Arriving in Ketchikan

Sunny morning and we were awake at 5AM, but stayed in our cabin until 6. No knock on the door but we were up so off to the cafeteria. Over coffee we learned we're 1 1/2 hours late so we spent some time back in the Observation Deck. The time passed quickly and we watched the approach to Ketchikan from the deck. As the ship approached through the Tongass Narrows the channel got narrower and narrower. As the channel sparkled like diamonds Ketchikan appeared before us.

The ferry docked and I drove up the ramp to wait for Ken to bring up the coach. I waited and waited and soon the two way radio crackled (we carry them when we drive separately) ... 'They forgot me' he says! He had to go find a crew member to direct him off the ship. Finally he rolled up the ramp.

Out of the terminal we turned left onto the Tongass Highway leading out of town and into Tongass National Forest. We have a campsite in the forest while we're in Ketchikan. The highway leads us out of the village and shipyards and into the forest which gets thicker and the views change to mountains. We followed the signs for Ward Lake and Signal Creek campground. We are in the rainforest and Ward Lake is right across from our camp site.

It's early Sunday morning and it didn't take us long to set up as we don't have any hook ups here. We have 2 days here so we decided to go into town and cover the south end of Ketchikan. As we drove out of the forest we saw 2 small deer just standing on the side of the road.

Surprisingly we easily found a parking space in town. Ketchikan is a scenic little town hugging the shores of coastal mountains and protected by waterways. Our first stop was the Visitor Center. When we opened the door it looked like it was under construction..huh... One of the guys working to set up the displays explained they weren't open for business yet. They open when the first cruise ship arrives 4 days from now. (What are we chopped liver?)

So we decided to roam around town on our own. The stores and Lumberjack Show were closed, but we enjoyed walking along the waterfront and looking at the historical themed gift shops without the bustling tourists. We followed the walking tour route through town and enjoyed the various totems. Soon we found ourselves on the border of town where the famous Creek Street is situated. Between 1903 and 1953 bordellos lined the creek, today it's lined with shops and restaurants. We wandered along the boardwalk sidewalk looking at the interpretive signs detailing the racy history of the area.

Time for lunch at the Pioneer Cafe - Ketchikan's greasy spoon. After good bowls of chowder we were off to the Saxman Native Village. The park features the Beaver Clan House of the Tlingit (Klink-it) moiety (group). The clan house was closed and we roamed the grounds enjoying the totem carvings that lined the property. They are really facinating. The road to the park is lined with various Totems and we walked around the grounds marveling at the carvings. It's sleeting now so we walked back to the car.

We drove south on the Tongass Highway to the end of the road. The highway winds along George's Inlet and past Ruby Beach. We stopped to enjoy the views and watch some fishing boats. Further on we passed a beautiful natural waterfall created by the melting snow.

Heading back to camp we stopped at Safeway and got a video for tonight. It was a good day, but we wish there was more open, but there's lots to explore.

Pictures: Historic downtown Ketchikan, Ketchikan harbor, Creek Street (2), Entrance to Saxman Totem Park, Saxman Clan House, Saxman totems, Waterfall on S Tongass Hwy