Land of The Midnight Sun - Part II Ketchikan

The Norwegian Cruise Lines ship Bliss in dock at Wards Cove, Ketchikan, AK. Wards Cove is a newly developed berth and point-of-entry on the outskirts of Ketchikan built around an old industrial area by NCL and a local company.

After a 15 minute bus ride into town, I began the walk along the waterfront boardwalk toward the town center and my ultimate destination, Creek Street.

This was our second day of beautiful, sunny and warm (70 degree) weather. Too bad we weren't the only ones in town today.

On the roughly mile walk to Creek Street, there was a one-of-a-kind sight. This is the only tunnel in the world, so it is claimed, which allows traffic to go through, around and over.

The main drag of "Cruise Ship Row" and shoppers heaven. Jewelry and clothing were the top sellers, it seemed - and folks loaded up!

 

Veering off of the waterfront toward the mountainside, you see the houses set high up on the hills. In Ketchikan, if your house has more than 100 steps to reach it, that becomes a street, maintained by the city. Apparently, there are a few of those. I did not venture up any of them.

 

 World famous Creek Street. Cross a bridge and you can follow the homes and shops perched precariously against the edge of this free flowing salmon stream, Ketchikan Creek. During spawning season, later in the year, it is packed with salmon swimming upstream trying to reach their ancestral birthplace to spawn and die. My goal was to make it to the salmon ladder - up the hill, some undetermined distance.

 

 

 Looking back on the bridge from across the creek.

 

 

 Looking upstream from the bridge.

 

 

 Looking downstream from the bridge.

 

 

 The boardwalk looking upstream.

 

 

 And the boardwalk looking downstream. In that direction are the famous "houses of ill-repute" that have been converted to tourist attractions (for a fee, of course), that were a staple of early days in Ketchikan when it was the salmon capital of the world

 

 

 

Looking upstream.

 

" Follow me!"

 

 

 Starting up the path toward the salmon ladder, farther up the creek. Notice, there is no parking on this side of the creek, so if your home or business is on this lower portion...

 

 

 As it turns out, I was on this path - apparently, married men lived way up here, away from the bawdy, rowdy life along the lower creek.

 

 

 You get the picture - it was steep. And for those who don't know, while my back is doing well from my spinal fusion, I have PAD (peripheral artery disease). Like my CAD (coronary artery disease) that I've had all my life - picked the wrong parents - it results in blockages in the arteries of the legs. Walking can, and does, hurt. At times, like having knives in my legs. The only respite is to sit down. Where? Oh, well. This day was one of my better ones, but it was tough going. Very tough. Enough - on with the show.

 

 

 King Samuel Salmon I, full profile, awaits the return of his subjects.

 

 

 It was really beautiful up here, once I got this far.

 

 

 And, feeling like I could take on the world, I ventured up....to the second platform, thought better of it and sat down. Nah!

 

 

 Finally made it to the salmon ladder. The bridge, which accommodates vehicles, leads to a road that winds up to the higher part of the hill. I would have loved to see that area, but legs would not allow. I ended up taking photos for 6 sets of other tourists who were struggling to take selfies with this in the background. Seems I did a lot of that at several stops.

 

 

 And, the ladder.

 

 

Having reached my goal, I could, like Frodo, lie down and await the eagles to come and carry me back down. Or, realizing that it was all downhill from here, just let gravity take over. Until I crossed the bridge at Creek Street. One...more...mile.

 

(But then I made it, didn't I? Tougher than shoe leather.)