Alaska
Ξ June 3rd, 2008 | → | ∇ Travel and Fun Stuff |
My youngest step-daughter and her husband just came home from an Alaskan cruise, and the pictures they took are just gorgeous! I remember my grandmother going to visit Alaska, but that was probably 15 years ago and the details escape me. So hearing my kids talk about the fun they had and the sights they saw is quite fun!
The two of them live in Seattle, so at least they didn’t have to fly across the entire US before the cruise. They saw glaciers, went whale watching, and did all of the typical tourist stuff. However, one city they visited intrigued me–not only did it look interesting, but I’d never heard of it before.
Ketchikan is known as the Salmon Capital of the World and they rely on fishing and tourism for their economy. The kids took pictures of a bald eagle, apparently they were everywhere during their visit. They were pretty excited about that. And check out the Misty Fjords–stunning!
But I’m going to come clean and admit that what caught my attention in the pictures of Ketchikan is the fact that the buildings are on stilts. Very cool! Once I began looking into the town, I realized what an interesting history it has. I have really enjoyed learning about the Native culture, the fishing industry, the former red light district, and the movement into what Ketchikan is today–a lovely little town thriving with art, culture, and rich history.
I’m not much of a cruise person, but I would love to visit Ketchikan one day. I may have to rethink my stance on cruises.