July 1, 2012
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Our ferry arrived in Ketchikan at 7:30am to light rain, and dropped off bags at the New York Hotel lobby on Creek Street. From here, we found a quick hot oatmeal breakfast at the 50’s-styled Pioneer Café.
Next, we visited the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, with a scenic film about Southeast Alaska, an excellent walk through display on temperate rainforests, the traditional lives of local Native Americans, and modern traditions of fishing, mining and outdoor recreation. The place definitely had that Forest Service “a land of many uses” message going.
Starting off on the official Ketchikan Downtown Walking Tour, we ducked into St. John’s Episcopal Church to admire the stained glass windows and to listen to a visitor from Iowa play some church tunes on the organ. They are having a pie sale on 4th of July … hmmm?
With the rain picking up, it was a quick walk to see the Chief Kyan Totem Pole, Chief Johnson Totem Pole, and the Raven Stealing the Sun Pole (appropriate for today) before ducking out of the rain into the Tongass Historical Museum. This museum told of the wild mining, fishing and timber days in First City (old-time Ketchikan).
Next, it was up to the Married Man’s Trail (a more discrete path to the old-time brothels) and down Creek Street for a bite of hot clam chowder.
Finally, we trudged back through the rain to our hotel room and enjoyed its well positioned covered balcony with great views looking up and down Creek Street.
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