Ketchikan, Alaska

Before we even left TN, our adventure had begun. To enter Alaska, you must either bring proof of recent negative COVID-19 testing (within 72 hrs of landing in the state), or get tested at your arrival airport and then self quarantine until you get results back (could be 2-3 days). Actually, there’s a third option to self quarantine for 2 weeks upon entering the state, but that requires literally not leaving your hotel room (and no, Airbnb and Rv’s don’t count) for the entire 14 days, receiving your meals by delivery; so that’s not really an option, is it?

Anyway, in the week before we were to leave, we had called around and found only one entity that was offering the rapid test, with results available in 15 minutes rather than an amorphous “2-3 days”. This was a clinic with multiple sites throughout the state, and several near us, but not a single one in the state had any test kits left. Soooo….we ultimately drove 3 hours to Birmingham, AL for our (luckily) negative nasal swab tests (and yes, it does feel like they’re trying to reach your brain when they rummage around in there). This was just 2 days before we were to fly out.

Ketchikan is at the southern end of the Alaskan Panhandle. It is in a temperate rain forest; thus, we should not have been surprised to experience rain. But 2 solid days?? The first day we got soaked just walking to breakfast 1 block away (despite good rain jackets). After spending most of the day holed up in our room, we were getting cabin fever, so we ventured out when it was merely raining, but not blowing much.

This was the rushing creek just outside our window that we watched getting more and more flooded and violent as the day progressed.

Downstream from us was the picturesque row of former brothels on Creek Street.

As we walked into town, we passed several totem poles. This area of Alaska is known for this unique art form.

Interesting little tidbit about the town - the original area of downtown with the wharf, that was settled in the 1890s, soon filled the available land and was butting up against The Knob. Newtown was developing to the north, and until 1954, the two areas were connected by a narrow, wooden, two way viaduct on pilings that skirted Knob Hill. Well, it was decided to build a tunnel through the rock, rather than to blast it down. Residents of Knob Hill were relocated for several months while the tunnel was blasted open.

Their claim to fame is that this is the only tunnel in the world that can be driven through, around and over.

This gives a hint of the rain forest around:

Unfortunately the weather was so bad that our reserved boat outing to explore Misty Fjords National Monument was cancelled. So, we ventured out again on our second day, happy to find that it was merely lightly raining, to explore Totem Bight State Historical Park. This is an 11 acre park about 10 miles north of Ketchikan, served by the city bus system (with rides being free due to COVID), that allowed us to walk through the rain forest and learn about the heritage of totem poles.

There were giant slugs!

There was a clan house!

And of course, there were totem poles!

The door into the clan house was quite small, so you had to crouch down to enter.

Totem poles are made from red cedar because it’s most resistant to decay. However, after about 75 years, they do degrade and fall, and are left where they fall to give back to the earth and forest.

We learned a lot about the different figures depicted on the totem poles, but this one was unique and caught my eye:

Did I mention that it rained a lot?

I was really glad I had gotten a rain cover for my camera, as well as very good rain jacket and pants. There was a sign at the wharf in Ketchikan that said they got 12.5 feet of rain per year! And lots of sunlight right now - 17 1/2 hrs, to be exact. I was awakened the first morning by a bird singing outside our window at 0400 and that was when sunrise was.

The trees were covered in moss and fungi, given the near constant moisture.

We’ll be moving up the Panhandle now, hoping for even slightly clearer skies.