Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ketchikan


The inside passage of southeast Alaska is only reached by water or air.  There are no roads connecting it.  We thought about renting a car and using the ferry but it turned out to be much less expensive to cruise.  The downside of cruising is that you disembark with thousands of people and don't get the real feel of a town without tourists.  The upside is that you can cram a lot of sight-seeing into a short amount of time.  Our cruise lasted one week in total.


As I watched this large ship dock in a small port I was very impressed with the skills of our Captain!


Ketchikan, the fourth largest city in Alaska, is a "Gateway City."  If you have been on a cruise, you know the side excursions are pretty expensive.  We just got off the ship and purchased the same services from locals for much less.  Dave with Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours took us for a private tour instead.



Ketchikan is famous for Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian art work.  The totem poles are very beautiful.  Also, they are quite reminiscent of the Maori art in New Zealand.  Someday I may blog about our three week trip there but not today!

9 comments:

Barb said...

Great photos - I really like the clouds and harbor from the ship and the closeup totem.

Sylvia K said...

Marvelous photos, Loran! What a great trip you guys had! That's terrific and thanks for sharing the fun with us! Hope you've had a good weekend! Enjoy!

Sylvia

Betsy Banks Adams said...

When my son spent a couple of years working in and around Alaska, he was in Ketchikan alot... He got to know some of the Tlingit people and fell in love with them. Very interesting little city.
Hugs,
Betsy

Martha Z said...

I've been looking forward to your Alaska pics and then you started posting them the day I left for Yosemite. I'm not too far behind.
It's quite a job, sorting through that many photos and picking the ones that best tell your story. I'm looking forward to the future installments.

Gaelyn said...

Those totem poles are truly works of art. Nice to have a local show you around.

Susan at Stony River said...

What an amazing place -- love those skies, love those carvings!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

beautiful place to be...

Janie said...

Love the totem pole art. Ketchikan looks like a beautiful town.

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