Deborah Fleming

I’ve visited Ketchikan twice on Holland America cruises, most recently in 2003. Ketchikan is easy to explore on foot from the cruise ship dock, and very touristy. It touts itself as “the place where men and salmon come to spawn”.

Creek Street, the former red light district, is a requisite stop, if for no other reason than to say you were there. I found reasonably priced gifts and souvenirs at many of the shops, and both times I was able to accomplish most of my Christmas shopping. Since many of the stores carry the same merchandise, it’s best to first make a sweep of the entire area, and then go back to the places that have want you want at the best price. My friends and family enjoyed the unique Alaskan ornaments and crafts I bought them.

On Creek Street, I visited Dolly’s famous house of ill repute, with a sign outside that read “If you can’t find your husband, he’s in here”. Legend has it that Dolly set a goal for herself of not quitting work each day until she made $100. She charged each man $3. That’s 33 and 1/3 men per day. I still haven’t figured out the 1/3. You could buy a print of an original poster that read “Girls will be unavailable July 3-5 in order to attend the July 4th Policemen’s Ball in Juneau”. I followed a dirt trail leading off of Creek Street that took me behind some buildings and ended up at a waterfall and fish ladder. It was called “Married Man’s Path” and served as the back entrance to Creek Street.

Ketchikan gets over 100 inches of rainfall annually, so be prepared. The wet conditions are responsible for a bumper crop of slugs (yuck!), and the rain and 18-20 hrs. of sunlight during the summer create vegetables that look like they were put on steroids. I saw cabbages growing that I couldn’t get my arms around.

My next suggestion for fun things to do may sound strange, but trust me on this. There’s a True Value Hardware Store right next to the dock that’s worth exploring. It’s a combination outdoor gear/hardware store, and the merchandise they carry really gives you some insight into what everyday life is like for people living in Alaska. It brought back memories of the TV show “Northern Exposure”.