Cruise - Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan, Alaska is known as the salmon capital of the world. About 13,000 people live in Ketchikan area. It's the southeasternmost city in Alaska. Ketchikan is Native American name for the creek that runs through the town. Various meanings are attributed to the word. Timber was a major industry until government regulations reduced the harvest in the Tongass National Forest.

We were in Ketchikan about 8 hours. Speaking with the owner of a Ketchikan store - the four cruise ships docked that day brought 7,000 people to town. He said about half the people get off the ships. Townspeople have a calendar that shows which ships and how many people come on which days. 

Ketchikan

See the other cruise ship behind us? 

We were often in sight of other ships - same itinerary as ours.

Click on a photo for larger images

Tour buses and taxis wait for excursion customers

Cape Fox Hill-Creek Street Funicular (known as "the tram")

Creek Street has a very colorful history. It's now full of shops for tourists. The street was built over the creek because it was easier than blasting away the rock of the mountain. 

The Rock - figures from Ketchikan's past

Lots of floatplane activity in Ketchikan

Ketchikan is in the middle of a rain forest and gets 13 feet of rain in a year!

Ketchikan has the world's largest collection of standing totem poles. Read more here.