Two Weeks in Three Styles

Other Features

Viewed from our balcony on approach to Ketchikan was this red fishing boat.

Watching us dock at Ketchikan was interesting To ease the ship to the dock, a fork lift was used to pull the stern lines along the quay.

Cab fares in Ketchikan are harsh. I don’t generally enjoy canned tours and so we set off on our own to see the Saxman Village totems. The ride from the docks was no more than three miles, the fare $20 plus $5 tip to ensure the driver would return in 45 minutes. But then again, the tour would have been $35 each.

The totems were real enough. So too was the carving shed and log yard.

The totem carving process begins as logs arrive to a holding area. Each log has the name of a carver painted on the butt end. Once the logs are debarked in a tarp sheltered outdoor area, they are moved into a heated building for carving and painting.

A $22 cab ride back into town, we walked around to see what we could find.

Ketchikan was much like Myrtle Beach in that there were shops after shops selling the same thing. How many Alaska T-shirts does one need? How many key chains and coffee mugs, redwood carvings, and topaz to set into a ring? Canned salmon was available. There were even shops devoted to smoked salmon.

The red light district along the creek had been closed as an area of "social entertainment" in 1954. The homes on stilts are now restaurants and gift shops with the exception being Dolly's house, which for $4 you can walk through and take photos of the rooms that once were used for sex.

Highlight of our walking tour and shopping was finding a couple of marine stores. At one, we purchased an Alaska topographic atlas. With it we could see our relative positions as we traveled both on the ship and later in the RV.  At the rounded roof building to the left, we found a grill, groceries, and Cokes.

At another marine store, I purchased an orange ball float for use as an anchor marker when we returned home to "Real Estate Sails" on Lake Norman. A crab pot bait box is now the wire mesh case for the printed photos of our trip!  Photo to right is a non-touristy warf.

Our feet were tired and we were ready for a break. Back in our cabin, we took off our boots and from our balcony watched fellow passengers mill around the dockside shops.

LOG Notes After Ketchikan: The ship is moving again and as I sit at the keyboard, we are rolling side to side as much as at any time during our voyage. Clouds have descended over the tops of the mountain and occasional wisps of cloud pass along at balcony level.

                                              Continue to Juneau