Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan is Known as the first town in Alaska, not because it was the first town settled, instead because it’s the first town you come to when going to Alaska. A postcard picturesque town with brightly colored houses overlooking the water, totem poles that tell stories, beautiful, quirky art as well as interesting and funny history.

This was a town where female and male settlers made their marks.

Our day started with a walking tour through town, Meta our guide told us stories about her family history in the area as we walked through the streets.

The most interesting part of Ketchikan to me was the Salmon Ladders. I had heard about salmon swimming upstream yearly to make their way back the the still water of their birth to spawn and then die, but seeing those fish fight their way up the fast moving water then finally finding the quiet stream was a very touching site. The fish ladders had been built to make it easier for the fish to travel up current, but most of them proffered the tougher road up the waterfall.

It was exciting to finally be in Alaska, the weather was sunny and cool but not cold. We spent every moment we could exploring the area. There are so many stores close to the ships that are run by large touristy corporations, our guide Meta had asked us to consider patronizing the small local shops that are further away from the docks, so we walked through town looking for postcards and souvenirs. For lunch we stopped at Pioneer Cafe, a small diner that was run and owned by locals.