Cruising to Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan has a very rugged history as a center for salmon fishing and timber - along with an area devoted to houses of ill repute - but now those homes have been turned to trendy shops as Ketchikan spends its days today greeting visitors from the cruise ships that dock there. Not only is Ketchikan a charming place to visit in its own right, but it is also the starting point for cruise excursions to the stunning Misty Fjords.

Cruise ships either dock or tender right in downtown Ketchikan, across from the Visitors’ Bureau on Front Street. From here you can follow the walking tour signs through the town, passing such notable sights as Ketchikan's infamous red-light district located on Creek Street, where the more than 30 houses of prostitution have been restored as shops. You'll also pass by the Creek Street footbridge, where you can see the salmon and other fish heading upstream to spawn. Don't miss the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, where you will find exhibits on the ecosystems, resources and native cultures of southeast Alaska, along with an extensive gift and book shop.

Ketchikan hasn't been nicknamed the "Salmon Capital of the World" for nothing, and you can sign up for a sportfishing adventure or charter boat either through your cruise line or at the Ketchikan Visitors’ Bureau. If you prefer a drier experience with the salmon, climb the steps to Salmon Falls off Park Avenue, where thousands of salmon leap the falls from June onward each year. While you’re up there, enjoy the spectacular views of the harbor, and climb a bit further up steep Venitia Avenue to enjoy the magnificent lobby and panoramic view from the West Coast Cape Fox Lodge. For an easier trip up to the lodge, you can take the funicular up from Creek Street for just $2.00.

Just outside of town, tours visit the Totem Bright State Historical Park, where you can see many totem poles and replicas brought in from the outlying villages. There is no public transportation to Totem Bright, but there are taxis or city buses running to the Saxman Native Village, located just 2 miles south of town. Here you will find a totem park and the Saxman's Beaver Clan tribal house, where you may catch artists practicing traditional carving. Tours are available which include a video, stories and dancing.
Floatplanes depart from Ketchikan to fly over the magnificent Misty Fjords, or you can sign up for sea kayaking or zip line canopy adventures over the coastal forests. However you decide to spend your day at Ketchikan you are sure to enjoy this colorful town. Stephanie Larkin is the editor of http://www.CruiseLinesandPorts.com, as well as http://www.Cruise-To-Alaska.net. She and her family love to cruise - her 3 children especially love the towel animals and chocolates left on the beds at night!