The next stop on our Alaskan cruise in the middle of my three-week road trip west with my parents is Ketchikan, Alaska.
Ketchikan was an early stop for our ship–6:30 am-1 pm. And we didn’t really make off the ship until 9 am. Even so, we were able to take a bus to Totem Bight State Park for a look at the area’s rich concentration of totem poles.
NOTE: it takes about 40 minutes to get there and 40 minutes to get back on public transportation, and the bus at the park only picks up once an hour. We managed it within this time, but we cut it close! Make sure to leave yourself plenty of time if you head out of town.
Ketchikan
There is also plenty to do in Ketchikan just walking around town. It’s a little hilly, with Ketchikan Creek running through the middle of it. The big attraction here is Creek Street, the historic center of town and the site of much shopping, inns, and cafes.
Museums
On Creek Street is Dolly’s House Brothel Museum ($10), for a look at the rowdy, lawless past of Ketchikan. There is also the Tongass Historical Museum ($6) for Ketchikan history, the Totem Heritage Center ($6, or $9 when combined with Tongass), and the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center ($5) for information on Alaska’s national parks and a popular exhibit on the temperate rainforest. All are within walking distance of the cruise port, with the Totem Heritage Center being the farthest out.
Misty Fjords National Monument
One of the most popular things to do in Ketchikan is to visit the Misty Fjords National Monument. Glaciers, waterfalls, and beautiful Alaskan scenery can be seen only through a boat or floatplane tour in the $100-200 range.
The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
If you have an hour, $37, and some earplugs, you might check out The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. You’ll see teams of color-coded manly men compete in 12 different Lumberjack-themed events like axe throwing, log rolling, and loudest “hot saw.”
There are shows all day long in the summer, from 7:45 in the morning to 3 pm some days (make sure to check the calendar before you go.) This is a favorite of Disney cruise ships, and you might be able to purchase a package on board your own ship. Tour packages also can come with axe throwing lessons or a crab feast.
Totem Bight State Park
Or you can do what we did and get out of town on the public bus system for $2 each to Totem Bight State Park. Cross Front Street from the cruise ship docks, head near the tunnel and get on the northbound Silver Line bus. You can also ask at the visitor center and they will tell you where to go.
The park is FREE to visit, but leave a donation if you take a brochure in the entrance cabin. They served coffee and hot chocolate in here too, which is nice if it’s cold and rainy like it was on our visit.
Totems
There is a short and sweet walk through the trees to a clearing next to the inlet. In a circle around the clearing are several totem poles, all recreations of the originals. Some have character after character stacked up the pole in a sort of story, and some just have a fish on top. I liked one with a cute bear looking down with paw prints all the way up the
Clan House
The most impressive building at Totem Bight is the Clan House, a large carved building, usually with an interpreter inside. We learned that the 4-foot tall doorway into the lodge wasn’t because people were that short back then, it is to easily defend against. Anyone entering would have to bend over and stick their head in first, which you could chop off if you didn’t want them in your house. You don’t have to enter that way, there is also a regular-sized door to one side.
Potlatch Park
Next door is Potlach Point. There was a large gift shop here and an exhibit on early firearms. Nearby is a totem carving house, which smells lovely and it’s pretty cool to look at a totem in process. I think there are more totems in Potlatch, but we didn’t explore the grounds since it was so rainy. I’m not 100% sure it even exists anymore.
Tips on Touring Ketchikan
If I had this time same frame to do over, I suggest getting off the ship early, find a hearty local breakfast somewhere, then walk around town and tour the museums when they open and before they get crowded. Then I’d still take the bus to visit Totem Bight to get out of town and into some nature (without the cost of a $200 floatplane trip.)
Back on the Ship
We ate lunch back on the cruise ship, filling ourselves with soup after being chilly all morning. I did another round of napping and reading, preparing to eat more food in one night than I have ever eaten in my life.
SO Much Food
I scheduled a chocolate and wine tasting for myself this evening. I think it was part of the 50th Anniversary offerings, but I wouldn’t doubt there is something like this on every sailing. It was also the second formal night of the cruise with a special lobster dinner planned. I had assumed I would miss dinner because my chocolate experience was scheduled during our assigned dinner time. Oh no, dear reader. Read on.
Round One: Room Service
Since I thought I would miss dinner, I felt I should eat something before drinking several glasses of wine at the tasting. I ordered a club sandwich and ate it in the room before heading down to the bottom of the Piazza for our tasting experience in the Vines wine bar.
Round Two: Chocolate & Wine Tasting
The wine & chocolate pairing experience was a guided wine flight with accompanying chocolate bonbons. It wasn’t a very large amount of either wine or chocolate, but it was pretty filling. I remember liking the tasting but being disappointed that the whole thing only lasted 20-30 minutes. And it wasn’t until after the tastings were done that the rest of us seated around the table got to talking and introducing ourselves.
I met a father & daughter from Memphis that were sitting next to me and we really hit it off. In fact, they invited me to join them in their dining room for the lobster dinner I thought I’d be missing.
Round Three: Lobster Dinner
Unlike my family who had a set time to dine every evening, this family had
Evening Entertainment
I spent the rest of the evening wandering around the ship and visiting various lounges. There was a disco party in one and a great band in another that I listened to for a while. Then I settled into the Piazza and read and waited until a big balloon drop that was happening at 11 pm.
Balloon Drop
We had all heard that the balloons in the balloon drop were supposed to hold prizes inside. Anything from a gift certificate for shopping on board to a free cruise! In the end, I don’t think they held anything, but people had a lot of fun popping them anyway. It turned into a fun dance party after a while.
Next Up
Check out my next post for my experience in the ship’s spa and an evening excursion to Butchart Gardens in Victoria B.C.
Those totems were impressive!
Yes they are! There is a super-duper tall one in Victoria BC–I wish we could have seen that one.