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Ketchikan is a scenic town of approximately 14,000 people, located along the Tongass Narrows, at the foot of Deer Mountain, on Revillagigedo Island in Southeast Alaska. It is the southernmost and fourth largest city in Alaska.
Over 800,000 visitors come through Ketchikan each year by cruise ship. Most spend only a few hours in town, limiting their tourism and recreation choices. Visitors who arrive by air, via the Alaska Marine Highway System, or by private vessel and who have more time to spend can choose from a wider array of activities.
The Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, near the cruise ship berth 2, publishes a comprehensive area guide that provides maps, contact information for tour operators and local attractions, sample itineraries and community information.
A walking tour map is published by Pioneer Printing and the Ketchikan... Read more
Ketchikan is a scenic town of approximately 14,000 people, located along the Tongass Narrows, at the foot of Deer Mountain, on Revillagigedo Island in Southeast Alaska. It is the southernmost and fourth largest city in Alaska.
Over 800,000 visitors come through Ketchikan each year by cruise ship. Most spend only a few hours in town, limiting their tourism and recreation choices. Visitors who arrive by air, via the Alaska Marine Highway System, or by private vessel and who have more time to spend can choose from a wider array of activities.
The Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, near the cruise ship berth 2, publishes a comprehensive area guide that provides maps, contact information for tour operators and local attractions, sample itineraries and community information.
A walking tour map is published by Pioneer Printing and the Ketchikan Daily News and is available in many locations throughout the downtown area.
Probably the most scenic downtown stretch is historic Creek Street, which is only a short distance (three to four blocks) away from the cruise ship docks. Once a raucous red-light district, and during prohibition a row of speakeasies, these days Creek Street is home to a quieter class of establishment but still retains its delightful historic charm. Visitors walking downtown should be sure to include it in their walking tour to see the picturesque wooden buildings that stand on stilts above Ketchikan Creek.
Summer visitors can look down from the bridges that cross the creek and expect to spot salmon gathering in the brackish waters near the creek mouth, preparing to make their final ascent upstream, where they will spawn and die. Depending on time, tide, and other conditions you might also see a hungry harbor seal or two cruising the creek mouth for easy prey.
Located in the vast coastal rainforest of Southeast Alaska, Ketchikan is one of the rainiest cities in North America with just over 160 inches of average annual precipitation. Visitors should, therefore, come prepared for rain, especially if they plan activities on the water or in the forest or otherwise away from town and easy access to shelter. During the summertime, precipitation is generally light and sporadic and daytime temperatures average in the high sixties (F). Wintertime is marked by heavy, cold, wind-driven rain and temperatures in the high thirties.
Ketchikan's historic downtown is small and easily accessible by foot from the most common tourist access point, the massive downtown dock where summer cruise ships moor. To anticipate how busy the downtown area might be, visitors can check the cruise ship schedules to see how many cruise ships are in port. However, the rest of the town stretches along the waterfront for miles to the north and south of downtown and is not crowded.
Taxi services can provide visitors with access to outlying areas and to tourist destinations outside of town.
The town's bus service operates three bus lines (Red, Green, and Blue) for locals and visitors. They provide visitors access to Totem Bight State Park (Blue Line) approximately 10 miles north of town to Fawn Mtn School (Red Line), approximately 4.5 miles south of town. Buses run 60 minutes apart. A free Downtown Shuttle runs May through September, making 20-minute loops from the four cruise ship berths to Totem Heritage Center and back.
Set on the hillsides above the waterfront on a heavily forested, mostly wilderness island, the town of Ketchikan is worth visiting on its own merits. However, visitors with time for an extended stay should make an effort to explore the steep rainy forests, deep-water channels, secluded bays, and hundreds of small islands in the surrounding area. Travelers with access to a boat of some sort, whether single-person kayak or gargantuan luxury yacht, should devote some time to exploring the scenic passages and inlets of the nearby waterways where fish are bountiful, it's not uncommon to see whales and porpoises, and bears and eagles can frequently be seen on the shore.
Fish is the local specialty. The fishing industry in Southeast Alaska is not what it once was but vast amounts of salmon are still landed every year and processed and shipped to all over the world. Wild Alaskan salmon is world famous, and rightly so. Ask a local fisherman, however, and many will express a preference for the lighter-flavored halibut. Either is a fine choice, as are several other species caught in local waters, including rockfish, ling cod, and dungeness crab. Don't be afraid to ask your server what's fresh.
Crab A word on crab: many visitors, excited to be in Alaska, are eager to dine on the famous Alaskan king crab. What most don't realize is that king crab aren't commonly found anywhere close to Ketchikan and there is no commercial king crab fishery here -- the chief ports of the king crab fishery are Kodiak and Dutch Harbor far to the north and west of Ketchikan. In other words, if you order king crab, you're going to be served crab that has been frozen and flown in -- it won't be any fresher than if you'd ordered it at a restaurant back home. If you crave a crustacean sensation order local dungeness crab instead. Dungies aren't as large or as exotic as king crab and it takes a bit more work to eat them but their meat is pleasantly mild and sweet-tasting and you'll get a fresher meal at a cheaper price. Save the king crab order for when you've traveled much further north.
Filipino cuisine Ketchikan has a substantial Filipino minority population and there are a number of local restaurants that serve Filipino cuisine, either on its own or in conjunction with a more traditional American menu as well.
Many kinds of shops exist in the downtown area, including museums, galleries, souvenir & jewelry stores and many fine restaurants.
Several galleries specialize in native-design art. Consider some of the strikingly executed carvings or baskets, or if you're on a more modest budget, a print.
Ketchikan's art scene isn't limited to native art, however. The town's scenic location and active participation-friendly art community have attracted artists working in a number of media. Local photographers offer some remarkable photos of the area's scenic wonders -- be sure to save some time to actually see the wonders, though and not just their photos. Other artists work in a variety of media; many are influenced by local scenery and/or wildlife. Excellent work can be found throughout a price range which can accommodate almost any budget.
LOCAL TIME
4:59 pm
July 4, 2022
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Many people consider a cruise to Alaska to be unique and unforgettable, but we chose it for the mode of transportation itself, which is convenient and comfortable. Honestly, though, it did not meet our expectations. Here’re my impressions and recommendations for those who decide to take a week-... |
What amazing watercolor paints!
Here is the cockpit:
The nearby plane starts to run - it's time for us to follow it!
We return back to
Ketchikan
, and as you can see in the photo, two other seaplanes are flying from the opposite direction.
We are going to the runway of the... |
Ketchikan
- our first port in the United States - is a tiny town in rainy southeast
Alaska
, also known as the "Salmon Capital of the World". Its population is only 7000 people, most of them work either in tourism or in fisheries. The ship stands in Ketchikan half a day... |
The seaplane turned out to be a lot smaller than I imagined. Inside it was similar to the shabby cab of a taxi driver than to the board of the plane. There were six of us, including the pilot. We have jammed into it, sat densely, I felt heavy breath of the old man sitting behind.
Then we... |
The first day of the cruise to
Alaska
we spent at sea, enjoying the cold Northern sun and fresh sea air. Early next morning our ship docked in the
port of Ketchikan
- a city that is called the First Alaska's City because most people start their journey along the... |