Vancouver BC to Ketchikan, Alaska

Aug-Sept, 2002

Vancouver, BC

A view of the "Golden Gate" like bridge that spans the water way that leads to Vancouver.

Alaska

Ketchikan, Alaska - On the Inside Passage - MAP

More info on Ketchikan

Years before the arrival of white man, the native Tlingit people set up camp at the site of the present-day Ketchikan and they fished for the mighty salmon during the summer months. Overtime camp grew into a fishing village that spread along the shoreline in the shape of an eagle in full flight -hence the areas original name: Kitschk-him, or "Thundering Wings of an Eagle." Because of its proximity to the mountain range behind it, Ketchikan is no larger than four blocks wide and 14 miles long. Many homes in this area can be seen hanging off the side of steep cliffs and along the waterfront.

By the late 1880s, the pioneers arrived and tried their own hand at harvesting the abundant salmon resource. But wasn't until the turn-of-the-century, with the discovery of gold copper deposits in nearby hillsides, that Ketchikan went to its first major growth spurt. When the mines closed down during World War I, Ketchikan saw a revival in lumber in salmon fishing industries to support the growing needs of the town. By the 1930s more than a dozen salmon canneries in the area were producing more than 2 million cases of salmon every year. Ketchikan soon became known as the "Salmon Capital of the World". In ten short years, however, the salmon began to decline dramatically due to every heavy over fishing. By the mid-1970s, Ketchikan fishing industry was nearly wiped out. Due to the tremendous efforts of many people, the salmon made remarkable comeback. As the city celebrates its Centennial, sport fishing is a key importance to its economy.

The street seen from the ship is the main boulevard of this town.

Ketchikan is the fourth largest populated city Alaska with about 16,000 and is connected by water and land to the rest of the states. There is a total of 75 miles of roads on the island; about 31 of those our asphalt and tar roads, the rest are dirt roads.

The Tongass National Forest, covers more than 16 million acres, it is a national forest that is the largest in United States of America. Located within a couple of miles of the town of Ketchikan this forest has become a very important part of the economy and life of people living in the area. Tongass national forest is a temperate rain forest which means that it is more likely that it will rain in this area rather select not rain. This did not disappoint us on the day that we were in Ketchikan because it did rain the entire time that were there. We've learned more about Ketchikan and Tongass national forest at the South East Alaska visitor center.

Creek Street Entrance

(where according to popular saying "both men and fish went up to spawn").

"Mountain Man?"

Access to the Internet was expensive on the Legend of the Seas, but we had a full day at sea and the Inside Passageway.

More info on Ketchikan

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