchery is City Park, a very pretty park that is part of the Ketchikan Salmon Walk. This is a very doable 1.5 mile walk that winds along the creek and some quiet neighborhoods.
From City Park, it is a short distance to The Totem Heritage Center. This museum dates back to 1976. While totem poles are the main feature, the museum also has contemporary art that is linked to local culture and heritage.
From the Totem Pole Heritage Center, we walked back into town. We spent time exploring a few of the Creek Street shops and learned a bit about its history. At one time, this was “early Alaska’s most infamous red-light district.”
Before heading back to the ship, we stopped at the Arctic Bar. This famous bar opened in 1937, and it appears to be just as popular today as when it first opened.
We regrouped with our pals and boarded the bus to Totem Bight State Historical Park.
A young lady, a college student was our bus driver and tour guide. She was outstanding.
On the drive out to the park, she provided a trove of local information with facts and humor.
At the park, she capably toured us around with a balance of stories related to the culture and totem poles.
Points of emphasis were made about the location. Basically, we’re in a rainforest. Five species of trees make up the core of this region, and we also learned about the skunk cabbage, and salmon berries (similar to raspberries).
Created in 1959, the park consists of 33 acres in Tongass National Forest. The park also presents views on the Tongass Narrows waterway.
A variety of totem poles are on site. The park also includes replica of a traditional chieftain’s house. The low, oval entrance will catch the attention of visitors.
For me, my takeaway on the totem poles is that each one tells a story. Woven into those stories and the carved displays are the eagle, frogs, the mystical thunderbird, ravens, bears, beaver, watchman, and blackfish or killer whale.
With an eye on the clock, our guide gave us time to work our way back to the bus before our departure.
We made it back to the ship on time. Facial recognition was used to speed up the pace for getting us back on board.
After a late lunch, we watched the pushing away from the Ketchikan dock. Lots of activity was waiting for us during this departure.
From the top deck of the ship, we had a good observation spot.
Our main point of interest was the Ketchikan airport. Access to the airport comes via a ferry that runs every thirty minutes.
This afternoon, we were treated to float planes landing and taking off, and commercial jets landing.
From the top deck, we departed to attend an information session about our upcoming transition from sea to land.
After this, we regrouped and made ourselves ready for dinner. The dinner hour on the ship amazes me as the staff works to meet the needs at every table with perfection.
With dinner over, we tried our luck in trivia with 80s music, attended an Irish sing-a-long, took in a comedian, and spent a bit of time with a jazz trio.
Maybe to try and rejuvenate ourselves, we took one walk around the ship with a cold, brisk breeze hitting us. For some reason that walk pushed us to needing some sleep so, we headed to our rooms.
I enjoyed Ketchikan.
It was interesting to experience the pride from the original Alaskans related to their culture and heritage. Like the stories found in a totem poll, the stories in the history of these people is fascinating too.
And yet, here I am, far away from the troubles of the world.
I wonder if the troubles of the world could be solved by revisiting the stories of our troubled pasts? Might we be able to say to ourselves— we’ve been down the tragic road before, why do we want to go again?
Looking forward to Juneau tomorrow and a visit with a glacier.
might be baloney 