The bow opened up at 6:30am for scenic cruising into Ketchikan with the treat of Ketchikan Rolls and coffee, which would also be served in the Sea View poolside and the Crow’s Nest. It was chilly with temps in the mid 40’s, 67% humidity, and 12.7 mph winds. We gladly watched the sail in from the comfort of our veranda. Most all of the scenery was on the portside today. Coming into the Tongass Narrows, we passed Newton and West End, a pioneer district that had been cut off from the other part of Ketchikan by a rocky knob. It was home to the businesses of the fishing fleet, salmon canneries, a laundry, a marina and homes of prosperous residents. A tunnel was eventually built to tie the two parts of town together.
The Volendam quietly passed by this historic district which retained some of the same businesses as well as added convenient shopping centers and grocery stores for the locals. Ward Cove is located up this way and has become another place for cruise ships to dock when the berths in Ketchikan are full. A free shuttle bus brings the folks to downtown Ketchikan. Some older ships were in drydock up at this end and a ferry landing is located nearby. Casey Moran Harbor is another place we have walked for lunch with nice scenery. In the 1920’s and 30’s this harbor was home for a fleet of halibut boats, thought to be one of the world’s largest.
Finally, we arrived to the pier at the Waterfront Promenade right across from a very nice visitor center. Perfect timing, we headed off for breakfast at 7:30am as the gangway was being installed. As luck would have it, we were the only cruise ship in town today, the second one of the season. Our nice waiter surprised us all with a bunch of Ketchikan Rolls on his pastry tray. They sure were good with a creamy, more custard-like filling this time. It is difficult to keep breakfast light here.
There were a total of 37 HAL tours offered here today. Yes, 37…..that’s a record. Some of them involved fishing, which we are not certain they actually happened. Anything describing salmon or trout may have been cancelled. The hunt for halibut may have been possible and that was 5 hours for $500. It included a boxed snack. Salmon fishing with a light snack was 4.5 hours and $275, while fishing and wilderness dining was 5 hours for $445. Another expedition was fishing for salmon, rockfish and ling cod for 5 hours and $480 with a lunch. Two floatplane trips were 2 or 3 hours for $400 - $430 (one included a dungenous crab meal). The rest of the various tours were to see the totem pole making at Saxman Village, several food-related tours, many variations of the Lumberjack show, and hiking, biking, kayaking, or 4x4 drives. Prices ranged from $75 to $350. And it was no wonder that we did not see a lot of people walking in downtown early on today. They may have been on a lot of excursions.
We left the ship around 10am, bundled up to keep warm. It really wasn’t bad until the wind blew, then it would have cut right through you without proper jackets. Our first stop was at the visitor’s center to pick up their excellent walking tour map. It is loaded with just about everything you need to know about Ketchikan and its history. Our next stop was at the shops under the Alaska King Crab Co. where we always go for lunch. We did not see the OPEN sign flashing on the 3rd floor today. Going into the souvenir store, we asked the young cashier if the restaurant was opening today, and he said no, not until May 1st. We found that held true for many of the local businesses that vie for your $$$ here.
Walking through downtown was like visiting a ghost town . What a difference several cruise ships make. We passed by the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, which we learned later that it was opened for free today. Then we walked by the fire department and the Federal Building. Turning right put us on Thomas Street and the Stedman Street Bridge that goes over the Ketchikan River. Quite often we see locals fishing from this bridge when the salmon are running. Today there was not a single fish in the water or dead along the banks. One nice aspect of no fish, it the lack of the horrible smell of the decaying carcasses. Don’t miss that. What we do miss are the sea lions that come up this river to gorge on the salmon.
The Thomas Basin Boat Harbor is located here with a viewing platform at the beginning. Back in the old days, there was a baseball field at low tide where locals enjoyed playing. From here, we carefully crossed the street to enter the Creek Street walk across from the Bayside Hotel from 1927. There is a viewing deck of Ketchikan Creek where the locals watched the salmon runs, seals and birds. Walking up the Creek Street boardwalk was easy because there were hardly any tourists here today. Of course, not all of the shops were opened. This area was known for being a red-light district with “working girls”, speakeasies and bootleggers during the Prohibition days. The city outlawed these practices in 1953 and created the cool area we see today.
Dolly’s House was next on the trail and with a $5 entry fee, you could see the antiques, caches, and garish décor of the times. Been there, done that, a 5-minute pass through. The trail that comes down to this area from above was called the Married Men’s Trail, due to the fact these men could sneak down to Dolly’s House for a night of frivolity. No sneaking here, as everyone knows everyone, and there were no secrets. Today we strolled past the boutiques and happened to run into our friends who were testing the canned salmon in one of the shops. We always have a meeting of the minds and visited for a spell. That drew out the owner of the salmon shop to give his 2 cents of opinions as a local merchant. Guess he had no customers, so he joined in with our conversation. We found it curious that this fellow complained about the tourists that did not follow the crosswalks and stop the local traffic flow. Well, we all reminded him that if it wasn’t for the tourists, he would have no business. OK, we all got the message and left on a friendly note. After all, Ginny had just purchased some of the tasty, canned salmon, which did look like cat food to us when she showed us the contents of her bag. Good thing we have all been friends since 2007.
Instead of walking to the top of the creek, we exited at the footbridge from downtown and followed the side street uphill. That avoided the stairs to the top of the street. We had plenty of time before we considered a lunch spot. At the top on Park Ave we stopped at the viewing platform, reading the excellent signage of the salmon cycle and watching the powerful waterfall and fish ladders, now empty of spawning salmon. Usually we head for the City Park past the salmon spawning area, but without the fish, all we would see was an empty creek. So we decided to tackle the hike up Venetia Ave to the Cape Fox Lodge perched high on a mountaintop with a killer view of the town below. We have done this hike years ago, but did not remember how steep this road was. If the lift had been working from the Married Men’s Trail, we would have gladly paid the $2 fee to ride up the hillside. The lift was closed due to maintenance today, as it is many times we have been here.
Eventually we summited the road and found the Lodge which is next to the Ted Ferry Civic Center. Someone had told us that the Cape Fox Restaurant was closed today but we doubted that since there is a hotel here. Well, we were very happy to find the restaurant named Heen Kahidi Dining Room opened and not crowded. There were a few locals dining there and we got a nice window table with the best view of the Volendam docked in downtown. We ordered two draft Alaskan beers then added one cheeseburger with French fries, one platter of crispy-breaded calamari, and finally one slice of mud pie. That was a nice surprise to see they served it here. The best part of lunch was relaxing after that climb. Now we had to figure out the easiest and closest way back down to town. That was by taking a side trail around the hotel and finding the trail with 1000 stairs back to the Creek Street boardwalk. Not really 1000 stairs, but it sure felt like that. Taking our time, we did it.
We went out the footbridge once again, but walked down some different streets towards the dock. We wanted to check out the Panhandle Pizza place the checker fellow recommended earlier. We did find it, but it was not opened, having possibly closed at 2pm. If we come here next fall, we will have to try their pizza.
One stop at the Tongass Trading Company netted one of us two Alaska t-shirts for a good sale price. We had a good laugh when we ran into buddies that had visited the free museum earlier which would have set them back a total of $10. Isn’t it funny we spend $$$$$ on a cruise, but marvel over getting a bargain when we can. Gotta love it. One last purchase for us was kettle corn at a local kiosk which we were happy to see opened today. We saved four dollars by purchasing two bags….yes, it is that good. Then we scoped out the store with my favorite sleep t’s to see the new designs. That will be for a future purchase next fall.
Back onboard, the Captain came on with his daily report and was pleased with the favorable weather we had today. The sun was even out by the time we left the port. We have 653 nautical miles to reach Seattle with the expert help of a local pilot. By the way, the US Coast Guard boarded the ship for a semi-annual safety drill which they successfully passed. Tomorrow we can expect temps of 47 degrees and a sea swell of five feet. It might be windy with no rain in the forecast.
Dinner time was a Dutch theme due to it being King’s Day, a Dutch holiday. The menu followed suit and we ordered one bay shrimp cocktail, one green pea soup, and two Westland salads. Nasi goreng and the hodge podge klapstuk or braised beef brisket were our entrees. Dessert was some ice cream and sorbet. The Orange Party was held in the Crow’s Nest at 8:30pm and the show was the comedian Tim Nutt with “Rough around the Edges” performance. Call of the Wild was the movie in the Wajang Theater.
We really need a day at sea tomorrow to re-charge the batteries.
Bill & Mary Ann
