Before heading back to the repressive heat of Las Vegas, it was time for a stop in Ketchikan, Alaska. No excursion for us here so we were on our own to explore the town. Since it was raining pretty heavily, we pulled out the umbrellas, put on the rain jackets and did not let the weather deter us.
Our mission was to walk and find the fish camp, where the salmon run. We strolled through the downtown area to a wooded area where the salmon were supposed to be found. It was a gorgeous location. I did not realize this part of Alaska is classified as part of a temperate rainforest. It is SO green. And wet! But I guess that’s what helps make it a rainforest – lots of rain to make things very wet!
We reached a fiercely running stream, but unfortunately……. no salmon. I can imagine it would be an impressive sight in this spot if the fish were jumping and swimming upstream. I never knew that salmon pretty much live to just lay more eggs. They live to swim upstream, lay eggs and then they die. If you wait to catch them when they are already upstream, they have already started to rot from the inside and the meat isn’t as good. Since I am a strictly no fish eater, this was news to me. To know the salmon only live to lay eggs and die? ….. Circle of life, baby, circle of life.
We walked along the side of the stream for a bit and did see two seals. Perhaps they were having better luck finding some salmon for lunch. They were sure cute. Seals in the water are better than TV. We could have watched them for hours.
Ketchikan is home to the largest number of Totem poles in Alaska. They have some that date back 100 years. I loved seeing the poles and the animals and figures carved into the wood. We had visited Ketchikan years ago and had seen some totem poles then as well. It was fun to revisit after the girls had been there when they were younger.
Baby ZGirls back in 2001 in Ketchikan. We were Anchorage bound on the car ferry.
We walked through what used to be the red light district in Ketchikan. Apparently many ladies made quite a living on Creek Street “entertaining” the loggers, fishermen and miners.
No stop would be complete without a bit of shopping. There were an abundance of jewelry stores on the main street near the cruise ships. We just wanted to find good hot chocolate, fudge and maybe a t-shirt!
Ketchikan was a lovely stop. Such a cute town, with much to offer in terms of site seeing and culture. And it was only 60 degrees, which was absolutely awesome!
Met a new friend in a gift shop!
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