Our daughter has been living in Ketchikan since last May. Mrs. chbibc and I will soon be going there for a few weeks. We've got excellent rain gear so no worries there. We've got several fishing trips planned as well as other excursions. Any recommendations on things to do and see? Any input appreciated.

quote:

Originally posted by chbibc:
We've got several fishing trips planned as well .

That would've been my recommendation. Make sure you find an outfitter that will flash freeze and arrange shipping of your catch.

Maybe take a kayak trip up one of the nearby fjords.

Outdoor Boys Youtube has a recent video of going to Ketchikan, might get some ideas from them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVczipWxos

While on the usual cruise we stopped at Ketchikan and I had scheduled a kayak trip. It was raining very hard; I did go out with a guide, saw some bald eagles. Wife didn't go out that day.

I have to say that the cruise was memorable mostly for calving glaciers and crowds of people hawking stuff to the larger crowds of cruise passengers. That was not fun.

The good news is in a few weeks cruise ship season will be over and there shouldn't be the summertime crowds. The bad news is in a few weeks cruise ship season will be over and a lot of the seasonal tours and businesses will be closed down.

Tsongas Trading Company. Yes, there's touristy stuff, but go upstairs and there's firearms, knives, fishing tackle, mining equipment and all kinds of cool stuff.

https://www.tongasstrading.com

Misty Fjords National Monument is on my bucket list of places to see in Alaska. Access is by boat or seaplane and I don't know what type of off season access is available. Seaplane charters in Ketchikan are very heavily regulated due to a crash a couple of years ago.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/...numents/misty-fjords

Alaska Marine Highway System. Yes it's unreliable with its hit or miss schedule, but it is a unique way to see Alaska. From Ketchikan Wrangell and Petersburg are the next stops to the north. They're both off the beaten path and not large cruise ships stops. Petersburg is known as, "Little Norway" because of its Norwegian heritage. Unfortunately the Anan Creek Bear Observatory in Wrangell closes down August 25th.

https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/index.shtml

I've got a good friend who lives in Ketch, I'll ask her for some tips as well.

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Originally posted by 2000Z-71:

I've got a good friend who lives in Ketch, I'll ask her for some tips as well.

I appreciate that - thank you!

If you can make time to get up to Juneau, a boat ride from there into the Tracy Arm Fjord is beautiful.

We've been a couple of times on cruises. As your daughter has probably told you, prices in the tourist oriented businesses are incredibly high! It seems much of the historical and cultural attractions are highly curated for cruise passengers. Perhaps your daughter can get recommendations from locals.

We do enjoy the local mom&pop shops, and Creek Street is interesting. There are several nice hikes right from town which get you immediately into the rain forest.

The amount of wilderness in that area is impressive as the ship sails hour after hour with no sign of human development in sight. I would look for some kind of ferry ride that gives a few hours of slow, surface based viewing. If still in season, whale watching is a great experience. Those 2 things show real Alaska.

Glacier viewing from up close is well worth doing, though not something right in Ketchikan.

My friend had the usual recommendations of Creek Street, the Raptor Center and the Totem park and a hiking trail north of town with no name description or directions on how to find it. She also has the recommendation for Timbers, the restaurant at Salmon Falls Resort north of town.

https://www.salmonfallsresort.com

Ketchikan’s great! Besides fishing, check out the Totem Heritage Center and Misty Fiords. The seafood’s amazing, too.

Hopefully your daughter is ok. Landslide in Ketchikan last night, evacuation orders in effect for fear of a bigger slide coming down.

https://www.alaskasnewssource....kan-after-landslide/

1 dead, 3 injured, evacuations ordered after landslide in Ketchikan


At least one dead after Ketchikan landslide, governor issues declaration of disaster
By Olivia Nordyke and Joe Cadotte
Published: Aug. 25, 2024 at 7:07 PM AKDT|Updated: 13 hours ago
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - One person is dead, three injured, two of those hospitalized, and no one missing after a landslide caused a state emergency declaration and responses from Alaska lawmakers. There’s an emergency shelter established and multiple streets evacuated. There’s also property and infrastructure damage.

This late Sunday night update is from the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and the governor’s office.

Original story:
Mandatory evacuations are issued for people in Ketchikan who live along 1st, 2nd and 3rd Avenues as well as parts of Water Street after a landslide caused downed powerlines Sunday.

The City Ketchikan issued a warning for the possibilty of a second landslide. Officials are encouraging people use Madison Street to reach an emergency shelter established at the Ketchikan High School.


Governor Mike Dunleavy verbally authorized a state of disaster emergency so those impacted by the landslide can potentially access state disaster relief funds, said Jeff Turner, a spokesperson for the governor’s office. The governor is preparing a formal declaration with a press release and statements, said Turner.

Search and rescue efforts in Ketchikan are being assisted by Alaska State Troopers and Wildlife Troopers, AST said.

Residents are being warned to stay away from electrical lines, especially those that could be on the ground near 2nd Avenue.

There are power and internet outages across the city.

There is a small restaurant on the docks that a local told my wife and I about. It's called The Fish Shack I believe. The fish and chips were incredible. We were there on a cruise in May 22.

My step daughter is a tour manager in Ketchikan and lives in proximity to the landslide. Thankfully other houses blocked it from hers. She forwarded me the government order this morning. She isn’t being evacuated at this time. Her contract ends next week and she’ll be coming home. We’re praying for everyone up there and for her safe return.

Hey all. Our daughter is safe and sound. She actually lives about 1/4 mile from the land slide. We are in Ketchikan now and staying in a VRBO outside (north) of town (Ward Creek area).