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Ketchikan is the southernmost city in Alaska. When you are traveling north, it's "Alaska's First City". It's also "The Salmon Capital of the World".
Cliff and I moved here in April of 2002 and left September of 2002. While we were here, we saw wildlife, met lots of new people, saw Rosie O'Donnell, smelled lots of fish, climbed Deer Mountain, went to Misty Fjords National Monument, and it's also where our baby started it's life in my belly.
Cliff started out the summer working as a civil contractor for the US Forestry Service. It was a six week contract, and every week he would fly out to Prince of Wales Island and cook for 10 men. This is the barge he lived on out on Johnson Cove.
After the Forestry Service, Cliff got a job working as Sous Chef at The New York Cafe. Here, he tripled their business in less than 2 months. And of course, I sent my Cruise West guests there every chance I could. After all, even the locals said it was the best food in Ketchikan after Cliff started working there.
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The entire summer I worked as a Driver Guide for Cruise West. I gave tours, I took people to and from the airport, and most of all, I had fun and learned a lot!
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Sometimes, I got to go on special tours for free. Like kayaking and on a day cruise to Misty Fjords National Monument.
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The guests of Cruise West in Ketchikan stayed at The Westcoast Cape Fox Lodge. We had a desk in the lobby that I helped work often, and these are the sites I’d see on a regular basis there.
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About 3 miles south of Ketchikan is Saxman Village. It is a native Tlingit (Klingit) village. Located here is Saxman Totem Park, which is the largest collection of totem poles in the world.
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One of the tours I did on a regular basis for Cruise West, was to the Tribal Hatchery and Eagle Center. Here we would view Bald Eagles in their natural habitat, Owls, and Salmon that were returning to the place they were born. Each year, Salmon return to where they were born, so they can spawn and then die. Those that returned to this hatchery, the hatchery would then start the cycle all over again.
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Another tour I did on a regular basis was to the Totem Heritage Center. It has the largest collection of original totems in the US, with 33 totems and fragments from deserted villages.
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Even in Ketchikan, you can get the English experience!
Here is one of the MANY falls on Revillagagedo Island. Salmon Falls is located on the northern end and has it’s own resort.
Just before we left Ketchikan, Cliff and I decided it was time to hike up Deer Mountain, which is 3,000 feet. It was a gorgeous day! And the only reason I made it up (while 4 months pregnant) was because Cliff dragged me up! But it was worth it.
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