Ketchikan, Alaska – When we were in Ketchikan three years ago, we were doing research for Last Stand of the Raven Clan. We visited every totem park and totem museum in the city (which is a lot), learning much about the legends and lore of Tlingit culture. As such, we skipped some of Ketchikan’s main attractions. This time, I decided to explore Ketchikan for cruisers, sampling the many tours and activities that cater for the cruise ship set. After all, they might read guidebooks too.
Creek Street
Old Ketchikan still stands along Creek Street, a historic row of wooden walkways and buildings perched on pilings along the creek. A gathering spot for loggers, fishermen and goldminers, the colorful wood-paneled houses served as Ketchikan’s infamous red light district until 1954. Signs proudly claim Ketchikan as the only place “where the fish and the fishermen both went upstream to spawn.”
I got a glimpse of the era inside Dolly’s House, once a parlor for one of Ketchikan’s most famous madams, Dolly Arthur. It’s a self-guided tour around the brothel, including the bar (complete with trapdoor to the creek for quick disposal of bootleg whiskey). Further along the boardwalk, Married Man’s Way was a backdoor route up the hill, allowing discrete getaways from the bars and brothels. Nowadays, most of the buildings contain art galleries and souvenir shops, but Creek Street still retains its unique historical ambiance.
Lumberjack Show
I admit that I pooh-poohed the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show when we were here before. But my Airbnb host convinced me to give it a try, especially because the show preserves and celebrates a true piece of Ketchikan history.
Is it hokey? Yes, it sure is. But the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show is pretty darn impressive, as athletes show their strength and skill in competitive pole-climbing, log-rolling, axe-throwing and various methods of wood-chopping. The show takes place on the site of the former Ketchikan Spruce Mill which closed in 1993. Back in the day, timber teams from around the region would come to Ketchikan to compete for the title of King of the Woods. The show re-creates such a contest. In addition to the feats of strength, the family-friendly show includes lots of corny jokes and much hooting and hollering from the audience. It is good, family-friendly fun. I do believe that even my twin-agers would get a kick out of this one.
Bering Sea Fishermen’s Tour
Sometimes called the `salmon capital of the world,’ Ketchikan is the only city in Alaska that has healthy runs of all five kinds of salmon, not to mention populations of halibut, cod, rockfish and more. Fishing is the very heart and soul of this town. If you want to get a taste of the salty life, this is the place to do it. Fishing charters give novices and experts alike the chance to hook their own fish, whether salmon, halibut or both.
You can also learn about the life of a commercial fisher on the popular Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour. On board the F/V Aleutian Ballad, a team of old salts demonstrate fishing techniques and recount incredible tales from the tempestuous waters of the Bering Sea. They are good storytellers, for sure, but the tour was pretty contrived. No actual fishing takes place on this boat anymore. In fact, you don’t really do anything at all on the tour, which makes it hard to justify the hefty price tag.
Furthermore, I did not appreciate the fact that the crew of the F/S Aleutian Ballad feeds bald eagles for the entertainment of the tourists. Feeding animals interferes with their natural behavior and habituates them to humans. According to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, it is illegal to feed wild eagles. The tour company found a way around the law, as they feed the raptors in the waters of the Metlakatla Indian Community, which is governed by its own set of rules. So what they’re doing is not technically illegal. BUT it still habituates the birds to humans and interferes with their natural feeding behavior. It still harms the bald eagles.
Misty Fjords National Monument
Located about 40 miles east of Ketchikan, the spectacular 3570-sq-mile Misty Fjords National Monument is a Edenic wonderland of sea cliffs, steep fjords and rock walls jutting 3000ft straight up from the ocean. You can either cruise in (on a five-hour catamaran trip) or fly in (on a 90-minute scenic flight). I opted for the flight-seeing option with Family Air Tours, and it was pretty incredible. This is another pricey tour, but I felt like it was worth it for the stunning scenery – a patchwork of forest, rivers and watery inlets, cloaked in misty magic.
