Category: Ketchikan

Halibut on Creek Street

Scenic Sunday

What caught my eye when we got to town from Saxman Village was a lovely row of wooden buildings resting on pilings above Ketchikan creek.   Guess where we headed after the lumberjack show?

Once an infamous “red light district”, the heart of downtown Ketchikan has today turned into galleries and restaurants, mostly original buildings with lots of stories to tell.

One such is Dolly’s House catering once to “gentlemen seeking the company of women”.   😉

Known to sport anglers as a busy place year round for fishing for wild trout, Pacific salmon, and halibut (my favorite).

So, when we spotted Halibut Hole while browsing through shops along the boardwalk, we did not hesitate and went right in for a taste of their famous fish and chips before heading back to our ship.

The halibut, which of course came most highly recommended, was what we had.  We were not disappointed.

Fish so juicy and tender deep-fried in delicious crispy batter.  That + a bowl of clam chowder, and we were a happy pair walking back to the pier.

They also serve salmon, clams and shrimp in the same crispy batter

It was a good “first day” off shore and I can tell you that it just gets better.  So stay tuned!

To see more beautiful scenes from around the world, go to Scenic Sunday.

Halibut Hole
7 Creek St.
(907)225-6152
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Posted on by Jenn 1

The Great Alaskan Lumberjacks

Credits:  Frame from House of 3 digital kit by The Design District (Ornate Frame 3); Kraft Paper by JSprague

Lumberjacks are usually referred to loggers from a bygone era before the advent of modern logging equipments.  The inception of the modern lumberjacks started as a competition in old lumber camps to see who the best lumberjacks were.  Today these competitions continue, keeping traditions alive.

Southeast Alaska’s rich logging history comes to life in a thrilling display of nimbleness, energy and power.  A must see when in Ketchikan, we walked a short distance from the pier to a covered grandstand where rugged professional timber athletes competed head to head in events such as speed climbing, ax throwing, chopping and sawing.  Hosted by a very engaging host who referees this riotous competition.  She splits the group in half and assigns each group a team to root for, adding excitement and entertainment to the show.

Watching th0se cute hunks alone make the show worth its US$36.   😛  tee hee!

Head over to The Little Red House for more photo mosaics from all over.

Posted on by Jenn 5

Saxman Village

Scenic Sunday

Credits:  Sunshine Artz template 04, Grand Intention Kit: JSprague Type Red and Yellow Solid papers

The Southernmost sizable city in the state of Alaska is Ketchikan, also known as the salmon capital of the world.  Its economy thrives on tourism and fishing and in the native village of Saxman, tourists flock to view a strand of totem poles some 30-40 feet tall.   Its totem pole park boasts of the single largest collection of totems.

Totem Poles are like billboards, signposts or tombstones, telling stories and honoring heritage.  They used to be mistakenly thought as religious symbols of worships and many were burned as a result.

Good thing original carvers of totem poles still live in the area now known as Alaska’s “Inside Passage” and are members of the Tlingit , Haida and other clans.

In a shed near the village is Tlingit’s famous carver Nathan Jackson.  We got to see his workstation sans the carver.  He is normally there carving but unfortunate for us, he was unavailable at the time of visit.

Posted on by Jenn 7