Mike Davis

We rise early on Tuesday morning, going out on the balcony just after 6.15am to find we have already docked at Ketchikan. The mist still swirls and it’s difficult to see far, but the sun is filtering through the murk and the weather looks set fair for later in the morning. Ketchikan’s unimpressive dockside is fronted with a parade of clapboarded shops – jewelry and souvenirs seem to feature prominently. .I see there’s a ‘Fish & Chip’ stall on the quay, but I bet they don’t serve that essential British accompaniment: ‘mushy peas’. Down below by the gangplank, a couple of the crew, dressed in bald eagle costumes are waiting, together with the ship’s photographer, for the first ‘marketing opportunity’ of the day. We hurry to breakfast and then we’re off to ‘debark’ (it appears Americans have junked the word, ‘disembark’) between the welcoming pair of ‘eagles’ (faintly sinister in appearance) just after 7.45am, and set off to explore the delights of Alaska’s first city.

We arrive at historic Creek Street, built over wooden pilings, just as the shops begin to open for business and before the general horde of fellow tourists from the trio of cruise-liners at the dock have arrived. We meander in and out of shops; buy a couple of tins of locally-caught smoked salmon (and, yes, it was as delicious as we’d hoped it would be) and a couple of stuffed toy bears (‘Made in China’, wouldn’t you guess!) before we pay five dollars to take the tour at Dolly’s House – one of the great local attractions.. This proves to be one of the day’s highlights. Ms Dolly Arthur – who was herself in times past something of a premier attraction in old Ketchikan - had , long ago, ‘entertained’ gentlemen at her house, now beautifully preserved replete with all of her furniture, fittings and most of Dolly’s personal possessions, including some rare condoms woven from silk (very tightly, I trust) in Paris. These had a dual role, for Dolly was quite a seamstress, and had incorporated some of the condoms (dyed in various colours) into the decoration of a quilt. This multi-talented lady was also something of a bootlegger. Rowing boats would come up the creek at dead of night to moor under her house before transferring the illicit hooch upstairs, and Dolly must have supplemented her more traditionally-earned income quite handsomely with sales of the moonshine. In a room downstairs there hangs an old photograph of the famous lady holding a pet dog. When I looked closely at her face you could have knocked me down with a feather. For I could have sworn it was a still picture of Jack Lemmon – acting in drag - in the Billy Wilder movie, ‘Some Like it Hot’ with Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. You’ll have to go look for yourself to see what I mean. There is also – on a desk in one room - an old Remington ‘steam’ typewriter, which still looks useable. Perhaps Dolly’s memoirs as a ‘Belle D’Nuit’ are lying in a yellowing bundle tied with pink lace, somewhere beneath the floorboards just waiting for discovery? Let’s hope

I’m right; I’d buy the book without hesitation. ’The tour is well worth the modest price of admission.

Afterwards we drop into the New York Café on Stedman Street for coffee. It’s a homely place and not a bit touristy. It’s worth visiting just to take a peek at the toilets here: as fine a set of antique ceramic fittings as you could wish to actively enjoy.

We then walk up Deermount to visit the Totem Heritage Centre and the Salmon Hatchery. The latter is an exercise in the conservation of fish stocks that is no less than impressive, and great credit is due to all concerned with this enterprise. I was also impressed with the polite and friendly young man on the photographic counter at Schallerer’s Photo & Gift Stores on Front Street, who transfers my digital pictures on to a CD in just over 30 minutes, and at reasonable cost. We’re back on board for a late lunch. My wife then takes a rest while I photograph seaplanes landing on the beautiful Tongass Straits.

Check Our Our
 Ketchikan Shore Excursions

Ask a Question About Alaskan Ports