It's a very active dock and I just hope our captain can find a parking space.
Our first look at Ketchikan shows it huddling at the foot of a mountain, shivering under low-lying clouds. The town spreads uphill through winding streets, making it a bit of a hike from the boat to get out and discover all that little town might have to offer...
such as a good bar, perhaps?
The sign suggests we "watch the lines in comfort". I suppose they're referring to the cruise lines coming in to dock, but perhaps there's a run (pardon the pun) on their washrooms.
If you feel like jumping ship and starting your life all over again, there's at least one promising property with plenty of potential that could be purchased in this bustling town.
I was very intrigued by Ketchikan, but the rains came down in buckets and I was forced to find my way back to the ship without having had the opportunity to venture very far into those winding streets.
It was really the one regret of my trip as this town seemed to be the most "authentic" of those we visited in that it was clearly not designed chiefly for the shopping pleasure of tourists.
Here you can get an idea of the torrents of rain, accumulating as a small lake in the parking lot where a *Sourdough* cab awaits passengers.
(*Sourdough (slang) An old-timer, especially in Alaska. From the distinctive pouches of bread starter worn on a belt or around the neck by experienced prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush.*
thanks Wikipedia)
Passengers hasten back
to the dry sheltering warmth of their boats.
As we pull out of Ketchikan we get another glimpse of the town, looking like a soft pastel drawing
through the rain dotted window.
If I were half my age would more than love to get me stuff together and move to Ketchikan. Yet, ...
ReplyDeleteImpressed that the habour seems to be such deep to allow the ship to get that close to the shore. Thank you very much for this journey and dreams. Please have you all a good new week.
Robert,
DeleteWhen I posted the picture of the old building for sale I wondered if it might prove a tempting place for you! I think you have a real pioneering spirit. I'm sure you would enjoy the fresh mountain air and connection to nature that is so readily available in these parts. But the winters are long and probably pretty lonely...
Mother Nature always wants to be the boss... That's a shame you couldn't do more exploring .. maybe next time!!
ReplyDeleteGwen,
DeleteI would be pretty astounded if there is a "next time" for a trip to Alaska for me...but then I was pretty surprised that there was a first time! Now at least I can romanticize Ketchikan as the one that got away.
I ADORE those photos through rain-dotted windows. Gorgeously impressionistic!!!!
ReplyDeleteSuch an odd juxtaposition of that huge hulking hi-tech ship next to the funky little wooden buildings (and church).
Do these kinds of ships come in often to Ketchikan? The arrival of one must be the main excitement for its denizens.
Thanks for the voyage, louciao. It's been wonderful.
jann,
DeleteI'm so glad you like those rain speckled pictures:I hesitated in posting them but,personally, I love them. Ketchikan is usually the first stop on the cruise ships' routes so I'd say they get several tons of visitors and boats every season. There's definitely a lot of commerce and action generated for the denizens by these invasions, though I suppose they view the onslaught with mixed emotions and heave a huge sigh of relief once the hordes have hibernated down south for the rest of the year.
That cruise ship looks scarily enormous in the small harbour. The final two images are very interesting,especially the last,almost Mediterranean!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking us along.
Ruby
Ruby,
DeleteIt is rather bizarre to see these enormous ships docked beside the little fishing boats, towering over the pier. I am always astounded by the size of these floating cities; it just doesn't seem "right" somehow.
I bet this is the first time that the adjective "Mediterranean" as ever been applied to an Alaskan scene!
Oh my goodness, the harbor looks like rush hour! When we went, some 25 years ago, our ship anchored out in the harbor and we had to take little shuttle boats back and forth from the ship. Did you get to Creek Street? Definitely love that last photo...
ReplyDeleteMM,
DeleteRush hour for cruise ships! Ha. So true. I can't remember how many of them were in the harbour but the little shuttle bus had several stops to make before getting us back to our own behemoth. I'm glad that the docking situation allows direct access to the pier now, rather than have to clamber on board shuttle boats (I think they're called tenders). I think I only got to Creek St. on the bus that my mother and I had desperately and gratefully clambered aboard to get out of the pouring rain. In that way, I got a bit of a tour of the streets of Ketchikan, but the bus windows were foggy and rain-streaked so I didn't get to see much...just a taste that left me longing for more. Still, better to have had Ketchikan rained out rather than Glacier Bay!
That does look like a wonderful town to explore. Too bad the rain chased you back to the ship. I love your description of Ketchikan huddling at the foot of the mountain. Perfect words for that image.
ReplyDeleteHilary,
DeleteKetchikan really seemed to have a lot of character: a rough and ready sort of town with its hard edges only lightly sanded. There was a museum of the local indigenous people's totem carvings that I was dying to visit but by the time I got my mother back to the boat and contemplated the logistics of getting back to where the carvings are housed, I was worried that I might miss the boat. Better to "miss the boat" as far as seeing some Native art than to literally miss the boat, I figured.
Amazing the places one can visit with a cruise ship nowadays! Wonderfully illustrated city trip, love your tales, too. Glad you made the right decision and missed the right boat, so to speak! :-)
ReplyDeleteMerisi,
DeleteIt's a good situation when one has a choice about which boat to miss. Hard to miss these cruise ships, visually, when they're in such tiny ports but I'd sure hate to see one sailing away when I was supposed to be on it. I'm so pleased you've come along for the tour, undeterred by the weather.
I want to go there ... I want a sourdough cab x
ReplyDeleteLulu,
DeleteYou do realize that a sourdough cab is not actually edible? I think you've got what it takes to make a go of it in Ketchikan as I'm sure that Moose stews with bear grease dumplings would inspire rather than daunt your culinary skills.
I love blurry pictures like in your last one, and plan to do a "blurry"post soon in my own blog! I must say I gasped when I saw that huge ship trying to get into that tiny harbour... wow. I suppose the pilots are used to it!
ReplyDeleteJenny,
DeleteMy former brother-in-law, a freighter captain, actually took out a dock once while trying to "park" his ship! R
Rain or fog, scenery speeding past a vehicle's window, or merely a hurried use of the camera can produce some surprisingly delightful photos. I'm glad you like my rain-drenched shots of this little town. Will look forward to your own out-of-focus post!
you can catch it another time maybe....shame the rain came down so heavily...
ReplyDeleteNever say never, but I doubt I'll get another chance to catch Ketchican. On the bright side, it was something else to experience a different side of Alaska--the rainy one.
DeleteBeing from Vancouver, I know rain--but this downpour was impressive.
So how many small boats did your mammoth boat run over trying to get up close to the dock ? Could you hear them breaking up like kindling wood ?
ReplyDeleteGetting here so late, but you know my job is a little crazy this time of year, and not to mention Ms Visagelivre tempting me to come gaze at her charms...
Love your take on Catchascatchkan here... glad you were able to get out however briefly.
Owen,
DeleteI think you've got Ketchikan confused with the Canadian prairie province, Scatchascatchikan.
I think the harbour of Ketchikan has a contract with Juneau to keep them in a supply of sticks for the famous lodge there that's covered in "driftwood."